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All-americans
168
George saimes #40 fb | 5-10 | 186 Canton, OHio
ray stachowicz #19 p | 6-0 | 190 Broadview Heights, OHio
Charles “bubba” smith #95 de | 6-8 | 280 Beaumont, Texas
George Saimes was tabbed as an AllAmerican his senior year in 1962 by the AP, UPI, Football Writers Association, Football Coaches Association, New York News, The Sporting News and CBS-TV. Saimes churned his way for a team-high 642 rushing yards and nine TDs and also registered three interceptions while serving as defensive captain. A two-time Spartan MVP and first-team All-Big Ten choice, Saimes’ big effort that year was a careerbest 153 yards and three TDs on 13 carries vs. Notre Dame, earning him Midwest Back of the Week by UPI. He finished his college career with 1,253 yards on the ground while notching 18 touchdowns. Chosen in the sixth round of the 1962 pro draft by both the Dallas Texans (AFL) and the Los Angeles Rams (NFL), he earned All-Pro honors as a safety with the Buffalo Bills. Ron Saul #70 og | 6-2 | 239 Butler, PA. Ron Saul was an All-American his senior season in 1969 as chosen by The Sporting News, Time and the Newspaper Enterprise Association. The 6-foot2, 239-pounder possessed exceptional strength and was nicknamed “Hercules” by his teammates. He was voted the Spartans’ most valuable player in ’69 and is the last offensive lineman to earn that honor. A three-year starter, he and his identical twin brother, Rich, earned Academic All-America honors, the first brother combo ever to achieve that distinction in the same year. Selected in the fifth round by the Houston Oilers in the 1970 NFL Draft, Saul went on to enjoy a 13-year professional career. scott shaw #73 og | 6-4 | 297 Sterling Heights, MIch. Scott Shaw was chosen as a first-team All-American by the Gannett News Service as a senior in 1997. Shaw started all 12 games at left guard and helped the Spartans to a No. 24 spot nationally in rushing offense (199.5 ypg.). He also opened holes for MSU running backs who tallied 100 or more yards seven times during the season. At 6-foot-4 and 297 pounds, Shaw consistently earned the team’s top grade for pass protection, allowing only one sack all season. He was drafted in the fifth round by the Miami Dolphins in the 1998 NFL Draft. bill simpson #29 db | 6-1 | 185 Royal Oak, MIch. Bill Simpson brought home All-America honors as a senior in 1973 as picked by The Sporting News and Universal Sports. Simpson spearheaded an exceptional Spartan secondary that ranked No. 2 nationally in passing defense and No. 12 in total defense, intercepting a teamhigh five passes. He also ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten in punting (39.3 avg.). He recorded 64 tackles, tops in the MSU defensive secondary, including three touchdown-saving stops. A two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree, Simpson was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Rams in 1974 (first defensive back chosen). In 1996, Simpson was named to MSU’s Centennial Super Squad in a poll conducted by the Lansing State Journal.
Another of MSU’s all-time greats, Bubba Smith brought home All-America recognition as a junior in 1965 as chosen by the American Football Coaches Association, and UPI before being selected to nine different squads as a senior. During the ’65 season, he helped the Spartans rank No. 1 in the nation in rushing defense while playing a key role in holding Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan to minus rushing yards. At 6-foot-8, 280 pounds, his statistics of 30 tackles in 1966 (10 tackles for losses) don’t nearly represent his impact on opposing squads which either tried double- or triple-teaming him or running away from his side of the field. The UPI named him Lineman of the Year, and the Baltimore Colts made him the No. 1 pick overall in the 1967 NFL Draft. He went on to enjoy an eight-year pro career before being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1996, he was chosen to MSU’s Centennial Super Squad in a poll conducted by the Lansing State Journal. In June 2006, Smith was rated among the Top 10 Greatest Defensive Players of All-Time, according to lists compiled by CollegeFootballNews.com’s Pete Fiutak (No. 6) and Richard Cirminiello (No. 8). On Sept. 23, 2006, he became just the third player in Michigan State football history to have his jersey number (No. 95) retired. robaire smith #91 de | 6-5 | 268 Flint, MIch. Robaire Smith was named a firstteam All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation following his junior season in 1998. He led the defensive line and was fourth on the team in tackles with 52 (23 solos, 29 assists) before suffering a broken leg in the first quarter against Ohio State Nov. 7. The 6-foot-5, 268-pounder from Flint, Mich., led the Spartans in tackles for losses with eight (22 yards) through the first eight games, including two-anda-half sacks. He ended his MSU career with 38 tackles for losses and 22 sacks, fourth- and fifth-best in school history, respectively. He was chosen in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. percy snow #48 mlb | 6-3 | 240 Canton, OHio One of the most decorated MSU gridders of all time, Percy Snow was an All-America choice as picked by The Sporting News his junior year in 1988 and garnered first-team distinction in 1989 by the following entities: Kodak, Associated Press, United Press, Football Writers, Football News, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Foundation. During the ’89 campaign, he became the first player ever to capture both the Butkus and Lombardi Awards. He led all Big Ten players in total tackles with 172, then an MSU record. He turned in 11 performances of double-digit tackling his senior year and notched 23 takedowns vs. Illinois. A three-year starter, he closed out his career with 473 tackles, No. 2 on MSU’s all-time list. He was a first-round selection (13th player overall) of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1990 NFL Draft.
A four-year starter, Ray Stachowicz earned All-America honors as a junior in 1979 by the Football News and as a senior in 1980 by the Walter Camp Foundation, Football News and the Newspaper Enterprise Association. He led the Big Ten in punting in 1979 (43.8 avg.) and in 1980 (44.6) in league contests and his overall average of 46.2 yards in ’80 was a Big Ten record and ranked him second nationally (he was fifth nationally in ’79). Of his 71 punts in 1980, 13 were 55 yards or longer, and of his 230 career attempts, 57 traveled 50 or more yards. Closed out his career as MSU’s and the Big Ten’s all-time leader in punting average (43.3). When he had completed his career with the Spartans, he owned the four longest punts in MSU history. Also, he became the first player ever to earn first-team AllBig Ten honors four consecutive seasons. Picked in the third round by the Green Bay Packers in 1981 NFL Draft. dick tamburo #52 c | 6-1 | 200 New Kensington, PA. Dick Tamburo brought home All-America distinction his senior year in 1952 as picked by the Associated Press, Central Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association, International News Service, New York News, Football Digest and Paramount News. Named the Spartans’ MVP of the 1952 national championship season, he helped open holes for Spartan backs while playing a tough brand of defense which ranked No. 1 in the nation against the rush. One of his outstanding performances that year took place against Notre Dame when he recovered three Irish fumbles in the third quarter, one of which led to a TD in a 21-3 victory. brad van pelt #10 s | 6-5 | 221 Owosso, MIch. Brad Van Pelt was an All-America pick as a junior in 1971 by the Football News and United Press and was a consensus choice as a senior in 1972 including the Associated Press, Walter Camp Foundation, United Press, The Sporting News, Time Magazine, American Football Coaches, Football Writers Association and Universal Sports. He helped the Spartans to a No. 2 ranking in the Big Ten in total defense by posting 92 hits, tops among MSU defensive backs, while picking off four passes, returning two of those for TDs (both vs. Oregon State). As a senior, he registered 84 hits and picked off four passes. His efforts helped the Green and White allow just 2.8 yards per rush, the benchmark in the league. He became the first defensive back ever to receive the Maxwell Award (symbolic of college football’s outstanding player) and was tabbed as college football’s defensive back of the year by the Columbus Touchdown Club. He closed out his career with 256 tackles and was No. 2 on the school’s career interception list with 14. He was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants in 1973. He played 14 years in NFL ranks and was an All-Pro selection on five occasions. He was named to the Lansing State Journal’s MSU Centennial Super Squad in 1996 and inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000, College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. Prior to MSU’s Sept. 18, 2010, home game against Notre Dame, Van Pelt’s name was added to Spartan Stadium’s “Ring of Fame.”
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