Steve Smith was a two-time All-America guard who left as Michigan State basketball’s all-time scoring leader. Shawn Respert broke Smith’s scoring record while leading MSU in points for four straight seasons and might be the best shooter in school history. Clarence (Biggie) Munn won 71 football games, the 1952 national title and the 1954 Rose Bowl in seven seasons before becoming athletic director and promoting assistant Duffy Daugherty to coach. Gene Washington and Clinton Jones helped MSU win a share of two national titles (1965 and 1966) before being high first-round draft picks in the NFL.
But none of them made the cut for a special Detroit Free Press page commemorating the greatest players and coaches in Spartans history.