EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP/WXMI) — An event to celebrate the life of former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler, who died in a car crash in Wisconsin, was held Sunday at Spartan Stadium.
Sadler and Nebraska punter Sam Foltz died in a July 23 crash after attending a kicking camp in Wisconsin.
Coach, teammates, friends and family spoke about the former MSU punter, including Sadler's mother, who said their family had been "deeply touched by the outcry of love and support for Mike nationwide."
“He would’ve been so proud and so humbled to look around at all of you here at Spartan Stadium, his second home," Karen Sadler said.
"Mike was no ordinary guy and this is no ordinary funeral. In fact, it’s extraordinary. It’s an incredible celebration for an extraordinary life. Exactly how he lived: big and with purpose.”
Sadler, a Grand Rapids native and graduate of Forest Hills Northern, was a four-year starter and four-time academic All-American at Michigan State. He finished his college career after the 2014 season.
Michigan State's athletic department has established the Mike Sadler Legacy Football Scholarship Fund, which will enable a Michigan State football player to receive a scholarship each year in his honor. In lieu of flowers, his family says contributions may be made to the fund.
Coach Mark Dantonio described Sadler as a kind person who took time with people, a giver who had class, he said.
“Number 3 will last forever in our lives, it’ll never stop. It’ll be a special number here," Dantonio said.
The celebration of life ended with a video montage of Sadler played to Frank Sinatra's "My Way." You can watch Mike's mother speak to the crowd and the video montage in the player above.