Michigan State's Mark Dantonio reinstates Jon Reschke: Full transcript

Chris Thomas | Detroit Free Press

Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio said Tuesday that linebacker Jon Reschke has been reinstated on the Spartans' roster, some 17 months after Reschke left the team and issued an apology for making "insensitive" comments.

Dantonio, speaking in Chicago during the final day of Big Ten media days, said Reschke will not be on scholarship and his reinstatement is ultimately up to members of the MSU football team.

Here's Dantonio's full transcript on Reschke's reinstatement:

“In regards to Jon Reschke, he was an individual player who played for us in ’16, was injured. He made a statement and was suspended from our football team in the winter of 2017 and was done. Publicly apologized for an insensitive remark that he made, graduated from Michigan State, blew out his knee, was intent on going to another school and then had to apply for a sixth year. At that point and time, we started asking ourselves as a program – not me, but as players as well – did we want back in our program or did we not?”

“I’ve always tried to do what’s right and have always tried to look at everything in its completeness as to what affects that young man and his future. … And so I put it to our football team and allowed them to be part of the process, and that’s what it’s been: a process. And it’s an ongoing process, and whether it comes to fruition or not remains to be seen. It’s been a step-by-step process, and I talked to our football team and our players and said, ‘Hey, if you guys want him back, then you have to bring him back.’ It has to be a decision made by our African-American players, led by them, and they have to support that.

Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio talks Jon Reschke, upcoming season Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio previews the upcoming start of preseason camp at the Big Ten football media days in Chicago.

“But I think in college football – and teams, in general – and when I talk about teams, I’m talking about soccer teams, football teams, whatever, it’s an opportunity to step forward collectively and make statements relative to society I think year by year. Sometimes they’re impactful, sometimes they’re not. But the one thing I want our football players to understand and learn from – and to grow as people from – is they’re going to have to handle big, big issues at times, such as standing for the flag or not, or the things we’ve endured at Michigan State this past year. They’re going to be part of that, and they’re going to have to weigh in on things. And I’m going to have to listen to them, and listen to them weigh in on it, and ultimately, I’ll have to make decisions, but I have individuals that I’m concerned about. I’m concerned about people’s families. I’m concerned about how they live their life.

“Jon Reschke makes a decision that he wants to come back. He’s tried to look things in the eye and ask for forgiveness. Our football team has forgiven him – I think. If they haven’t, then that’ll be something that we deal with on an ongoing basis.

“But it’s been a step-by-step process. We brought him back, let him be around a little bit and watch in our conditioning areas, then we let him partake in that conditioning. We watched to see how he interacted with players and listened to our football players since January. Our leadership group, our entire team, every month I revisited the situation and asked them how they feel. Do they still feel the same. They’ll need to speak up and talk about this issue. I’m hopefully allowing healing to take place among our players in this situation. I’ll always do the best I can in that endeavor, and take a step-by-step approach. But these things occurred over a year-and-a-half ago. He’s not on scholarship, nor will he be on scholarship. And I think that’s a big thing. He’s paid an ultimate price by being out of football for a year, and he’s lost his scholarship. He’s suffered a knee injury, so we’ll see how he comes out of it. This is a story to watch maybe as we move forward. I think it’s a learning opportunity for our football team, and it’s an opportunity for growth in our society.

“So that’s what we’re going to do. And we’re going to do. Right now, he’s on the roster. It’s a step-by-step process, and the first step was for him to be able to complete what we call our “bottom line” program, which has been completed. Next step will be: Does he come to camp or not? At this point and time, all indications from my players is that they want him in camp. I’ll try and honor our football team and see what we can do, but that’s the process right now. Step-by-step process, though.”