EAST LANSING — The grin creased across Damion Terry’s face Tuesday night didn’t suggest a guy mourning the fact that he's not the starting quarterback at Michigan State.

It wasn't indicative of a man who has endured numerous shoulder and knee surgeries.

It hid the pain of being passed over, masked the hurt of not living up to the hype.

A smile. That’s how the Spartans backup has handled five years of “what ifs.”

“That’s tough,” Terry said when asked what his legacy at MSU will be. “I’ll be able to answer that after our bowl game.”

Spoken like a true competitor.

Terry knows that, any minute, his number could be called. MSU is still guaranteed five games this season. The fifth-year senior said he is preparing like he will start each one. He's been surprised before.

In 2015, Terry joined Tyler O’Connor in quarterbacking the Spartans to a stunning 17-14 upset of No. 2 Ohio State at the Horseshoe. The duo stepped in for starter Connor Cook, who was ruled out minutes before the game with a shoulder injury.

Terry said he had little time to be nervous. He was prepared.

The same can be said for the season finale in Happy Valley last November. Capping a dismal 3-9 season, Terry was tabbed as the starter hours before kickoff. The coaching staff wanted to see if Terry was the future. The then-junior was making his first career start. In his home state of Pennsylvania, no less.

Terry waited for that opportunity for four years, he said. He wanted to impress. He stopped short of calling it the biggest audition of his life.

He was ready.

“That was unbelievable. Better than anything I could’ve imagined or dreamed of,” Terry smiled.

Terry got the underdog Spartans out to a quick 6-3 lead. Midway through the second quarter, driving the team down the field on the seventh-ranked Nittany Lions once again, Terry took a keeper inside the Penn State 15-yard line.

A helmet-to-helmet hit ended his afternoon, season, and at the time, Terry feared, possibly his career.

“Emotionally, you could tell it was a tough one for him to sit out of,” MSU quarterbacks coach Brad Salem said. “I think how he’s handled his adversity through his career is a testament to his character and who he is as a person.

“I know he was very frustrated,” Salem continued. “It was such a big opportunity, and he was playing very, very well throughout the first half, moving the football down the field. He wanted a chance to complete the game.”

That didn’t happen.

Sitting on the bench, a white towel draped off his head, tears rolled out of the quarterback’s eyes. Some because of the concussion. Some, frustration.

“I thought, ‘This could be it,”’ Terry recalled. “I had so many emotions running through my head. It felt like life was sucked right out of you. There were so many people with expectations there, ready to cheer for me. It got taken away quick.”

Coming to terms

Unfortunately, injuries simply fit into Terry’s pattern.

The bulky black brace on his left leg Tuesday is a reminder of the toll this game has taken on him. He has never said it publicly, but the thought of quitting has crossed his mind.

The five-hour drives back home to Erie have been times of reflection. Sometimes, his mind got the best of him.

"I don’t think it’s in me to quit,” he said. “Sometimes, though, I’d be driving back and thinking about football, jumping back into rehab as I am wearing a sling on my arm and thinking, ‘I just want to stay home. Do I really want to do this?’ I don’t want to let my teammates down though. That would be selfish, to me.”

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Terry is bright and well spoken. He’s genuine. More importantly, he isn’t in denial. When the final buzzer sounds on the Spartans’ season in December — or hopefully January, Terry quipped — he knows that’s it.

“I am not going to do (NFL) Pro Day or anything,” he said. “I’ve hit my road. I see my light in the tunnel.”

He’s content. And, with his trademark smile, he assured the media and himself that he could still see the field in 2017. Crazier things have happened.

He’s not ready to reminisce about his career at MSU quite yet. But that’s not to say that he doesn’t often think about the ticking clock. All quarterbacks have it.

He only has 10 more team workouts.

Two more “Kellogg” meals with the team the night before home games.

Five more football games. That’s it.

“I was just telling coach (Mark Dantonio), I only have two meals left,” he laughed, talking about the steaks and seafood spread at the East Lansing hotel and conference center. “I might have to bring a to-go box. Everything will really start to set in before the Maryland game on senior day. For now, I am just going to embrace every day. I’m trying to relax and take a deep breath.

“I’m trying not to reflect a lot.”

That's not to say he doesn't want to discuss the good times.

Leaving his mark

Playing in a limited role or not stepping on the football field at all, Terry does own a Rose Bowl ring and was part of two Big Ten championship teams. But for him, nothing compares to the improbable win over the Buckeyes during his sophomore season.

His stats weren’t all that impressive, completing one pass for 2 yards. He only rushed for 25. It was the end result that hushed the 108,975 in attendance at Ohio Stadium that day.

O’Connor, Cook, Salem and Terry stood on the sidelines, arm in arm, on that damp, cold, windy November night in Columbus, watching as Michael Geiger sailed a 41-yard field goal through the uprights as time expired.

The team burst out onto the field to celebrate. The four shared an emotional moment before joining their teammates.

“We weren’t supposed to win,” O’Connor said by phone Wednesday. “We weren’t supposed to win with Connor.”

O’Connor called it one of his fondest memories of his time at MSU. That game was so much fun, he joked that he wouldn’t have even been mad if it went into overtime.

“I knew it was going in,” he laughed.

Terry, who said he grew up an Ohio State fan – why? He has no clue – said he was happiest for O’Connor, who is from Ohio.

"The Spartans play their best ball in November,” Terry smiled, reciting the company line and MSU rallying cry this week. “That game was truly awesome.”

Lofty expectations

O’Connor still remembers the student section chants.

“Terry! Terry! Terry!”

In the second scrimmage of fall camp, Terry completed 10 of 14 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. The redshirt freshman also rushed for 40 yards and led the offense to a come-from-behind 37-36 win over the defense. His play was electric. The fan base took notice. Some even dubbed him the “savior” at quarterback.

Coming out of Cathedral Prep School, Terry was the ninth-ranked quarterback in the country, according to Scout.com. Rivals.com dubbed him the No. 16 pro-style signal caller in the nation. ESPN touted him as one of the top players overall. He led the Ramblers to a 33-8 record in 41 high school starts. He was the 2012 Class AAA Player of the Year.

The hype was real. The fans felt it. Terry did his best to temper expectations.

Dantonio and Co. decided to redshirt the QB to the dismay of many. Terry called it a blessing.

“Things happen fast here,” he said. “You play for like 13 years straight then they put the brakes on you because you aren’t ready. I needed it. I loved my redshirt year. I embraced it, learned from it and got better.”

With Terry relegated to the bench, Cook took the reins of the Spartans’ offense. He didn’t relinquish the position for three years.

All Cook did was go on to become the winningest quarterback in school history (34-5), toss the most touchdown passes (71), most passing yards (9,194) and total offense (9,403). Cook was named the 2015 Big Ten Quarterback of the Year, first team All-Big Ten and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner.

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Terry said he never gave serious thought to transferring. He calls Cook one of his closest friends. He shared in the team triumphs. He supported his teammate.

O’Connor and Terry were roommates in college. O'Connor said they both talked privately about the pros and cons of leaving MSU to explore other options. In the end, life in East Lansing and playing for one of the best teams in the country far outweighed personal successes.

“We had transfer talks,” O’Connor said. “I went through it, as did he. It was a thought here and there, but we have too many friends here. Things are too good here, plus we were always one play away.”

O’Connor, who now works for the Kraft Heinz Company in Chicago, said history shows most players don’t voluntarily leave the MSU football program.

In a world where players are quick to leave when they don’t get their way, Salem said Terry is a shining example of what a real teammate looks like.

“If you could make the perfect teammate, especially at your position, at a position that only starts one person, it’s Damion,” current starter Brian Lewerke said Tuesday night. “He’s been there for me and helps me out. I can’t thank him enough.”

Staying in the moment

Tuesday night, four days before Penn State is set to visit Spartan Stadium, Terry jokes with the media and his teammates. He is taking it all in. He answers the same questions he has for five years. He handles it all with grace.

Why didn’t he simply make a position change to get on the field?

Injuries derailed that idea, he said, adding that he would be the next Felton Davis at wide receiver, if he could. He stopped at the idea of playing tight end, conceding that he could or would never want to block defensive end Kenny Willekes.

When asked about regrets, Terry’s bright smile widened.

“Yeah, not scoring 100-plus touchdowns and winning a national title,” he laughed.

All kidding aside, Terry knows some will always question why he stayed or why he never really got his shot. No one, he said, will ever question his commitment.

"I want to be remembered as a great teammate,” he said. “Someone who is always there for others, and battled and stuck it out through injuries and adversity.

“I wouldn’t change anything. I am a Spartan for life."

Contact Cody Tucker at (517) 377-1070 or cjtucker@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @CodyTucker_LSJ.