Michigan State linebacker Jacoby Windmon finished his first year with the Spartans watching his teammates compete the last month of the season while being suspended from the team. The transfer from UNLV was involved in the tunnel incident at Michigan last October following MSU's loss to its rival and faced legal charges as a result.
On Monday, he spoke with media for the first time since that night and addressed his regret for the incident, how he managed through the suspension, and his readiness for the season ahead.
"It was real hard for me because I have a big passion for football," Windmon said about his suspension. "Football is everything for me. But you know I'm a firm believer in ‘everything happens for a reason,’ so I was able to learn from the situation."
The matter may be settled now from a legal and punishment perspective for Windmon, but it still remains something he is dealing with heading into the 2023 season, his last at the collegiate level.
"I would never say it's behind me because it's something that I have to live with for the rest of my life," Windmon expounded on. "It's something that I take serious so I can learn from as I did and grow from it. Like I said, everything just happened for a reason. I never lost focus. I was always focused so it was no refocus for me. I just, you know, had to gain my focus into a different direction."
Dealing with the fallout from his role in the tunnel incident was not without reflection and regret for the linebacker.
"It just all pretty much happened fast," Windmon recalled of the night's altercation. "You know, it's life. Things happen in life and I'm a firm believer everybody go[es] through some type of adversity. It's just really how you bounce from it. It just was very unfortunate. You know, I've sent my apologies to the school down the road, but at the end of the day we're here for this season. I just look forward to this season and focus on the now."
The ability to lean on teammates and family was important for Windmon while he worked through his consequences for the tunnel incident in order to grow and look forward.
"It was very challenging at first because I was trying to carry all the weight on my shoulders," Windmon admitted. "But I had to come to a realization that I could actually express myself. I was just watching this video like two days ago - it said most men always say they're good after someone asks them how they're feeling. There's over 200 emotions - so I was able to experience different emotions. I wasn't just telling people I was good. I was actually telling people (how) I was feeling whether that was my teammates or family, (that’s) our culture. So big shout out to them because they (were) able to help me through this whole process. Just talking to them and, you know, getting the feedback from them and they (were) keeping my head up straight. That was very helpful through that whole process."
Windmon's return to MSU was not a given for the 2023 season despite the support he received. He was eligible for and could chosen to pursue getting drafted by the NFL in the 2023 NFL Draft. Windmon also acknowledged to media that it is his dream to one day play in the NFL, but his suspension only played a minor role in his decision to return for his final season.
"I just wanted to do what's best for my future and put myself in the best position to be successful," Windmon said. "It was a pretty hard decision to make. I was going back and forth, but at the end of the day I just felt like whatever decision I made, I was going to be 100% there. It was an influence on my decision being suspended. But at the end of the day, I wanted to put my best foot forward. I didn't want to have (any) regrets going to the NFL, so I don't have to question my character, my play on the field, or how my teammates view me. I just wanted to come back and do another year with my teammates."
Windmon also made it clear he worked hard when he returned for spring practices to have the respect of his teammates as a leader on the team.
"I would just be myself," Windmon said. "I would always just like try to pull guys aside, just let them know, because I'm a leader on the team and I have to reprove myself to my teammates. I wasn't expecting them to just say 'he's just a leader.' I wanted to get that confirmation from my teammates and coaches, and I didn't have a problem with that at all. They all (welcomed) me in with open arms and I'm just happy to be back."
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Even when he was sitting, though, Windmon made clear he was supporting his teammates.
"I gotta support my teammates 'cause you know they out there," Windmon made clear. "I gotta find a way to add value. I can only blame myself for being in (the) position I'm in, so I can't let my emotions dictate how I view them or how they play."
Windmon believes the team showed its belief in head coach Mel Tucker's core values for the program following the suspensions.
"You know guys just stepped up when their number was called," Windmon declared. "They made plays. Like Coach Tucker always say[s], we need everybody on the team, we value everybody on the team, and they just stuck to those three core values: tough[ness], discipline, and selfless. I just seen guys getting after it. You could tell that they wanted it. So I was it was real happy to watch them play."
Being back on the field brings excitement and anticipation for Windmon now that he's returned. Heading into the season, the three time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week is excited for where he's at in the defensive scheme.
"I really just loved the fact that they could just move me around anywhere," Windmon explained. "I could just be myself. This offense might never know if I'm coming or if I'm dropping in coverage, so that's a real blessing to have, and it's just pretty fast to transition in different defenses, different sub packages. I could just kind of be a linebacker depth and just walk down and do some d[efensive] end stuff. So it's pretty good with timing."
Speaking of defensive end roles, Windmon made a point this past offseason to reshape his body for the 2023 season.
"I feel like last year I was pretty down in weight," Wndmon admitted. "I was like 230 trying to play defensive end, but I just was trying to let my technique be the whole mass of my game. But now this year I think I got a little more weight. That was my goal to try to play at a more weight. So I'm trying to stay in that range from 240 to 245. I'm able to go down there and play some defensive end when I need to be or play some linebacker and take on some blocks, whatever I need to do."
If he does shift into the defensive line for a snap, it will be with a line reshaped by the transfer portal some this year. That personnel change is showing in Windmon's mind, but so is the overall defensive roster.
"We all have a pretty impressive defensive line in front of us," Windmon said. "We have a pretty tight linebacker room. We've got a lot of depth on both levels. Secondary, they look pretty nice, too. We're just going to have to play complimentary football like everybody else, and we just got to go out there and play 110%."
For Windmon, the season can't come soon enough.
"Mentally, I'm just trying to take things one day (and) one game at a time," Windmon said. "I'm really excited, but I mean, it's hard to show that 'cause the insides of me is just chomping. But outside I might just look like this, but I just really can't wait to be back on the field. You don't know how much you love something until it's taken away from you. So when football was taken away from me for those last four games I just felt the big void inside of me because I I have such a passion for the game. But like I said, everything happens for a reason, so I was able to learn from it and you know, move forward."
When it comes to that moment from last season, though, Windmon hopes others will give him a chance to show it was just one moment that doesn't define him. Windmon hopes outsiders - who don't know him like his teammates and family do - can try to find out who he really is and judge him as the imperfect individuals we all are.
"The people that know me, they know me," Windmon stated. "You gotta let the outsiders be outsiders. Eventually one day they'll get to know me and they'll see that I'm more than just a football player because I think a lot of people get their misconception of people playing football, that they're just football and always angry and trying to hit something. But it's actually another side of everyone behind the helmet so I just hope God find[s] it in their heart to just look at some people different or not judge because nobody's perfect. Nobody in the room's perfect, but you could always try your best no matter what."
Windmon is expected to take the field in just over one week when Central Michigan visits East Lansing for the Spartans' season opener. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1. For many of his teammates, the game will be the first since the regular season's finale at Penn State on Nov. 26, 2022. For Windmon, it will instead be the first game in 307 days - and it can't come soon enough.
