East Lansing's Kaleb Elam ready for walk-on opportunity with Michigan State football
Kaleb Elam had always thought about the possibilities.
Even as he signed with Davenport as a senior at East Lansing in 2019, the thoughts of one day ending up playing football down the road at Michigan State were always in the back of his head.
And three years later, Elam has turned those thoughts into reality and has joined the Spartan football program as a walk-on defensive back.
"Both my parents went to Michigan State and I kind of wanted to carry on that legacy," Elam said. "I had an uncle that passed away last year and he also attended Michigan State. That was kind of also a factor that played into it.
"Growing up in Lansing and going to East Lansing High School, it's hard not to be a Spartan fan. It's always been a dream to play for Michigan State. It was just time to put that into the play."
Elam said spending the last few years at Davenport was a valuable experience for his journey. He suited up on special teams for the Panthers early in his career before becoming a factor last fall.
The 6-foot-1 Elam appeared in 10 games, registered 35 tackles, defending two passes and recovering a fumble for Davenport last season. He had a career-best 13 tackles in a loss to Wayne State in October.
"I felt like I had my biggest growth," Elam said of his 2021 success. "I thank the Davenport coaches and team over there for helping me with that. Their coaching and their teaching definitely led to me becoming the player I am today.
"With my performance on the field and success in the classroom,. I just felt like with the combination of both those I had the opportunity and the ability to be a Spartan."
Elam hopes to make the most of the opportunity in his return home. His main focus is to continue his growth as a player.
"(I wan) to get better every day and take the coaching and the teaching from all the great minds at MSU and apply it to myself," Elam said. "I don't want to take anything for granted. I want to soak it all in. I don't want to rush it. I want to believe in the process, trust the process and be patient because I know my time will come."
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: East Lansing's Kaleb Elam joins Michigan State football as walk-on
