MSU lineman from Old Castle forgoes pros to save health
By Jim Parker,
Windsor Star
Old Castle’s Mike Gyetvai has decided to walk away from the game while he still can walk.
After finishing up his five-year playing career with the Michigan State University Spartans, the six-foot-seven, 307-pound Gyetvai is now walking away from the game of football.
“I’m not going to play anymore,” the 23-year-old Gyetvai said.
“I’m just too banged up.
“I’ve got bad knees, a bad back, a bad shoulder. I’m hurting now. What am I going to feel like when I’m 40?”
The third pick overall by the Calgary Stampeders in the 2007 Canadian Football League Draft, Gyetvai is walking away from a pro career there and a possible shot this spring at the National Football League.
“Maybe I could have played in the NFL or at least a few years in the CFL,” Gyetvai said.
“I’d rather end it trying to play. It sucks to have it happen because of an injury.”
Gyetvai has battled injuries for years.
TWO KNEE INJURIES
He had two knee surgeries during his high school days at Sandwich.
Since going to Michigan State, he’s battled back problems and a bad shoulder that kept him out of spring ball this season.
“I’ve got a couple of herniated discs that I’m doing exercises with and hopefully that will help and I won’t need surgery,” Gyetvai said.
He had 23 starts over his career with the Spartans and played at every position on the offensive line except centre.
“I’ll miss the camaraderie,” Gyetvai said.
“I always loved the meetings and just hanging around the locker-room and horsing around.
“When you’re not having fun, it drags on, but when you’re having fun it blows by and it’s gone.”
He laments the fact the Spartans never got a win over rival Michigan or Ohio State.
“I wish we’d had a few more winning season, but it didn’t work out,” Gyetvai said.
“We missed on (Michigan) and Ohio State.”
He did get to a bowl game for the first time this season where the Spartans lost 24-21 to Boston College in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
But Gyetvai is six credits short of his degree, which will see him graduate in May with a degree in mechanical engineering.
He can now walk away with his health and ready to take on the working world.
“It’s not worth the risk,” said Gyetvai, who watched his brother Dan Gyetvai battle knee problems during his CFL career.
“He was at the point that I’m at now. They told him after they fixed (his knee) that if he did it again, they wouldn’t be able to fix it again. I don’t want that.”
