CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, September 18, 2007
He has been dubbed the sack master by his teammates and coaches.
When Jonal Saint-Dic left Hudson Valley Community College in 2005, he boldly proclaimed he would lead the Big Ten Conference in sacks after he signed with Michigan State University.
Up until 2007, Saint-Dic had not lived up to his prediction. However, this season Saint-Dic has caused havoc with opposing quarterbacks to help the Spartans get off to a 3-0 start this season. He's tied for the Big Ten lead and ranks second in the country with five sacks, and leads the country with four forced fumbles.
Following last Saturday's game in which Saint-Dic recorded two sacks and forced two fumbles in a win over the University of Pittsburgh, Michigan State defensive coordinator stated, "I can't say enough about Saint-Dic.. He's the sack master, I'm going to tell you right now. They can't block him. The guy is unbelievable. He does a great job."
Saint-Dic was named the Big Ten's Co-Defensive Player of the week for Saturday's performance.
Saint-Dic, a 6-1, 255 pound defensive end from Elizabeth, NJ, graduated from Hudson Valley in 2005 after helping the Vikings to back-to-back Northeast Football Conference championships. He was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 and amassed a school-record 21 career sacks.
His first season at Michigan State ended quickly. After recording a sack and a safety in the first game against the University of Illinois, Saint-Dic sat out the rest of the season due to injuries.
The good news for him, and maybe not so good news for opposing offenses, is that Saint-Dic was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA.
In 2006, Saint-Dic made four starts and recorded 23 tackles and two sacks. A good year, but not what Saint-Dic expected of himself.
The change came this year with a new coaching staff and a small change to his positioning.
"The new scheme has allowed me to use my speed," Saint-Dic said. "Last year, I lined up over the tight end and now I am able to line up outside the tight end."
Saint-Dic hopes to continue his success this weekend when the Spartans travel to South bend, IN to face the University of Notre Dame.
"I know they are struggling, but Notre dame is still Notre Dame. They have a lot of good athletes over there," said Saint-Dic.
