John Foglio, or Father Jake, as he was known in the Spartan community, took a job as the football team’s chaplain when he formed a connection with Coach Duffy Daugherty.
He had that job for years, and Spartans say there was no one better for the job.
“Jake was not the typical priest. He was fun, he was a human being, and he made every other person better,” said Karen Sadler, mother of former MSU Punter Mike Sadler.
“He had such an impact on our program, one of those people you looked forward to seeing every day,” said Darien Harris, the team’s Director of Player Engagement.
Sadler and Harris say Father Jake was the most honest person on the team’s sideline.
“He’d call a spade a spade,” said Sadler. “If a player came off the field and he might be sulking on the bench, he’d go over there and say ‘what the hell is wrong with you? Get back out there!’”
“He was that third opinion. That voice of reason for everybody. That was great. Every program needs that,” said Harris.
Sadler says Father Jake was the most loving person her family had met.Advertisement
“Without hesitation, Mike said, ‘of all the people I crossed paths with at Michigan State, by far, the most influential was Father Jake,” she recalled Mike telling her.
It’s a sentiment echoed by anyone who set foot in the Spartans locker room or their sidelines.
“He didn’t want to leave this earth until he left it better than when he came here, so he definitely did that.”
Sadler and Harris say Father Jake is not replaceable, but the lessons he taught players, coaches, and families while at Michigan State will last forever.
As of now, funeral arrangements have not been announced.