Sat Apr 26 00:42:36 2008

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Former Spartans standout Grandelius dies

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East Lansing, MI (Sports Network) - Former Michigan State All-American Everett "Sonny" Grandelius died of natural causes on Friday. He was 79.

Grandelius, who played for the Spartans from 1948-50, became Michigan State's first 1,000-yard rusher and just the 17th in college football history, gaining 1,023 yards on 163 carries. He recorded five 100-yard rushing games in 1950, including a career-best 184 yards in the season opener against Oregon State.

He finished his career with 1,692 rushing yards and 19 rushing TDs. Grandelius earned MVP honors in the 1951 Hula Bowl and was selected by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1951 NFL Draft.

At the age of 29, Grandelius was named head coach at Colorado. He later coached in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles (1962-63) and Detroit Lions (1964).