EAST LANSING - A family tradition will continue in East Lansing.
Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and uncle, Traverse City St. Francis linebacker Max Bullough will play at Michigan State
The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder informed the Spartan coaching staff on Tuesday of his intentions to be a Spartan.
"I visited a lot of schools and I love them all, but when I went to a Michigan State game that is where I felt most comfortable," Bullough said. "It was strictly my decision. My family didn't pressure me, they just wanted me to choose a school where I felt at home."
Bullough chose MSU over Notre Dame and UCLA. He also had scholarship offers from Iowa and Stanford.
The grandson of Henry 'Hank' Bullough, Max is the first commitment for the class of 2010.
Hank was a guard at MSU from 1952-54 and was later a head coach in the NFL and an assistant coach for the Spartans. Max's father, Shane, played for MSU during the 1980s and was a team captain in his senior season in 1986. Shane's younger brother and Max's uncle, Chuck Bullough, was an All-Big Ten and second-team All-American linebacker while at MSU from 1988-91.
"That is obviously something that is exciting to have your son going to play the same sport at the same school as you did," Shane said. "But this was his decision. He is not going (to MSU) because he felt obligated to do so. He is going because he felt that was the best fit for him."
MSU linebackers coach Mike Tressel was Bullough's main recruiter. Bullough expects to play middle linebacker when he arrives on campus.
Even though he committed early, Bullough said the decision wasn't easy.
His mother's side of the family bleeds gold and blue. Lee Ann, Max's mother, is a Notre Dame alum and her father, Lee, played running back at Notre Dame from 1954-56.
Max also said being recruited by a family member was somewhat different. His uncle Chuck is the linebackers coach at UCLA and wanted his nephew to join him in Los Angeles.
"It wasn't awkward, but it was different than (being recruited by) other schools. He was a lot easier to talk to because he is my uncle." Max said of Chuck. "But (when I told him I am going to MSU) he was happy for me. All he wanted was what was the best thing for me."
As a sophomore, Bullough recorded 97 1/2 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and four sacks.
"He is a very, very smart kid who has good speed and outstanding range as a linebacker," said recruiting expert Phil Fritz, senior editor of Prepstar.com. "If he stays healthy and gets the coaching that I'm sure Michigan State will give him, he can be an NFL player. We have (Bullough) rated as an All-American."
Like Fritz, St. Francis coach Greg Vaughan said Bullough is not only one of the most talented players he has been around, but one of the smartest as well.
"He obviously is a gifted football player," Vaughan said. "He has a nose for the ball and commands attention on every play. But I would say his smarts are his biggest strength. He also wants to learn more about football. He is not happy if something does not go right."
Max's intelligence is not limited to the football field. He's carrying a 3.96 GPA.
With the recruiting process out of the way, Bullough can now concentrate on the rest of his high school career.
"It helps me cause I know where I'm going and I can relax a little bit and focus on high school," Bullough said. "But at the same time, I am excited about going to Michigan State."
