Tennessee Titans: Jack Conklin reacts to Mark Dantonio resignation
Tennessee Titans right tackle Jack Conklin had some kind words for his former head coach at Michigan State, Mark Dantonio.
Michigan State football head coach Mark Dantonio resigned on Tuesday, which drew a reaction from one of his old players, Tennessee Titans right tackle, Jack Conklin.
Dantonio resigned just one day after an update to a lawsuit that was already ongoing claimed that the former Michigan State head coach had committed multiple recruiting violations. Dantonio claims his resignation had nothing to do with that situation, according to Dan Murphy of ESPN.
Despite the controversy surrounding him, Conklin had nothing but kind words for his former head coach in a message he posted on Instagram.
"“Congrats @dantoniomark I don’t know where to begin to thank you for the opportunity you gave me. You taught all of us Spartans how to be not only good players, but also great men! Forever #gogreen”"
Dantonio was the head coach of the Spartans from 2007 through 2019 and enjoyed a ton of success with the program.
Conklin, who was a walk-on at Michigan St., played under Dantonio for three seasons, from 2013 through 2015. He would later forego his Senior year and was selected by the Titans with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
After declining to pick up his fifth-year option prior to the 2019 season, the Titans saw Conklin step up in a big way, as he was one of the best right tackles in the NFL. As he prepares to hit free agency, Conklin is due for a big pay day, whether it be from the Titans or another team.
Tennessee will have a tough decision to make in that regard. Conklin is immensely talented but comes with some risk thanks to past issues with knee injuries.
Should they decide to let him walk, the Titans could choose to re-sign fellow tackle Dennis Kelly and try to find a long-term solution in the draft.