Through tragedy and triumph, Alante Brown finds strength at Michigan State

When you need it most, who can you count on?

When you need it most, where can you find solace and peace and know that things are going to be OK when you absolutely need them to be?

For wide receiver and Lansing-born Alante Brown, the decision to come home and transfer to Michigan State from Nebraska following the 2022 season was born out of comfort.

“It’s always felt like home,” Brown told reporters on Tuesday. “Always growing up (a) Spartan, being a Spartan was my dream. It’s been my dream school since I was a kid. So to come out here and make plays for Spartan Nation (is special).

“My grandma (from my father’s side) lives about 15 minutes away in Lansing, so I used to come back and forth when I was little. As I got older, my first team (growing up) was actually called the Spartans. So it just kind of just grew on me.

“When I came out here and watched (former MSU head coach Mark) Dantonio and the way that his team came and played, I kind of just drifted toward the program and the culture as I grew up. I knew once I met Coach Dantonio, yeah, that’s the place I need to be.”

Brown was a quarterback at Simeon Career Academy in Chicago before committing to Dantonio’s 2019 recruiting class. However, Brown did not end up signing with the Spartans. He has no regrets about decommitting and playing three years for the Cornhuskers before returning to his roots.

And when he has needed it most, his Lansing roots and love for Michigan State have only solidified during a tumultuous period in his life.

For Brown, he has dealt with unimaginable pain in his personal life since July 19.