Michigan State football makes Oxford's Tate Myre honorary member of 2022 recruiting class

The Michigan State football program opened the early signing period on Wednesday by honoring Tate Myre, one of four students killed in a Nov. 30 shooting at Oxford High School.

Myre, who was a junior running back/tight end on the Oxford football team, was named an honorary member of the Michigan State 2022 football recruiting class.

"We are honored to recognize Tate Myre as the first Spartan Dawg of the 2022 class," Michigan State head football coach Mel Tucker said in a video posted Wednesday morning. "A Spartan Dawg is defined, not by the plays they make on the field, but by the character they exemplify, the leadership they bring to their team and their community, and for extraordinary individuals like Tate Myre, their heroism. Tate is, and always will be, a Spartan Dawg."

Later in the day during Tucker's press conference announcing the 2022 class, he recalled when he first noticed Myre during a game this fall against West Bloomfield. Tucker recalled Myre racing up the sidelines and he said, "Who the heck is that?"

Tucker wrote Myre's name down and when he got back to campus he handed it to Saeed Khalif, the director of player personnel, and told him to start finding out about Myre.

"He was a really good player," Tucker said. "He took off running and no one could catch him."

A petition is circulating online to rename Wildcat Stadium in his honor, with petition organizer Drake Biggie writing Myre's "act of bravery should be remembered forever and passed down through generations, he put his life in danger to try and help the thousands of other students at Oxford High School." 

Students Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Justin Shilling, 17, also were killed in the shooting, and seven others were injured. A 15-year-old fellow classmate is  charged with four counts of first-degree murder and 20 counts for other crimes. His parents also are jailed, charged with involuntary manslaughter for roles they allegedly played leading up to the shooting deaths. They have pleaded not guilty.

Myre was a beloved student and athlete at the school and recently was honored with a regional football award by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association. He was named to the Detroit News' All-North team. He aspired to attend Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University, Wayne State University or Texas A&M University, according to his player profile. 

"Tate Myre had an unmatched work ethic, athleticism, and love for his teammates. He had a passion to one day play for Michigan State," Tucker said. "His passion was paired with an unstoppable drive and follow-through to get there. Tate's consistency on and off the football field elevated everyone who knew him."

Myre's family joined Michigan for the coin toss before the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 4, and the Wolverines wore a patch with Myre's No. 42 and four hearts in honor of the victims. Michigan scored 42 points in the victory, matching Myre's jersey number.