Dec 29, 2019; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden calls out In the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Observations from Jon Gruden's Interview with MSU Hockey Commit

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Greg Liodice | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Michigan State hockey commit Mason West is a man of many talents, and he doesn’t plan on wasting them.

Currently, West plays for the Fargo Force of the USHL after a successful career at Edina High in Minnesota. That prosperous run helped him get drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks, 29th overall in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.

But he’s also a revered quarterback, and he intends on finishing his high school football career with his buddies at Edina before transitioning back to Fargo.

Two days ago, West was interviewed by former Super Bowl champion head coach Jon Gruden and spoke about balancing two sports at a high level.

Here are three observations from West’s conversation with Gruden:

West Chose MSU for How it Develops Players

Gruden acknowledged he wanted to talk about West’s game on the gridiron, but he first dug into the thought process behind choosing East Lansing over staying home in Minnesota.

“I think just the way they develop players," West said. "I really try to make comparisons a little bit with players they’ve had. If you know Charlie Stramel, he was there and transferred from Wisconsin to Michigan State, and just to see his success, I think I compare myself to him a little bit, with his size and physical tools. … It’s cool to see how he developed and blossomed into that school.”

The comparison to Stramel is interesting, and it makes sense.

West is a giant, standing at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds with even more room to grow, while Stramel is just a smidge smaller but built like a house and plays the same style.

What makes West so much more imposing, though, is his ability to skate freely. Players his size are starting to become exceptional skaters in today’s game, but it’s so easy for bigger players to push skating to the side and become strictly physical forces.

West, however, uses his large frame to his advantage, but he isn’t just brawn. He’s got flash. While at Michigan State, coach Adam Nightingale will have a field day developing West into the player the Blackhawks envisioned.

West Loves Football, But It’s All About Hockey

It’s a famous saying that rapper Drake made popular in the early 2010s: "You only live once."

That’s West’s mindset when it comes to sticking with football.

Gruden teed it up by asking, “Obviously (football) is very important to you. You’re going back to win a championship with your high school teammates. What is it about football that lured you back to the gridiron?”

West didn’t hesitate. He even cited another Edina legend.

“I would just say, you only live once," he said. "I’ll never have the chance to ever go back and play football again. I don’t know if you know Anders Lee (captain of the New York Islanders), he was in the same situation as me. He was a football player, and he went back for his senior year of football. … If he can do it, I think I can do it too.”

But part of this decision isn’t even about the game. It’s about the memories, the ones that can get lost in the shuffle when chasing the pro dream.

“It’s important to me to make special memories with my buddies," West said. "I’ve known these guys since I was seven or eight years old, so it’s super cool that I can play with them again.”

Gruden tried to stir the pot, even asking if West would consider playing football for Michigan State. But West shut it down. His loyalty to hockey and to Michigan State is unwavering.

Being a Quarterback Helps with Being a Hockey Player

There’s a reason they call the power play point man a “quarterback.”

They have to read the zone, decide whether to pass, shoot, bounce a puck off the boards, or fire one for a deflection, just like a QB dissecting coverages with a 280-pound man charging full speed at them.

It’s the ultimate pressure position.

Given his size and the fact that he’s a forward, West likely won’t be manning the blue line, but his football IQ still gives him a big advantage.

“It’s all awareness,” West said. “Obviously in hockey, there’s a lot of things that happen in a game, making little quick passes. … When you watch me as a hockey player, you can see that with my vision, kind of my awareness for the ice.

"On the football field, I have an awareness for the pocket, whether I need to roll out, or step up in the pocket, where pressure is going, where the safeties are. … I think I do a good job of recognizing coverages or where guys will be.”

It’s rare to find someone who can command two huddles, one with helmets and shoulder pads, and one with sticks and blades. But Mason West is that dude.

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