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This is a great hire by MSU. This guy has some great connections and is well respected. Welcome to MSU Mr. Blackwell. 
__________________________________________________________________________________-
"EAST LANSING - Michigan State Football officially announced the hiring of Curtis Blackwell, Sound Mind and Sound Body (SMSB) Camp Organizer and Co-Founder on Friday evening. Saturday morning, on the first day of MSU practice, Blackwell stepped on the MSU practice field for the first time in Spartan colors as a member of the MSU football staff.
Today is his second day as the Director of College Advancement and Performance/Camp Director at MSU.
Blackwell will play a key role in the development and implementation of strategic plans in football recruiting. He will have creative input in recruit mailings, all social media outlets, and the CoachDantonio.com website, and will work in conjunction with the recruiting staff to organize all official and unofficial campus visits.
"My job at Michigan State is not to change their recruiting process but to enhance it by maximizing their exposure and letting kids know all the Michigan State has to offer," Blackwell told SpartanMag.com. "I want potential Spartans to experience everything about MSU and that starts with getting kids on campus, talking with the staff, walking through the Duffy (football building), meeting the players and seeing all of the facilities. The addition of the North Endzone Project, with the building of new locker rooms, will definitely help in selling all that Michigan State is."
Blackwell became a major player in the recruiting landscape when he co-founded the SMSB Camp more than nine years ago. He sought to use the camp as a means of assisting high school athletes in their developing skills on and off the field. The young athletes would learn proper football techniques from current and former NFL players and from college and high school coaches. They would learn life skills such as getting tutored in school work and preparing for the ACT/SAT tests. Over the past nine years, Blackwell helped in expanding the camp from 30 kids to thousands attending SMSB camps in Detroit, Columbus and Washington D.C.
Blackwell's work with the SMSB camp, as well as his academic background and proven commitment to the development of young people on and off the field, led Dantonio to speak with the native Detroiter about a new position at Michigan State.
"I was very excited when Coach Dantonio first contacted me in joining the football staff," Blackwell said. "I saw it as an opportunity to take the next step in my career and use all of the things and resources I've learned over the years to enhance Michigan State football."
In running the SMSB camps, Blackwell - a former player at Detroit King and Hampton University - developed relationships with many coaches and players throughout the country. He was also the head coach of Detroit-based Maximum Exposure, a national championship 7 on 7 football team, which is an indication of his ability to evaluate, organize and develop talent.
William Gholston, Taiwan Jones, Lawrence Thomas, DeAnthony Arnett, Tony Lippett, Ed Davis, Mylan Hicks, Jon Reschke, Dennis Finley and future Spartan Deon Drake are just a few of the players that participated in the SMSB program; a program that assisted in many more aspects then just football.
"That's one of the reasons why I took this position," Blackwell said, in reference to off-field player development. "I'm excited when I look out on the field and see DeAnthony Arnett and Tony Lippett and know that I helped in getting them to this stage in their life. Now I can continue the work I started and continue to help young men grow."
But recruiting is the area in which Blackwell is expected to have the biggest impact at Michigan State.
"Now that I'm here, I have to hit the ground running and target kids that will help MSU continue to build a top football program" he added. "Because of the acceleration of the recruiting process, my job will be to constantly find the best high school juniors, sophomores and freshmen out there and cultivate a relationship with them."
Dantonio said the following about Blackwell in a press release announcing the hiring:
"First and foremost, we appreciate the administration's support for establishing this critical position," said Dantonio. "Curtis Blackwell brings a wealth of contacts to this position through his work with the state's high school coaches association, national 7-on-7 camps, youth football programs as well as his work as a camp director.
"In this day and age of accelerated recruiting, those relationships can only benefit Michigan State. He also gained valuable experience interning with the NCAA. Curtis has demonstrated his innovation in creating the `Sound Mind, Sound Body' camps. He pays great attention to detail while possessing outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
"In his new role, Curtis can make a significant impact, not only on our current players but future Spartans as well. We're truly excited about him joining our Michigan State football staff."
__________________________________________________________________________________-
"EAST LANSING - Michigan State Football officially announced the hiring of Curtis Blackwell, Sound Mind and Sound Body (SMSB) Camp Organizer and Co-Founder on Friday evening. Saturday morning, on the first day of MSU practice, Blackwell stepped on the MSU practice field for the first time in Spartan colors as a member of the MSU football staff.
Today is his second day as the Director of College Advancement and Performance/Camp Director at MSU.
Blackwell will play a key role in the development and implementation of strategic plans in football recruiting. He will have creative input in recruit mailings, all social media outlets, and the CoachDantonio.com website, and will work in conjunction with the recruiting staff to organize all official and unofficial campus visits.
"My job at Michigan State is not to change their recruiting process but to enhance it by maximizing their exposure and letting kids know all the Michigan State has to offer," Blackwell told SpartanMag.com. "I want potential Spartans to experience everything about MSU and that starts with getting kids on campus, talking with the staff, walking through the Duffy (football building), meeting the players and seeing all of the facilities. The addition of the North Endzone Project, with the building of new locker rooms, will definitely help in selling all that Michigan State is."
Blackwell became a major player in the recruiting landscape when he co-founded the SMSB Camp more than nine years ago. He sought to use the camp as a means of assisting high school athletes in their developing skills on and off the field. The young athletes would learn proper football techniques from current and former NFL players and from college and high school coaches. They would learn life skills such as getting tutored in school work and preparing for the ACT/SAT tests. Over the past nine years, Blackwell helped in expanding the camp from 30 kids to thousands attending SMSB camps in Detroit, Columbus and Washington D.C.
Blackwell's work with the SMSB camp, as well as his academic background and proven commitment to the development of young people on and off the field, led Dantonio to speak with the native Detroiter about a new position at Michigan State.
"I was very excited when Coach Dantonio first contacted me in joining the football staff," Blackwell said. "I saw it as an opportunity to take the next step in my career and use all of the things and resources I've learned over the years to enhance Michigan State football."
In running the SMSB camps, Blackwell - a former player at Detroit King and Hampton University - developed relationships with many coaches and players throughout the country. He was also the head coach of Detroit-based Maximum Exposure, a national championship 7 on 7 football team, which is an indication of his ability to evaluate, organize and develop talent.
William Gholston, Taiwan Jones, Lawrence Thomas, DeAnthony Arnett, Tony Lippett, Ed Davis, Mylan Hicks, Jon Reschke, Dennis Finley and future Spartan Deon Drake are just a few of the players that participated in the SMSB program; a program that assisted in many more aspects then just football.
"That's one of the reasons why I took this position," Blackwell said, in reference to off-field player development. "I'm excited when I look out on the field and see DeAnthony Arnett and Tony Lippett and know that I helped in getting them to this stage in their life. Now I can continue the work I started and continue to help young men grow."
But recruiting is the area in which Blackwell is expected to have the biggest impact at Michigan State.
"Now that I'm here, I have to hit the ground running and target kids that will help MSU continue to build a top football program" he added. "Because of the acceleration of the recruiting process, my job will be to constantly find the best high school juniors, sophomores and freshmen out there and cultivate a relationship with them."
Dantonio said the following about Blackwell in a press release announcing the hiring:
"First and foremost, we appreciate the administration's support for establishing this critical position," said Dantonio. "Curtis Blackwell brings a wealth of contacts to this position through his work with the state's high school coaches association, national 7-on-7 camps, youth football programs as well as his work as a camp director.
"In this day and age of accelerated recruiting, those relationships can only benefit Michigan State. He also gained valuable experience interning with the NCAA. Curtis has demonstrated his innovation in creating the `Sound Mind, Sound Body' camps. He pays great attention to detail while possessing outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
"In his new role, Curtis can make a significant impact, not only on our current players but future Spartans as well. We're truly excited about him joining our Michigan State football staff."
