Legendary football coach Duffy Daugherty once said of George Webster, "He doesn't tackle people. He explodes them! George was the greatest football player I ever coached." Webster earned three letters for Michigan State from 1964-66. The two-time consensus All-American and two-time all-conference selection helped MSU to a combined record of 19-1-1 in 1965-66 as the Spartans won back-to-back Big Ten Conference and National Championships. As a senior, Webster recorded 93 tackles, including 10 for losses. In 1967, he became the second Spartan football player to have his jersey number (No. 90) retired. Webster was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Webster was the first draft choice of the Houston Oilers. He was AFC Rookie of the Year. He played five years with Houston, two with Pittsburgh, and three with the New England Patriots. After his professional football days, Webster was named athletic director of Gulf Coast Community Services in Houston, working every day with underprivileged children. Webster died from heart failure in April 2007 at the age of 61.

The George Webster Memorial Scholarship was established to help former MSU athletes who did not graduate from MSU after participating on various Spartan teams. Such scholarship meant a lot to MSU football legend George Webster who returned to MSU many years after his professional playing days to earn his college degree. Webster felt strongly that we should not forget those who represented us through Spartan sports. The scholarship was created in 2007 with an endowment by Club member Jim Nelson.

The scholarship is given to former MSU athletes selected by the scholarship committee for the purpose of completing the academic work needed to obtain their degree at MSU. Candidates must demonstrate the persistence, resilience, respect and dignity of George Webster. Each recipient must become familiar with the values Webster demonstrated, and replicate Webster's encouragement and service to those with special needs, even while he endured many of life's trials and tribulations.

Current selection criteria:

• The Candidate must be eligible for re-admission to MSU
• The Candidate must submit a personal statement similar to re-enrollment process at MSU indicating why they didn’t graduate and what they have done in the intervening years
• The Candidate must be no more than 15 years removed from the last year of full-time enrollment
• The Candidate must have earned a minimum of two MSU varsity letters
• The Candidate must have been on athletic scholarship in any MSU sport