Senior safety Kurtis Drummond is a leader.

The Masury, Ohio senior has taken the leadership role of the defense after the graduation of linebacker Max Bullough. Bullough, who currently plays for the Houston Texans of the NFL, left a mark on MSU’s football program that few defensive players can say they have.

If the challenge of replacing one of the all-time greats seems too steep for Drummond, you don’t know his story.

From redshirt to captain

One of the unique parts of MSU’s program is that players are, in many cases, four or five year projects. Drummond is one of those projects.

“There (are) a lot of things he’s experienced in his five years as a player,” head coach Mark Dantonio said. “He’s experienced being redshirted, he’s experienced being the nickelback in 2011 and coming in and out of the game. He’s been a starter and knows what kind of pressure comes with that.”

Drummond went to Hubbard High School in western Ohio. He was a three-star recruit — not good enough to be recruited by the likes of Ohio State. When he signed with MSU he was considering Michigan, West Virginia, Pittsburgh and MSU.

Dantonio has had a tendency to recruit heavily in the Ohio area and is known to take players who aren’t five-star prospects and turn them into five-star players.

When Drummond got to MSU, he had to sit out his first season with a shoulder injury. It was his sophomore season when he began to see action on special teams and as a safety.

“He has a great relationship with our coaches,” Dantonio said. “Outstanding young man, everything you want in terms of a player.”

Passing the torch

MSU’s defense has been a model, not of rebuilding, but reloading over the years. When legendary linebacker Max Bullough graduated and moved on to the NFL, someone had to step in and be the emotional leader for a defense that thrives on emotion.

“Kurtis is a quiet leader, but confident,” Dantonio said. “Much like a coach on the field.”

Drummond has earned the respect and admiration of his fellow defensive players as well. Junior cornerback Trae Waynes has played in the secondary with Drummond since he stepped onto campus in 2012.

“He’s pretty much the quarterback of the defense,” he said. “He’s basically a replacement of Max. He’ll line up guys on defense who aren’t even in the secondary.”

While Bullough and Drummond may have similar roles on the defense, Waynes said their vocal leadership mirrors their differences in personality.

“We all know how Max is, he’s a big, scary, tough dude,” he said. “Kurtis is starting to come into his own and do that a little more. Max wouldn’t hesitate to throw the F-bomb around. Kurtis is the same way. He doesn’t express it the same way, but you can tell he is passionate about what he’s saying.”

It doesn’t matter if the player is on offense or defense, they all have respect for Drummond. Senior wide receiver Tony Lippett is one of the more vocal leaders on offense and he said Drummond’s presence can be felt on that side of the ball as well.

“I feel like Kurtis has been leading all season,” he said. “He’s a playmaker back there that the fellow DBs look up to and rally around.”

Even the family of Max Bullough can see the similarities between the two Spartan greats. Sophomore Riley Bullough, younger brother of Max, said that the defense take their cues from Drummond in the same way they used to from Bullough.

“I think they are similar in terms of leadership styles because they are very competi tive,” he said. “They always want to do things right and get better, and they want other people to be doing things right and getting better as well.”

Riley Bullough said there are also differences in their styles.

“Kurtis jokes around a little more than Max does,” he said. “Max is pretty serious, but they are both just so competitive and love the game so much.”

In his own words

He’s been described as a jokester who is also the quiet, confident coach on the field for a defense trying to step into the historic shoes created by the Rose Bowl winning defense of last season.

Who is Kurtis Drummond? According to him, he is a player who wants to lead by example.

“My role is to lead by example, but also to vocally make sure everyone is in the right place,” he said. “I’m not out there directing everybody, you can’t do that from as deep as I am, but I hope to let my play lead.”

Drummond said their difference in field position affects their leadership styles, and the time for people to debate between him and Max B ullough is not now.

“Max was a great, great leader and he’s definitely someone I can model myself after,” he said. “He was one of the greatest leaders to ever come through Michigan State and I’m not comparing myself to Max.”

It may be a few years down the road, but players could be trying not to compare themselves to Kurtis Drummond before all is said and done.