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Drummond, Langford and Lippett highlight Spartans at senior bowl

January 21, 2015
<p>Senior wide reciever Tony Lippett runs the ball down the field past Baylor defense Jan. 1, 2015, during The Cotton Bowl Classic football game against Baylor at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Spartans defeated the Bears and claimed the Cotton Bowl Victory, 42-41. Erin Hampton/The State News</p>

Senior wide reciever Tony Lippett runs the ball down the field past Baylor defense Jan. 1, 2015, during The Cotton Bowl Classic football game against Baylor at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Spartans defeated the Bears and claimed the Cotton Bowl Victory, 42-41. Erin Hampton/The State News

Photo by Erin Hampton | The State News

MSU will be represented well this week in the 2015 Reese's Senior Bowl, as several of the country's most talented upperclassmen showcase their skills on the field in front of a plethora of NFL scouts and coaches. 

With the college football season officially over, the road to future professional careers begins at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Practice started Tuesday while the game will be played Saturday at 4 p.m. and televised on the NFL Network. 

Of the 15 players on the North Team roster who hail from the Big Ten, three reside in East Lansing, the second most of any program behind Penn State. Here are several notable names from the conference to keep an eye. 

FS Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State: A two-time, first-team All-Big Ten recipient, Drummond became the fifth safety in MSU history and the first since Willie Simpson back in 1973 to receive first-team All-American honors. He was also named the 2014 Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year after finishing the season with a team-high in tackles (72), interceptions (4) and passes defended (15). 

RB Jeremy Langford, Michigan State: Recording 16 straight games in which he rushed for over 100-yards against Big Ten opponents landed Langford in the top 10 among running backs in this year's draft class. Being named to the 2014 All-Big Ten honorable mentioned list after tying the program single-season rushing touchdown record with 22, Langford concluded his career with the Spartans by rushing for 162 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries in the Cotton Bowl against Baylor. 

WR Tony Lippett, Michigan State: Lippett's blind side hit on Baylor kicker, Chris Callahan in the Cotton Bowl after a blocked field goal in the fourth quarter was the perfect way to summarize his electrifying career with the Spartans. Posting career high's in catches (65), receiving yards (1,198) and touchdowns (11) while also seeing time at cornerback, Lippett was named the 2014 Big Ten wide receiver of the year, helping MSU's offense rise to the top ten in total offense while averaging 43.1 points per game this season. 

WR Devin Smith, Ohio State: Coming into this year's draft ranked fifth among all wide receivers, according to ESPN, Smith's impact for the Buckeyes was so immense in his career, the program went undefeated when he caught at least one touchdown pass. Finishing this past season with a career-high 931 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns while also helping OSU grab their first national championship since 2002, Smith recorded his second-highest receiving yards (129) total against the Spartans back in November en route to a 49-37 win. 

RB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska: From potential Heisman Trophy candidate to not even being considered as the top running back in the Big Ten. Abdullah's bulldozing through opponent's defenses came to a sudden halt against the Spartans when the 5-foot-9, 195 pounder was held to a mere 45-yards rushing on 24 carries. His 67 yards from scrimmage ended a streak of 18 straight games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage, according to the Nebraska athletic department. 

DB Doran Grant, Ohio State: Grant recorded six tackles, including four solo, during the Buckeyes victory over MSU in East Lansing earlier this past season. Despite finishing with six tackles shy of his career-high (58), Grant did post a season-high in interceptions (5). He also states that he could have the fastest 40-yard dash time on the team with a 4.32. Chase Goodbread of NFL.com believes that Grant could find himself taken off the board in the first round if he can duplicate this time at the scouting combine. 

OT Donovan Smith, Penn State: After starting in 31 games in his career for the Nittany Lions, Smith will forgo his final year of eligibility to and enter the NFL draft as a redshirt junior. During their game against the Spartans, Penn State gave up three sacks for -26 yards before losing by 24-points back in late November. They also garnered just 38-yards rushing on 1.7 yards per carry. 

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