Then-sophomore quarterback Connor Cook, 18, then-defensive end Shilique Calhoun, 89, and then-freshman offensive tackle Jack Conklin sing the fight song after defeated Youngstown State on Sept. 14, 2013, at Spartan Stadium.
Fifth-year seniors Connor Cook and Shilique Calhoun have been named national semi-finalists for NCAA college football awards, according to Spartan Athletics.
Cook, during his third year of starting at quarterback, has been named to the the Davey O’Brien Award (nation’s best quarterback) and Maxwell Award (college player of the year) watch lists.
Calhoun, in his fourth year of playing defensive end for the Spartans, is on the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award (college defensive player of the year).
Cook is in the race for the Davey O’Brien Award with 17 other semi-finalists and 20 other semi-finalists for the Maxwell Award, according to Spartan Athletics. Calhoun is going up against 20 other players for the Chuck Bednarik Award.
Cook and Calhoun, both in their second year of being selected for the awards, are considered future first-round NFL draft picks by CBS Sports and are also highly touted as draft picks on additional mock drafts.
Cook is the winningest quarterback in MSU school history with a 31-3 record and leads the Big Ten in passing touchdowns this season with 17.
Calhoun was named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2013, was named to the All-Big Ten first team in both of the past two years and is currently tied with Ohio State junior defensive end Joey Bosa for the most sacks by any active player in the NCAA FBS with 24.5, according to Spartan Athletics.
Both Cook and Calhoun's’ names will be statistically crested in the MSU football record books when all is said and done, but they have five-plus game left before then.
The Spartans next game is under the 7 p.m. lights on Saturday at Nebraska (3-6, 7th in the Big Ten West).
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