MSU's undrafted NFL players: 'Nothing's impossible'

EAST LANSING – Mark Dantonio’s football program has thrived with a number of under-the-radar high school players for the past decade. It defies the “star” system that surrounds college recruiting.

Michigan State also has produced a number of NFL players during Dantonio’s tenure who have taken a similarly unheralded path to the pros.

Dantonio and his staff have turned six just-graduated seniors into undrafted NFL free agents, joining eight more who were in the league last season. They are everything from starters to backups to practice squad players hoping to join the active rosters.

“I was undrafted, and that’s not always easy in the NFL,” said tight end Garrett Celek, now with the San Francisco 49ers after playing for MSU from 2007-11. "For guys that go that route, don’t ever give up – just keep giving it all you got. You never know what can happen.”

The six Spartan rookies prepared to head to training camps next month as undrafted free agents: center Jack Allen with New Orleans, cornerback Arjen Colquhoun with Dallas, linebacker Darien Harris with Cincinnati, defensive tackle Joel Heath with Houston, tight end Paul Lang with Pittsburgh and defensive end Lawrence Thomas with the New York Jets.

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They’ll hope to join other former MSU players who spent time either on NFL active or developmental squads last season: Celek and defensive end Marcus Rush with San Francisco, linebacker Max Bullough and safety Kurtis Drummond with Houston, wide receiver Bennie Fowler with Denver, quarterback Brian Hoyer with Houston (now with Chicago), offensive lineman Dan France with Cincinnati (now Cleveland) and linebacker Taiwan Jones with the Jets.

Among Dantonio’s other former players from MSU who spent time in the NFL are Johnny Adams, Blair White, Jehuu Caulcrick and Ogemdi Nwagbuo.

Jones said he gave his once-again teammate Thomas some advice during the Jets’ minicamp this summer on how to make an impact while playing for a job after not being drafted.

“Enjoy yourself, have fun, don’t overthink it,” Jones said. “When you overthink it, that’s when you play slow. Me playing middle linebacker and knowing what everybody has to do has helped him as well. I’ve helped him with his plays and so it comes a lot easier for him. I told him to enjoy the process and just go out and play like you’ve been playing since you were a little kid.”

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A number of those undrafted Spartans have made a mark, but none more so than Hoyer. He helped lead the Texans to the AFC playoffs last season and has started 26 games over the past four years between Arizona, Cleveland and Houston. He threw for 2,606 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions last year but is expected to back up Jay Cutler in Chicago this season.

Fowler caught a 2-point conversion in Denver’s Super Bowl victory in February, which went down as Peyton Manning’s final NFL pass. He played in all 16 regular-season games, catching 26 passes for 203 yards.

Celek had a career year for San Francisco, starting eight of the 11 games he played in and catching 19 passes for 186 yards. It included three touchdowns, the first of his 39-game NFL career so far.

Bullough moved up to the Texans’ active roster at the end of 2014 and played in 13 games last season, making 30 tackles and getting his first career start. Drummond joined him after getting promoted from the practice squad midway through 2015, making 14 tackles in his seven games as a rookie.

Jones got promoted to the Jets’ active squad in the offseason, while France is hoping to catch on now with the Browns.

“Just to be able to still be playing and being pulled up to the active roster, I feel like it shows that nothing’s impossible,” Jones said. “Just because you’re undrafted, you know everybody has a different path. So as long as you keep working and keep grinding, I feel like you’ll be OK.”

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Contact Chris Solari at (517) 377-1070 or csolari@lsj.com.