Montae Nicholson: 'No regrets' leaving Michigan State to pursue NFL
EAST LANSING – His left arm in a sling, Montae Nicholson returned to Michigan State for the first time Wednesday since announcing he would bypass his senior season for the NFL draft.
Did his torn labrum make him rethink his decision to leave early?
“No regrets. None of that ever got to me,” Nicholson said following MSU’s pro day Wednesday.
The 6-foot-2, 212-pound safety from suburban Pittsburgh was one of three Spartans to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this month, going through all of the workouts in Indianapolis other than the bench press. He ran an impressive 4.42-second 40-yard dash, third-fastest among safeties, with a vertical jump of 35 inches and a broad jump of 125 inches.
“You just have to have fun with it, and I feel like that’s what I did,” Nicholson said. “And that’s why I had the success at the combine. Because it is a stressful event, they’re working you out, and not just physically, but mentally. They’re trying to see if you can handle things, stress, and I think I handled it pretty well.”
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Nicholson had surgery to repair his shoulder March 8 in Pittsburgh, two days after the combine. He initially injured his shoulder during the early part of MSU’s 3-9 season last fall, and he played through what initially was thought to be an AC joint issue. Doctors did not discover the severity until an early February MRI revealed the torn labrum while he was working out in California.
He waited until after the combine to showcase himself to teams. Nicholson said he’s hearing he could potentially go anywhere from the second to fifth round. ESPN.com ranks Nicholson as the 140th-best draft prospect and No. 13 at safety. CBSSports.com ranks him as the 15th-best strong safety in the draft.
“I’m looking to come back early August, mid-August at the latest,” he said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to get healthy fast. Whatever the doctor tells me, I will do tenfold.”
Nicholson said he began thinking about leaving school early shortly after the season and declared for the draft Dec. 29 after earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. He was second on the team with 86 tackles in 11 games this fall as a junior. Nicholson also had an interception, two pass break-ups and forced a fumble.
For his career, Nicholson started 23 of his 38 games at MSU and finished with 200 tackles and four interceptions from his strong safety position. He helped the Spartans beat Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic and then earn a spot later that year in the College Football Playoff back in Arlington, Texas.
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“Nothing but support” from MSU’s coaches, he said. “They wanted to make sure I was 100% with my decision. They helped me out with talking to teams prior to making my decision with the report coming back. Even now, nothing but support. I can call coach (Mark Dantonio) or any of them. If I need something, I can ask them for it. That’s just the type of people they are, and that was why I came here.”
The draw of the NFL has motivated Nicholson since he was a kid. The chance to leave early proved the opportunity he’s been waiting for.
“The love that I’ve had for the game since I was 8 years old has probably grown greater since,” Nicholson said. “Back then, you’re just a little kid playing football and all of that. Now, I’m playing football and it’s for my family. I’m playing the game for myself, but everything that comes out of it is for my family.”
FIFE NOT LEAVING: Longtime MSU basketball assistant coach Dane Fife is not taking the head coaching job at Duquesne, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, despite a report from CBS's Gary Parrish that he was in “advanced talks” with the school.
Fife, a Clarkston native, has been on Tom Izzo's staff for six years. Before that, he was the head coach at Indiana-Purdue Ft. Wayne for six seasons. He went 82-97.
Duquesne, which plays in the Atlantic 10, went 10-22 this season.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.