Seven Spartans Scheduled To Participate In 2016 NFL Scouting Combine
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Seven Michigan State players – center Jack Allen, wide receiver Aaron Burbridge, defensive end Shilique Calhoun, offensive tackle Jack Conklin, quarterback Connor Cook, defensive tackle Joel Heath and defensive lineman Lawrence Thomas – have accepted invitations to participate in the 2016 National Football League Scouting Combine, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 23-Monday, Feb. 29 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The seven Spartans attending the NFL Scouting Combine ties a school record and is the most under MSU head coach Mark Dantonio.
Over the last six years, Michigan State has sent 31 participants to the NFL Scouting Combine and 40 total during Dantonio's tenure. Michigan State also sent seven players to the 2000 NFL Scouting Combine (wide receiver Plaxico Burress, quarterback Bill Burke, safety Aric Morris, linebacker Julian Peterson, defensive end Robaire Smith, wide receiver Gari Scott and offensive tackle Greg Robinson-Randall).
The seven players also rank second most among Big Ten teams and tied for ninth among all schools in the country. In addition, Michigan State is one of only four schools to have three defensive linemen invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, along with Alabama, Clemson and Penn State.
Six of the seven Spartans are members of the winningest senior class in school history, as MSU collected a 43-11 record from 2012-15. Conklin, a fourth-year junior who is forgoing his senior season, was a three-year starter at offensive tackle from 2013-15. The group helped Michigan State to a 36-5 record the past three seasons, including two Big Ten Championships (2013, 2015), two bowl victories (2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton), a berth in the 2015 College Football Playoff, and three consecutive Top-10 finishes in the national polls (No. 3 in 2013, No. 5 in 2014, No. 6 in 2015).
The Spartans sent six players to the NFL Scouting Combine last year (safety Kurtis Drummond, linebacker Taiwan Jones, running back Jeremy Langford, wide receiver Tony Lippett, wide receiver Keith Mumphery and cornerback Trae Waynes) and also in 2012 (running back Edwin Baker, quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver B.J. Cunningham, wide receiver Keshawn Martin, safety Trenton Robinson and defensive tackle Jerel Worthy).
The NFL Scouting Combine (National Invitational Camp) is organized and operated by National Football Scouting, Inc. NFL Network and NFL.com will provide more than 45 hours of live coverage from Lucas Oil Stadium, beginning Wednesday, Feb. 24. In addition, NFL Network's live coverage of the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine can be accessed on mobile phones, exclusively through NFL Mobile from Verizon. More than 600 NFL personnel, including head coaches, general managers, scouts and medical staff representing all 32 teams, will attend the Scouting Combine and evaluate more than 300 of the nation's top college players eligible for the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft through on-field drills, physical testing, psychological exams, as well as formal and informal interviews.
Live coverage of on-field workouts begins Friday, Feb. 26 with the offensive linemen, running backs and special teamers, and continues with the quarterbacks, tight ends and wide receivers on Saturday, Feb. 27, linebackers and defensive linemen on Sunday, Feb. 28, and defensive backs on Monday, Feb. 29. Coverage of workouts begins each day at 9 a.m. ET.
NFL SCOUTING COMBINE: MSU PARTICIPANTS (40) UNDER COACH DANTONIO – BY YEAR
2008 (4): RB Jehuu Caulcrick, TE Kellen Davis, WR Devin Thomas, S Nehemiah Warrick
2009 (3): QB Brian Hoyer, RB Javon Ringer, S Otis Wiley
2010 (2): PK Brett Swenson, WR Blair White
2011 (4): WR Mark Dell, TE Charlie Gantt, LB Greg Jones, CB Chris L. Rucker
2012 (6): RB Edwin Baker, QB Kirk Cousins, WR B.J. Cunningham, WR Keshawn Martin, S Trenton Robinson, DT Jerel Worthy
2013 (4): CB Johnny Adams, RB Le'Veon Bell, DE William Gholston, TE Dion Sims
2014 (4): LB Max Bullough, CB Darqueze Dennard, WR Bennie Fowler, S Isaiah Lewis
2015 (6): S Kurtis Drummond, LB Taiwan Jones, RB Jeremy Langford, WR Tony Lippett, WR Keith Mumphery, CB Trae Waynes
2016 (7): C Jack Allen, WR Aaron Burbridge, DE Shilique Calhoun, OT Jack Conklin, QB Connor Cook, DT Joel Heath, DL Lawrence Thomas
NFL SCOUTING COMBINE: MSU PARTICIPANTS (40) UNDER COACH DANTONIO – BY POSITION
QB (3): Brian Hoyer (2009), Kirk Cousins (2012), Connor Cook (2016)
RB (5): Jehuu Caulcrick (2008), Javon Ringer (2009), Edwin Baker (2012), Le'Veon Bell (2013), Jeremy Langford (2015)
WR (9): Devin Thomas (2008), Blair White (2010), Mark Dell (2011), B.J. Cunningham (2012), Keshawn Martin (2012), Bennie Fowler (2014), Tony Lippett (2015), Keith Mumphery (2015), Aaron Burbridge (2016)
OL (2): C Jack Allen (2016), OT Jack Conklin (2016)
TE (3): Kellen Davis (2008), Charlie Gantt (2011), Dion Sims (2013)
DE (5): DT Jerel Worthy (2012), DE William Gholston (2013), DE Shilique Calhoun (2016), DT Joel Heath (2016), DL Lawrence Thomas (2016)
LB (3): Greg Jones (2011), Max Bullough (2014), Taiwan Jones (2015)
DB (9): S Nehemiah Warrick (2008), S Otis Wiley (2009), CB Chris L. Rucker (2011), S Trenton Robinson (2012), CB Johnny Adams (2013), CB Darqueze Dennard (2014), S Isaiah Lewis (2014), S Kurtis Drummond (2015), CB Trae Waynes (2015)
PK (1): Brett Swenson (2010)
NFL COMBINE SCOUTING COMBINE: MOST 2016 PARTICIPANTS BY SCHOOL
1. Ohio State (14)
2. Notre Dame (10)
3T. Alabama (9)
3T. UCLA (9)
5T. Auburn (8)
5T. Clemson (8)
5T. Florida (8)
5T. Georgia (8)
9T. Michigan State (7)
9T. Oklahoma (7)
9T. USC (7)
