Former Spartan DT Signs With Indianapolis Colts
Michigan State football only had one player from last year's roster selected in this year's NFL Draft, but nonetheless, the Spartans continue to have alumni stand out at the next level.
Yet another former Spartan has recently been given a shot at the NFL.
Former Michigan State defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk, who recently played center for the UFL's St. Louis Battlehawks, has signed with the Indianapolis Colts, the club announced on Sunday.
Panasiuk was the best center in the UFL last season, having been named to the All-UFL First Team. That followed a campaign in which he made the All-XFL Team with the Battlehawks.
The former Spartan defensive tackle was a four-year letterwinner at Michigan State, having helped lead one of the best rushing defenses in all of college football in the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Panasiuk totaled 100 tackles, 18 for losses and four sacks in 51 games as a Spartan. He was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention in three straight seasons.
As a high school prospect, Panasiuk was one of the top defensive tackles coming out of high school, having played at Lake Park West High School in Roselle, Illinois. He would appear in 12 contests in his first season with the Spartans in 2016 and was named an All-Big Ten Freshmen Team honorable mention by BTN.com.
The following season, Panasiuk started all 13 games at defensive tackle. The next year, he received the program's Jim Adams Awards as the unsung hero on defense, and in his final season, earned the Up Front Award as the most valuable defensive lineman.
Panasiuk was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 before being waived that September. He spent the latter part of the 2020 season as a member of the Carolina Panthers practice squad but was waived by the club prior to the 2021 season.
Panasiuk will have a great opportunity to make the Colts' roster with a strong showing in their final preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday.
Several former Spartans have already stood out in their respective NFL training camps, including wide receivers Cody White, Keon Coleman and Jalen Nailor, as well as linebacker Ben VanSumeren.
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