Spartans in the NFL: Making a Playoff Run
There are several former Michigan State Spartans alumni who will be participating in the NFL playoffs over the next few weeks and have been integral pieces to each of their team's success this season.
Minnesota Vikings third-year wide receiver Jalen Nailor is having the best year of his career so far for one of the best teams in the NFL, as the Vikings hold a 14-3 record and are the fifth seed in the NFC playoffs. Nailor has a career-high in receptions (28), receiving yards (414), and touchdown catches (6).
Nailor spent three seasons as a Spartan, finishing his career with 86 receptions, 1,454 receiving yards and 12 touchdown grabs. He would later be drafted in the sixth round by the Vikings in 2022.
Another NFC North team that has found success with a Spartan that played with Nailor in the wide receiver room is Green Bay Packers second-year receiver Jayden Reed. After a sensational rookie season, Reed has followed that up with 857 receiving yards and six touchdown grabs this year.
Reed was an integral part of the Spartans' 2021 Peach Bowl Championship season as he won offensive MVP of the Peach Bowl along with being named a first-team All-American in 2021. He was drafted by the Packers in the second round in 2023 and has been a star ever since.
The longest-tenured NFL player who played his collegiate ball for the Spartans all the way back from 2010-'12 is Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran defensive end Will Gholston. The 12th-year pro is going back to the playoffs for the fifth straight season with 12 tackles and one sack this year.
Gholston was drafted in the fourth round back in 2013 and has been a part of the Buccaneers organization for his entire career. He has recorded 431 tackles, 20.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and one interception through his storied career.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have found success with former Spartan tight end Connor Heyward who is in his third NFL season. With six catches for 40 yards and one touchdown through 17 games played this year, Heyward will be heading back to the playoffs for the second time in his career.
Heyward was a five-year player with the Spartans, spanning from 2017-'21, playing in 49 games and totaling over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdown scores in his career. He was selected in the sixth round by the Steelers of the 2022 NFL Draft.
One former Spartan will not be suiting up this weekend due to injury but has helped out another one of the league's top teams. Second-year linebacker Ben Vansumeren is with the Philadelphia Eagles but is currently on injured reserve with a knee injury he suffered in November.
Vansumeren totaled 16 tackles in 11 games played this season and will be going back to the playoffs for the second straight season. He earned one tackle in last year's Wild Card loss to the Buccaneers in his rookie season with the Eagles.
Another guy who will be unlikely to see the field in his first playoff games is Baltimore Ravens backup center Nick Samac. A seventh-round back in last year's draft, the rookie saw time in the preseason but has yet to play since. Samac could find himself on the field if an injury were to occur.
Samac will be facing his former teammate in Heyward as the Ravens and Steelers will meet in the first round of the playoffs.
The final Spartan that will be featured on Wild Card weekend is Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle AJ Arcuri. The former seventh-round pick in 2022 has had to fill in due to injuries on the Rams' line but has not found a starting role. Anything is possible come playoff time as he could see some time.
Arcuri will match up with Nailor when the Rams host the Vikings in the first round of the NFC Wild Card.
An impressive amount of Spartans will be participating this weekend and several of them are going to make an impact that leads their respective teams to victory. The laundry list of Spartans that are striving for a Super Bowl speaks to the development and talent that comes from this program.
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