Michigan State Football: Top 50 players of all time
19. Le’Veon Bell
Who didn’t love to watch Le’Veon Bell with the ball in his hands? Mark Dantonio, known for finding diamonds in the rough, really struck gold with Le’Veon, an oversized running back out of high school who was dubbed as too slow and not elusive enough to thrive in the college ranks.
Bell is another one of those players who went from two-star recruit out of high school to NFL star. He’s widely considered one of the top-two or three running backs in the league today and if it weren’t for an injury in the 2015 season, he could he assisting the Pittsburgh Steelers in their attempt to get to the playoffs.
As a true freshman in 2010, not many people even knew the name Le’Veon Bell, but when he started to steal carries from the already established sophomore duo of Edwin Baker and Larry Caper, everyone realized he was legit. He finished his first season with 605 yards and eight touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry, helping MSU win a share of the Big Ten title.
Bell’s sophomore year was a tad more impressive as he picked up 948 yards and 13 scores. It wasn’t until his junior season that the nation began to realize he was a top talent and a real Heisman threat. However, Michigan State finished with just seven wins, preventing a serious run at the coveted trophy. Bell had 1,793 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns that year as an All-American.
Drafted by the Steelers in the second round of 2013, Bell has proven to be a huge steal. His 3,346 yards are good for seventh, 33 rushing touchdowns are also seventh and his 671 attempts are sixth all-time in MSU history. Bell also has the second-best single season rushing mark at Michigan State.
Next: 18. Plaxico Burress