Michigan State Football: Montae Nicholson gets first NFL interception (Video)

Former Michigan State football safety Montae Nicholson got his first career interception for the Redskins on Sunday night.

Leaving a year early from Michigan State football, fans weren’t expecting Montae Nicholson to be selected so early (fourth round) in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Redskins took a chance on him based on his potential and growth at Michigan State.

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While it may have seemed like one more year would have done him well in East Lansing, the junior safety believed it was his time and he declared.

Michigan State’s defensive backfield has been much younger this year because of his departure, forcing two new starters to take the field at safety.

On Sunday night, Nicholson, teammate of former Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins, had his time to shine. On the first pass play of the Redskins’ game against the Raiders, Nicholson came over the top of a deep Derek Carr pass and picked him off.

Nicholson was able to return it quite a ways, but he was ruled down by contact as Amari Cooper touched him before he hit the ground. Although the return was negated, it was good to see him on the field as a starter and playing well at safety.

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While Nicholson received much flak at Michigan State for blown coverages, he may be the perfect case of a player being a better pro than he was a college player — Arian Foster is a prime example of that. He had four career interceptions at Michigan State.