Michigan State Football Stars DE Shilique "THE FREAK" Calhoun & QB Connor Cook Featured On Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List

Calhoun & Cook Featured On Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List Defensive end Shilique Calhoun’s name appears on the preseason watch list for the

Calhoun & Cook Featured On Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List

Defensive end Shilique Calhoun’s name appears on the preseason watch list for the second-straight year.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State fifth-year senior defensive end Shilique Calhoun and fifth-year senior quarterback Connor Cook have been named to the 2015 Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List. The Walter Camp Football Foundation has presented the Player of the Year award since 1967. It marks the second-straight year that Calhoun’s name appears on the Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List.

The 50-player Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List features 37 offensive players and 13 from the defensive side of the football. Calhoun is one of only three defensive linemen to make the preseason honor roll. In addition to Calhoun and Cook, six other Big Ten players have been named to the watch list: Ohio State quarterbacks J.T. Barrett, Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller, Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa, Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott and Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg.

Calhoun has been named to four preseason watch lists for national awards: Walter Camp Player of the Year, Rotary Lombardi Award (presented to college football’s top lineman), Bednarik Award (presented by the Maxwell Football Club to college football’s defensive player of the year) and Nagurski Trophy (presented by the Football Writers Association of America to the National Defensive Player of the Year).

A two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and two-time second-team All-American, the 6-foot-5, 256-pound Calhoun led the 11-2 Spartans in tackles for loss (12.5 for 109 yards) and sacks (8 for 91) in 2014. He earned All-America honors from the FWAA (second team), Walter Camp Football Foundation (second team), Phil Steele (second team), Athlon Sports (fourth team) and SI.com (honorable mention).

With his second-straight selection to the All-Big Ten First Team, Calhoun entered elite company in Michigan State history, joining College Football Hall of Famer Charles “Bubba” Smith (1965-66) and Sam Williams (1957-58) as the only other Spartan defensive ends to earn back-to-back first-team All-Big Ten honors. He also received MSU’s Up Front Award as the team’s outstanding defensive lineman.

A year after being named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, Calhoun continued to produce big plays for the Spartans in 2014. He helped anchor a Spartan defensive unit that led the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing defense (88.5 yards per game) and finished second in turnover margin (+1.46 per game). Michigan State also ranked among the NCAA FBS leaders in takeaways (tied for third with 34), total defense (eighth at 315.8 ypg.), sacks (eighth at 3.23 per game) and scoring defense (22nd at 21.5 points per game).

Calhoun ranked second in the Big Ten and sixth in the NCAA FBS in both tackles for loss yardage (109 yards) and sack yardage (91). The tri-captain also ranked among the Big Ten leaders in sacks (tied for fifth with 0.62 per game) and tackles for loss (tied for 11th with 0.96 per game) and led the Spartan defensive linemen with 39 tackles overall. He produced a tackle for loss in 10 of MSU’s 13 games. In addition, Calhoun blocked a field goal in the Wyoming game and recovered a fumble and returned it 38 yards against No. 19 Nebraska.

A product of Middletown, New Jersey, Calhoun was named one of 20 semifinalists for the Bednarik Award, which is awarded to the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. He was also one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award (college lineman of the year) and one of 20 quarterfinalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

“Shilique Calhoun is a game-changer from his defensive end position,” MSU co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel said. “He brings high effort and intensity on every play. Shilique is equally good against the run and pass, and he’s one of our team’s best leaders.”

Calhoun recorded two tackles, including 1.5 sacks for 12 yards, and a forced fumble in MSU’s 42-41 come-from-behind win over No. 4 Baylor in the 79th Cotton Bowl Classic.

He recorded a tackle for loss in his eighth straight game with a 2-yard loss at Maryland, as the Spartans held the Terrapins to just 6 yards rushing.

Calhoun led the Spartan defense with 19 production points against No. 14 Ohio State, recording five tackles, including 1.5 for losses (9 yards) and a half sack (4 yards). He also led the Spartan defensive linemen with 15 production points in the win over Michigan Oct. 25, including three solo tackles with a 5-yard sack.

Calhoun paced the Spartans with 17 production points at Indiana after collecting four tackles, including 2.5 for losses (20 yards) and one sack (11 yards).

In MSU’s Big Ten opener, a 27-22 win over No. 19 Nebraska, Calhoun had four tackles, including a 7-yard sack, and scooped up an Ameer Abdullah fumble at the MSU 7-yard line and returned it 38 yards.

Calhoun ranks among MSU’s all-time leaders in tackles for loss yardage (sixth with 186), sack yardage (seventh with 137), sacks (tied for eighth with 16.5), fumble recoveries (tied for 10th with five) and tackles for loss (14th with 29). In 40 career games, including 27 consecutive starts, he has 82 tackles with 29 resulting in losses (35 percent).

Cook’s name now appears on three preseason watch lists for national awards: Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and Maxwell Award (presented to college football’s player of the year).

A two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection, Cook has led the Spartans to a 16-1 record (.941) against Big Ten opponents. As he enters his third season as a starter, Cook will have an opportunity in 2015 to become the winningest quarterback in school history (record currently held by Kirk Cousins, who posted 27 wins from 2009-11).

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Cook finished the 2014 season ranked among MSU's single-season leaders in touchdown passes (second with 24), passing yards (third with 3,214 yards), 200-yard passing games (tied for third with 10), passing efficiency (fifth with 149.4 rating), pass attempts (sixth with 365) and pass completions (ninth with 212).

In addition, he led the Big Ten in passing (247.2 yards per game) and ranked second in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in passing yards per completion (15.2). Cook finished second in the Big Ten and 19th in the NCAA FBS in passing efficiency (149.4 rating) while ranking among the Big Ten leaders in passing yards (first with 3,214), TD passes (second with 24), total offense (third with 253.4 ypg.) and completion percentage (sixth at .581). He tied a school record, shared by Cousins and Drew Stanton, by throwing for a TD pass in 16-straight games (streak snapped at Maryland on Nov. 15). Cook threw for at least 200 yards in seven of eight Big Ten games and led the league in passing in conference games (257.9 ypg.).

In 2014, he was named one of 20 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award and one of 16 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award.

“Connor Cook has a big arm along with the ability to get the ball out of his hand quickly and when under pressure,” MSU co-offensive coordinator Dave Warner said. “Connor has shown many times over the last two years that he’s at his best when under pressure. His performance late in games has led us to some big wins.”

Cook recorded his fourth 300-yard passing game of the 2014 season and sixth of his career, completing 24-of-42 throws for 314 yards, two TDs and two interceptions as MSU rallied from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 42-41 victory over fifth-ranked Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic. His 314 passing yards were the fourth-highest single-game total in Cotton Bowl and MSU bowl history. In the fourth quarter, Cook connected on 9-of-15 passes for 179 yards, including scoring strikes of 8 yards to Josiah Price and 10 yards to Keith Mumphery with 17 seconds left. With 314 passing yards against the Bears, Cook became just the fifth QB in Spartan history to eclipse the 6,000-yard career milestone. His 24 completions (second) and 42 pass attempts (third) rank among the top single-game bowl totals in Spartan history. Cook's completions (fifth) and pass attempts (sixth) also rank among the top Cotton Bowl marks.

Cook and Dan Enos are the only two Spartan quarterbacks to win two bowl games as the starting quarterback (Cook: 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton; Enos: 1989 Aloha, 1990 Sun). Cook also led the Spartans on a game-winning drive in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against TCU. He has led the Spartans to three straight fourth-quarter comebacks in bowl games.

In leading MSU to back-to-back bowl wins over No. 5 Stanford and No. 4 Baylor (Associated Press final regular-season rankings), Cook hit 46-of-78 throws (.590) for 646 yards (323.0 ypg.), four TDs and three interceptions. In three postseason bowl appearances (add 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings vs. TCU), he owns MSU career records for passing yards (693) and TD passes (5).

He recorded his seventh straight 200-yard passing game (254 yards) while completing 16-of-24 throws and two TDs against Rutgers. He passed for 240 yards on 14-of-31 attempts at Maryland, but had his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass halted at 16.

Cook threw for a career-high 358 yards, completing 25-of-45 throws in the loss to No. 14 Ohio State Nov. 8. The 358 yards were the fifth most in a single-game in MSU history and second most against Ohio State (Jim Miller: 360 yards, 1993). Cook fired two TD passes (15 yards to Mumphery, 16 yards to Price) to tie a school record with 16 straight games with at least one touchdown pass.

He completed 12-of-22 throws for 227 yards with one TD in leading the Spartans to their second straight win against Michigan Oct. 25.

Cook went 24-of-32 passing for 332 yards, three TDs and one interception in the 56-17 victory at Indiana Oct. 18. For his effort against the Hoosiers, he was named one of eight quarterback “Stars of the Week” by The Manning Award.

Cook threw for 238 yards on 19-of-27 passing and three TDs in the 45-31 win at Purdue Oct. 11.

In the Big Ten opener against No. 19 Nebraska Oct. 4, he hit 11-of-29 passes for 234 yards, one TD (55 yards to Tony Lippett) and one interception.

Cook connected on 12-of-13 throws for 285 yards and three TDs in the season opener against Jacksonville State Aug. 29, and set career highs in completions (29) and attempts (47) while passing for 343 yards at No. 3 Oregon Sept. 6.

The Hinckley, Ohio, native enters his final season in East Lansing ranked among MSU's all-time leaders in passing efficiency (third with 141.5 rating), 300-yard passing games (third with six), 200-yard passing games (tied for third with 18), touchdown passes (third with 47), total offense (fourth with 6,216 yards), passing yards (fifth with 6,063), pass completions (seventh with 444), pass attempts (eighth with 762) and pass completion percentage (ninth at .583).

The award is named in honor of Walter Camp, the “Father of American Football.” A former Yale University athlete and football coach, Camp also is credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. He selected his first All-America team in 1889.

Ten semifinalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award will be announced in mid-November, with the winner announced live on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Dec. 10. The formal presentation of the Walter Camp Player of the Year trophy will be made on Jan. 16, 2016, at the Yale University Commons in New Haven, Connecticut.