Green Bay Packers 2017 Draft: Interview with Michigan State LB Riley Bullough
Football is more than just a game for members of the Bullough clan; it’s a rite of passage for generations of a proud family that have carried on the tradition of wearing the Michigan State green and white. From grandpa Hank, who served as an offensive lineman and coach in East Lansing, all the way down to Byron, the youngest of the group, who is a redshirt junior on the current roster, no other brood in college sports is more synonymous with any one particular school.
Representing the family name in this year’s draft is the 23-year-old Riley Bullough, who hopes to join his older brother and Houston Texan, Max, as a roster mainstay at the NFL level.
While both play linebacker, Riley isn’t quite as big as Max, who is about an inch taller and 15 pounds heavier at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds. But though the younger Bullough may lack ideal size, his quickness and range are among the rookie-in-training’s most noteworthy attributes, which are evident in his coverage drops, where he excels in picking up backs running routes out of the backfield.
Anyone who’s watched Bullough in action either live or on Youtube can attest to the former team captain’s high motor in the way he was always among the more active Spartans on game day.
Pay attention and you’ll see No. 30 shine as that omnipresent force that’s making great reads, slipping blocks and finding the football.
Bullough’s efforts and all-out intensity were remarkable in 2016 considering Michigan State’s uncharacteristic losing season at 3-9. Not only did he bring his fiery competitiveness to the field every down, but he did it despite playing with a broken shoulder blade he suffered back in August.
The fact that he only missed the final three games of the regular season is a testament to the prospect’s leadership and toughness to be there for his coaches and teammates through a dark period of devastating losses. Spartan diehards hadn’t felt such anguish since the program’s last season without a bowl game back in 2006 during the forgetful John L. Smith era.
In hearing the third-generation Spartan fondly recall his four years on campus, one can almost immediately pick up on his love of the game and the great pride he takes in representing the family name.
Unlike some athletes that happen to play the sport not for the passion, but merely because they happen to excel at it, Bullough is a football junkie, whose thoughts never veer far from blocking, tackling or even just tossing the ball around, which frequently happens at family gatherings.
What’s more, the two-year starter offers added value in the form of his versatility, not only in terms of lining up at all three linebacker positions, but also in the fact that he took snaps on offense as a running back and fullback during his freshman campaign.
Heading into the last two weeks prior to the draft, Bullough remains very grounded in what to expect going forward. He’s not sure if he’ll even get drafted, but the instinctive defender is ready to embrace any role or responsibility he’ll be presented with.
Whether the former Big Ten standout ends up developing into the next Luke Kuechly remains to be seen, but any NFL organization can rest assured about what they’re getting with Bullough in that he brings a high football IQ, professionalism and the ability to play the run and pass along with special teams.
The redshirt senior has all the qualities that winning teams crave in building a strong locker room and several general managers will be most cognizant of that when they’re making their picks in Day 3.
Here is Bullough sharing his thoughts as he prepares to take that quantum leap from local student athlete to professional in the world’s most prestigious football league.