Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Shakur Brown, Antjuan Simmons Named to AP All-Big Ten Second Team
12/22/2020 12:54:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Two Spartans – redshirt junior cornerback Shakur Brown and senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons – were named to The Associated Press All-Big Ten Second Team, the AP announced on Tuesday.
Brown, who was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and second-team choice by the media, ranks tied for second in the FBS with five interceptions in just seven games (0.71 pg). He was consistently rated one of the top defensive backs in the nation, week in and week out, by Pro Football Focus and earned third-team All-America honors from PFF. Brown started all seven games for the Spartans, including two at nickelback at the beginning of the season before moving to cornerback for the final five games.
Brown also had a team-high four pass break-ups this season to rank second in the Big Ten in passes defended (nine total: five interceptions, four pass break-ups) in addition to a career-high 25 tackles.
With two picks for 30 yards against No. 10 Indiana, Brown became the first Spartan to record two interceptions in the same game since David Dowell in 2017 vs. Penn State, and he followed that effort with another two picks vs. No. 8 Northwestern for 54 return yards. He also had a 23-yard interception return in the season opener against Rutgers. His 107 interception return yards for the season rank second in the conference.
Brown had two pass break-ups each in back-to-back games against No. 13 Michigan and Iowa, and recorded a season-high six tackles vs. No. 10 Indiana. He had five tackles apiece vs. Rutgers and fourth-ranked Ohio State.
Brown had seven career interceptions in 26 career games with the Spartans, including 12 starts, and his 186 career interception yards rank eighth most in MSU history. He also had 54 career tackles, including two sacks, and nine pass break-ups. Brown declared for the NFL Draft on Dec. 14.
Simmons ranks second in the Big Ten in tackles, averaging 10.7 per game (75 total), and is third in tackles for loss (1.29 pg, 9.0 total). He recorded double-digit tackles in six of MSU's seven games this season (11 vs. Rutgers, 11 vs. Michigan, 14 vs. Indiana, 13 vs. Northwestern, 12 vs. Ohio State, 10 vs. Penn State).
After helping MSU limit Northwestern to 20 points and 63 yards rushing in the win over the No. 8 Wildcats on Nov. 28, Simmons was selected the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. He logged a game-high 13 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a 4-yard sack, against the Wildcats.
Simmons, who had a breakout season with a team-leading 90 tackles and a career-best 15 tackles for loss as junior in 2019, started 20 consecutive games to close his career for the Spartans. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Simmons finished his 46-game career with 231 career tackles and 26.0 career tackles for loss, totals that rank 44th and 26th in MSU history, respectively. He declared for the NFL Draft on Dec. 18.
Brown, who was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and second-team choice by the media, ranks tied for second in the FBS with five interceptions in just seven games (0.71 pg). He was consistently rated one of the top defensive backs in the nation, week in and week out, by Pro Football Focus and earned third-team All-America honors from PFF. Brown started all seven games for the Spartans, including two at nickelback at the beginning of the season before moving to cornerback for the final five games.
Brown also had a team-high four pass break-ups this season to rank second in the Big Ten in passes defended (nine total: five interceptions, four pass break-ups) in addition to a career-high 25 tackles.
With two picks for 30 yards against No. 10 Indiana, Brown became the first Spartan to record two interceptions in the same game since David Dowell in 2017 vs. Penn State, and he followed that effort with another two picks vs. No. 8 Northwestern for 54 return yards. He also had a 23-yard interception return in the season opener against Rutgers. His 107 interception return yards for the season rank second in the conference.
Brown had two pass break-ups each in back-to-back games against No. 13 Michigan and Iowa, and recorded a season-high six tackles vs. No. 10 Indiana. He had five tackles apiece vs. Rutgers and fourth-ranked Ohio State.
Brown had seven career interceptions in 26 career games with the Spartans, including 12 starts, and his 186 career interception yards rank eighth most in MSU history. He also had 54 career tackles, including two sacks, and nine pass break-ups. Brown declared for the NFL Draft on Dec. 14.
Simmons ranks second in the Big Ten in tackles, averaging 10.7 per game (75 total), and is third in tackles for loss (1.29 pg, 9.0 total). He recorded double-digit tackles in six of MSU's seven games this season (11 vs. Rutgers, 11 vs. Michigan, 14 vs. Indiana, 13 vs. Northwestern, 12 vs. Ohio State, 10 vs. Penn State).
After helping MSU limit Northwestern to 20 points and 63 yards rushing in the win over the No. 8 Wildcats on Nov. 28, Simmons was selected the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. He logged a game-high 13 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a 4-yard sack, against the Wildcats.
Simmons, who had a breakout season with a team-leading 90 tackles and a career-best 15 tackles for loss as junior in 2019, started 20 consecutive games to close his career for the Spartans. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Simmons finished his 46-game career with 231 career tackles and 26.0 career tackles for loss, totals that rank 44th and 26th in MSU history, respectively. He declared for the NFL Draft on Dec. 18.
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