If you were to describe Michigan State’s 2023 football season, turbulent might just be that word.

Turbulence causes adversity for all involved.

The Spartans went through a lot of adversity last season. From a head coaching change to a six-game losing streak, it was a difficult season for Michigan State.

And that doesn’t go away after the season. In Nick Samac’s case, this past season and all the adversity the Spartans went through is being brought up when meeting with NFL teams.

“The adversity made us stronger,” Samac explained after MSU’s pro day on Wednesday. “It grew us together as a team. The best teams are the player-led teams, and I think that we had to step up to become a player-led team.”

Throughout a tough season, it could be hard for certain players to keep showing up to practice and motivated to get better. That was not the case for J.D. Duplain, who played over 3,000 snaps in his career at MSU.

“I love this game more than I think anyone,” Duplain said. “This past season I think really showed me how much I love this game, because we had that six-game losing streak, and it’s like how do you wake up every morning and want to come out here and practice every day, put in the work? That never even crossed my mind to be honest. I just appreciate every second I have out here.”

At pro day, Duplain was a standout among the participants. He had 30 reps on the bench press, which was the most out of any of the participants.

“I feel like I did good today,” Duplain said. “Got out there in front of the scouts, was able to do everything, gave it my best effort. I’m happy with the results.”

In addition to the pro day testing and drills, Duplain has plenty of film from his time in East Lansing. He started 47 games at left guard, the second most by any Michigan State offensive lineman in school history. Duplain started 42 of those 47 games in a row.

“Just hearing that they like my film, they like how athletic I can play,” Duplain said about what NFL teams are telling him. “They like my toughness, being able to play that many games in a row, that many snaps.”

One thing that might separate Duplain from other pro prospects is his versatility. Duplain mixed in at center during the final game of Michigan State’s regular season. While he played primarily left guard at MSU, Duplain knows versatility is important at the next level.

Duplain also thinks his knowledge of football separates him from others.

“I’ve seen just about every defense you can throw at me, blocked it all,” Duplain said. “I think that can separate me from some other players, just my knowledge of the game.”

Samac went through some personal adversity this season. He suffered a broken fibula in MSU’s penultimate game of the season against Indiana. He has been recovering from the injury and is still not at 100%. Samac did not participate in any drills or testing at Michigan State’s pro day on Wednesday.

“I wish I could show what I could do,” Samac said. “I think I’m an athletic guy, and I have a lot to bring to the table. But I think my film speaks for itself as well… I didn’t leave anything out there.”

As far as the timetable, Samac is hoping to be healthy in just a few weeks.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time, and hopefully by the end of the month I’ll be back to how I was before,” Samac said.

Samac was the only Spartan to get an invite to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He didn’t participate in any drills or testing due to his injury.

“At the end of the day, it was a blessing to be there,” Samac said about his combine experience. “It’s not easy to get one of those invites, so it was a blessing. As far as everybody else and where they’re going, everybody has a different path. Everybody gets drafted at a different spot, maybe free agency, or late rounds, early rounds. Everyone’s got a different path. And all the guys that competed here today (at pro day) are hard workers.”

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