In the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game last December, Michigan State QB-turned-WR Keith Nichol showed that he still wielded a signal-caller’s ability to think on the fly.
MSU was at Wisconsin’s 10-yard line and trailed the Badgers, 21-14, five minutes into the second quarter. QB Kirk Cousins found Nichol on a quick pass to the right side. As Nichol was being wrestled out of bounds at the seven, he found teammate and WR B.J. Cunningham — originally blocking downfield on the play — with a quick pitch. Cunningham caught the ball cleanly and dove into the end zone for the score.
Wisconsin fans watching the game had to be thinking, “Keith Nichol? Again?!” After all, it was Nichol who hauled in a last-second, Hail Mary TD against them that October, knocking the Badgers from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Nichol is currently a pro football free agent after attending the Redskins’ and Bears’ 2012 rookie mini-camps. The second edition of the Big Ten Championship Game, between Nebraska and Wisconsin, takes place this Saturday. Keith Nichol profile
