2019 Football Roster
Roster
David Dowell
- Position:
- S
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 209
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- North Ridgeville, Ohio
- High School:
- St. Edward
CAREER NOTES: Four-year letterwinner and three-year starting safety played in 49 career games with 36 consecutive starts to close out his career . . . two-time member of the team’s Eagles leadership council . . . had 176 career tackles (104 solo, 72 assists) . . . recorded eight interceptions and eight pass break-ups in his career . . . also had three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble . . . had 108 interception return yards . . . two-time All-Big Ten selection (media first team in 2017, coaches third team in 2018) . . . three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree . . . received his bachelor’s degree in advertising management in December 2018 . . . earned his master’s degree in kinesiology in December 2019.
2019 SEASON (SENIOR): Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten from the media . . . ranked seventh on the team with 55 tackles in starting all 13 games at safety . . . also had two pass break-ups, one interception and one forced fumble . . . had four stops in final collegiate game in victory over Wake Forest in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl . . . tallied three tackles at Rutgers . . . registered five tackles and one fumble recovery at Michigan . . . posted five tackles, all solo, in the Illinois game . . . snared first interception of season to go with five tackles and one pass break-up in Penn State game . . . registered six stops at Wisconsin, his second-highest outing of the season and third game with five or more tackles . . . notched three tackles at Ohio State . . . recorded season-high eight tackles in Indiana game, including tying career-high with six solo stops, ending with a season-high 13 production points . . . logged four tackles at Northwestern . . . tallied three tackles against Arizona State . . . started Western Michigan game and registered then-season-high five stops with first tackle for loss, adding one pass break-up . . . started season opener vs. Tulsa, tallying two tackles.
2018 SEASON (JUNIOR): Named third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and honorable mention by the media . . . ranked sixth on the team with a career-high 59 tackles . . . tied for team lead with two interceptions . . . ranked ninth overall on defense and third among defensive backs on team with 76 production points during the regular season . . . also had two pass break-ups and one forced fumble in starting all 13 games . . . produced four stops in Redbox Bowl vs. Oregon . . . tallied three tackles against Rutgers . . . registered four tackles and one forced fumble at Nebraska, his first forced fumble of career . . . logged five tackles and one pass break-up against Ohio State . . . recorded six stops with one interception against Purdue, logging 11 production points . . . tallied season-high eight tackles in Michigan game . . . posted four tackles at Penn State, while playing in all 64 defensive snaps . . . logged six stops against Northwestern . . . snared an interception in the first quarter against Central Michigan and returned it a career-long 30 yards, setting up MSU’s first TD of the game, and added one tackle and one pass break-up, ending with 11 production points . . . started game at Indiana and notched seven tackles . . . started at Arizona State game at safety and logged four tackles . . . was the game day captain for Arizona State game . . . started at safety vs. Utah State, posting six tackles, ranking second among defensive backs and tied for fourth overall, matching his twin brother, Andrew, with six stops.
2017 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Earned first-team All-Big Ten by media and honorable mention All-Big Ten by coaches . . . became just the second Spartan sophomore defensive back to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors (Phil Parker, 1983) . . . also named second-team All-Big Ten by The Associated Press . . . named recipient of the MSU Tommy Love Award (most improved player: defense) . . . Academic All-Big Ten honoree . . . ranked tied for second in B1G and tied for 11th in FBS with five interceptions, also ranking second in B1G and tied for 15th in FBS in interceptions per game (0.4) . . . ranked tied for eighth in B1G and tied for 37th in FBS for interception return yards (78) . . . the five oskies were the most interceptions by a player in the Mark Dantonio era at Michigan State and the most by a Spartan since 2001 (Broderick Nelson with five) . . . the five interceptions rank tied for 14th overall on MSU’s single-season interceptions list . . . the 78 interception return yards were the most by an MSU player since 2011 when Darqueze Dennard had 141 and Isaiah Lewis had 89 . . . logged 52 tackles in playing all 13 games, starting last 10 games . . . tallied three tackles vs. No. 18 Washington State in the Holiday Bowl . . . posted six stops against Maryland . . . snatched one interception with a 15-yard return to go with career-high nine tackles at No. 11 Ohio State, leading the secondary with 12 production points . . . snared two interceptions in win over No. 7 Penn State, his second game with two oskies (Michigan), adding four tackles to tally 12 production points, ranking second among defensive backs . . . accumulated seven stops at Northwestern, matching his brother for tackle total, adding one pass break-up, finishing with 11 production points ranking tied for second among secondary . . . logged two tackles in victory over Indiana . . . tied for top tackles total on the team with seven, matching his brother, in win at Minnesota, including matching with five solo and two assists, with one stop teaming up with brother . . . had career game against No. 7 Michigan, surpassing his season total of six stops with seven tackles, adding first two interceptions of career and adding one fumble recovery and one pass break-up, helping MSU defense log season-high five takeaways; finished game with 28 production points, leading secondary and ranking second among the defense . . . named Rose Bowl Game Big Ten Player of the Week for performance against the Wolverines . . . tallied two tackles in Iowa game while making first career start . . . posted two stops and shared top honors on the team with two pass break-ups in Bowling Green game, logging 15 total production points, to rank tied for second on the defense.
2016 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN): Earned his first letter after playing in 10 games, primarily on special teams . . . recorded 10 tackles, including three on special teams . . . played more than 50 snaps at safety . . . made two stops vs. Rutgers . . . had season-best four tackles at Maryland to go with one fumble recovery; played a season-high 38 snaps against the Terrapins . . . tallied two tackles vs. Northwestern . . . notched first career tackle at No. 18 Notre Dame. . . . tied for the team lead on the White with six tackles in the spring game; intercepted a pass with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter to seal the win for the White.
2015 SEASON: Redshirted . . . named Scout Team Special Teams Player of the Week vs. Michigan.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Rated among the nation’s Top 300 prospects by Scout.com (No. 236) . . . ranked among the country’s top safeties by 247Sports.com (No. 26) . . . listed among the nation’s top athletes by ESPN.com (No. 33) . . . rated among the nation’s top wide receivers by Scout.com (No. 35) . . . ranked among the Midwest’s top seniors by ESPN.com (No. 24) . . . listed among Ohio’s top prospects by ESPN.com (No. 10), Scout.com (No. 14) and 247Sports.com (No. 19) . . . three-year starter for Coach Rick Finotti at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio . . . Cleveland.com second-team All-Star selection (defensive back) as a senior . . . registered 64 tackles, two interceptions and 18 pass break-ups in 2014 . . . had 33 receptions for 332 yards (10.1 avg.) and four touchdowns as a senior . . . caught five passes for 64 yards in St. Edward’s 31-21 victory over Huber Heights Wayne in the 2014 Division I state championship game . . . picked off a pass in the regional final/state semifinal vs. Hudson . . . returned a fumble 30 yards for a TD in the regional semifinal vs. Westerville Central . . . recorded 32 tackles, three interceptions and 11 pass break-ups as a junior . . . had 26 catches for 483 yards (18.6 avg.) and seven TDs in 2013 . . . set school record with 40 consecutive starts . . . had 80 career receptions for 971 yards (11.6 avg.) and 14 TDs . . . also played basketball and ran track . . . son of Will and Anita Dowell . . . his twin brother, Andrew, was a four-year letterwinner (2015-18) and three-year starting linebacker for the Spartans . . . his younger brother, Michael, was a redshirt freshman safety for the Spartans in 2019.
