Michigan State standout Tony Lippett wasn't even starting last year

Michigan State wide receiver Tony Lippett could be considered the Big Ten's finest pass catcher in 2014, but it hasn't been an easy road to success.

On Thursday, ESPN's Josh Moyer reported that four games into last season, Lippett was playing so few snaps that he was at the point where showering after games was unnecessary. He hadn't broken a sweat.

Mounting frustration grew to a point where Lippett, then a junior who had caught 36 passes the year before, had to call his mentor and former high school coach. "I haven’t done anything wrong," he said. "Why am I not playing?"

Lippett's mentor, Rod Oden, reminded him that he was one of the most dynamic players he ever coached. 

"He told me to build a bridge with my coach out here, Coach (Terrence) Samuel, and do the things they wanted to see out of me day in and day out,” Lippett said. 

So that's what the wideout did. He said he was forced to look in the mirror and stop looking at everybody else.

He watched film on Spartans greats Charles Rogers and Plaxico Burress, studied their hip and feet movements. He would stay after practice and chat with his position coach, sit closer to him on flights and study defensive backs' feet, taking notes.

The improvement came: He started 10 games after the call, finishing the season with 44 catches for 613 yards and two touchdowns. In the Rose Bowl against Stanford, he caught five passes for 94 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

This year, Lippett stands seventh in the NCAA in receiving yards, with 889, and is tied for third in receiving touchdowns with nine.