One former Spartan is returning to Michigan.

Thursday morning, the Detroit Lions made the announcement that they were signing Joel Heath to a reserve/future contract. Heath played at Michigan State during his collegiate career. He previously opted out of the 2020 season when he was with the Denver Broncos.

Heath was a key contributor for Michigan State during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Those seasons included a Cotton Bowl victory, one B1G Championship, and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

He finished his career with 60 total tackles, 11 TFL, and 4.5 sacks. Heath went undrafted out of Michigan State but started his career with the Houston Texans. He recorded 34 total tackles with six QB hits and three sacks from 2016-19 with the Texans.

Now, Heath will return to Detroit and try and carve out a role for himself with the Lions. Detroit is also entering the 2021 season with new head coach Dan Campbell at the helm.