Brian Allen's first trip to California was in December for Michigan State's Holiday Bowl win against Washington State in San Diego and his final college game.

The offensive lineman is headed back to Southern California and this time it's Allen's new home to begin his professional career. Allen was picked by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round (No. 111 overall) of the NFL draft on Saturday and thought the team would be interested in him.

"This was kind of my gut feeling, but I didn't want to have my expectations too high," Allen said on a teleconference Saturday afternoon. "Once I was getting a call from Thousand Oaks, I didn't know if they were just calling me to mess around or what, but I was pretty excited."

Allen's selection extends Michigan State's NFL draft streak to 78 straight years, dating back to 1941. It also gives him a leg up on his older brother, Jack Allen, who was an All-American center for the Spartans but went undrafted in 2016 before signing with the New Orleans Saints. The brothers were together for that disappointing draft day two years ago and again on Saturday in their hometown of Hinsdale, Ill., when Allen, who was widely viewed as a borderline draft pick, received the good news.

"I was on the phone and I was giving my older brother a fist bump," Allen said. "We were outside and he immediately went in to my parents and they didn't really know what was going on, so he started pointing at the T.V. I don't think they still understand what's going on. Everyone is excited. I'm not lying when I was saying that we thought this was going to be the spot since the beginning, so I'm glad it came to fruition."

This is just fine for social media 😂



Inside the call to @BAllen65_ 📲 #RamsDraft pic.twitter.com/jc1V4FC23C — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 28, 2018

Allen was a four-year contributor and three-year starter for the Spartans with experience at both guard spots and center and earned second team All-Big Ten honors each of his last three seasons. The co-captain started all 13 games at center last year and anchored a young offensive line while leading Michigan State to a resurgent 10-3 season.

"We're very excited for Brian Allen and his family," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said in a released statement. "He enjoyed incredible success here at Michigan State, both individually and as a leader on our football team that won a lot of games during his career. The characteristics that define Brian are perseverance, grit and intelligence. He is a very powerful, tough minded and confident player with the right mentality to succeed as an offensive lineman in the NFL.

"He was well-coached and developed at several positions by (offensive line coach) Mark Staten, and was one of the finest centers in all of college football. Brian was really the Rams' second pick in the draft, so that shows you how highly they value him as an organization."

Allen joins a team that has a veteran center in John Sullivan, a former first team All-Pro with 109 starts in 137 career games. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, followed by one with the Washington Redskins before signing with the Rams last year and starting 15 games. Allen said he's eager to learn from the 32-year-old established professional.

"I'm open to whatever they expect in me," Allen said. "But, at the same time, being a guy from the Midwest, seeing John Sullivan play for the Vikings all these years, he's someone who I've always looked up to. So, to be able to be in a room with him and be able to learn from a guy who's shown that he can play at the level he has for as long as he has is something pretty incredible for me. Just to have that opportunity to be in there and be able to learn from him. I definitely will be picking his brain, as long as I don't annoy him too much. So, I'm excited to be (an) under study of him."

Allen, 6-foot-1 and 301 pounds, was the lone Michigan State player invited to the NFL combine this year and drew comparisons to his older brother. He's smart and tough but lacks length and ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. listed him as the No. 9 center available. Allen ended up being the sixth center drafted this year.

"Accomplished high school wrestler, a trait you love in an offensive lineman, particularly centers," Kiper said after Allen was picked. "You love the fact that he started at center 17 games in his career, 16 at left guard, five at right guard. Problem going forward is can he be effective on the move without top athleticism? As a pass blocker, concerns about how he'll hold up in that area in the NFL against those great nose tackles, defensive tackles. The versatility makes him a good interior swingman, capable of backing up at center or both guard spots."

Following time split at all three interior positions, Allen played exclusively at center as a senior but is still comfortable at guard.

"Yeah, in college that's really all I played until this last season, so I feel just as good at left guard as I do right guard and just as good at those positions as I do center," he said. "I've taken a lot of reps there and feel that I can play that position too if need be."

After watching his brother go undrafted in 2016, Allen in March said his plan for the draft was "expect the worst and hope for the best." He didn't have to sit through seven rounds without hearing his name called and is confident in the traits he will bring to the Rams.

"Just a tough, hard-nose working guy, who's going to do his job and do what's expected of him," Allen said. "Just looking forward to getting out there again. Kind of overjoyed right now with all the emotions."