Joe Massaquoi played prep football at a high school made famous by a movie. He’ll step into a similar situation at the college level.
The T.C. Williams senior defensive end on Sunday committed to play football at Marshall University during an official visit to the Huntington, W.V., school. Massaquoi missed the final six games of the 2010 season with an injured left MCL, but the 6-foot-5, 230-pound lineman said he is healthy and ready to go.
"It felt good to finally have [my college decision] off my chest and not have to worry about that anymore," said Massaquoi, who also had an offer from East Carolina. "… I felt comfortable with the coaching staff. Most of the coaches are ‘players coaches,’ so they understand things from our point of view."
Massaquoi said Marshall receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Zach Smith joked with the lineman about transitioning from T.C. Williams High School, known for the movie "Remember the Titans," to Marshall University, known for the movie "We are Marshall."
"He said we’re a perfect match," Massaquoi said.
Massaquoi’s status for next season will depend on what kind of shape he’s in during the summer, the TC senior said. If he’s not physically ready to play at the Division I level, Massaquoi will redshirt.
"I feel like I haven’t played football in such a long time," he said. "When I get there I’m going straight to work."
Massaquoi finished with 19 tackles and one sack in four games as a senior.
Marshall competes in Conference USA. The Thundering Herd finished the 2010 season with a 5-7 record, winning four of their final five games.