DEFENDING THE FAMILY
C.J. MOSLEY’S FIERCE LOYALTY TO HIS TEAM, HIS TOWN By Megan Boyle
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THE EARLY MORNING HUSTLE HAS BEGUN. The sun has barely risen as players shuffle through the cafeteria. Amidst the hum, there is a table occupied by four players who are chatting and laughing over breakfast. In walks head coach John Harbaugh, and the quartet catches his eye; a smile begins to grow across his face. “Around this table, I see budding superstars!” Harbaugh declares. The players, still basking in the praise of their coach, begin to joke with the affable leader. Each one is a budding star: defensive ends Chris Wormley and Brent Urban, nose tackle Michael Pierce and inside linebacker C.J. Mosley. Mosley, however, isn’t exactly what you would call ‘budding.’ He has already blossomed into an accomplished NFL player and two-time Pro Bowler. Success has followed him throughout his entire career, even when he started playing the game at the age of five – and don’t let that number fool you. “Alabama football is pretty serious, even at a very young age,” Mosley reflects. C.J. thanks his father for introducing the game to him and younger brother, Jamey, and keeping them active and competitive when they were growing up. The Alabama native can still remember those early and exciting football days, especially the Youth Bowl (the premier youth football championship game in the state), in which Mosley’s team took home the title. 22
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His father’s instructions of staying engaged carried with Mosley all through high school, where he was a tri-sport athlete participating in basketball and track, as well as football. His speed around the track is what caught Theodore High School head coach Bill Meredith’s attention. Meredith saw Mosley at a track meet and knew there was potential in the young teen. His favorite high school memory showcases that speed: a blazing 95yard fumble return in overtime against Charles Henderson High School in Troy, Ala. – their rival at the time. Mosley credits the high school coaches for most of his early success. As a teen, he didn’t even know he could attend college until Meredith and assistant coach Eric Collier took Mosley and several teammates to a 7-on-7 camp at Auburn University. Mosley was offered a scholarship on the spot. However, Mosley chose to attend the Tigers’ biggest rival – the University of Alabama. His prolific career as a linebacker for the Crimson Tide is memorable. Fellow Alabama alumni and current teammate, rookie cornerback Marlon Humphrey, noted that Mosley’s legacy lives on in Tuscaloosa. “A lot of older Alabama players that I asked, ‘Who is the best player you have seen?’ A lot of them say, ‘C.J. Mosley,’” Humphrey comments. “They would say it’s because of the way he practiced and carried himself.” But, even in Tuscaloosa, Mosley was still tied to his Theodore roots. He wore the number “32” throughout his collegiate years, and there was BALTIMORERAVENS.COM 23
Brigance, who is an inspiration to many, is in the 10th year of his battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Mosley knew he had big shoes to fill representing not only Brigance, but also the Ravens’ linebacker legacy. Nevertheless, it was a seamless transition into his new leadership role. “C.J. is such a humble, hungry, player that comes off very quiet,” linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale explains. “His leadership is in a different way – it’s by example, by more one-on-one conversations than getting up in front of everybody.”
YOU ALWAYS WANT TO DEFEND YOUR FAMILY – DEFEND YOUR NAME.
– C.J. Mosley
sentimental value behind that decision. His childhood friend and teammate, Robert Hardy, passed away his freshman year of high school. “He was No. 32 in middle school,” Mosley explains. “I dedicated my freshman year to him and all my college years. It was important to represent him throughout my college career.” When Mosley puts on a jersey – it’s more than just fabric stitched with emblems. It represents who he is and the people 24
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Off the field, the inside linebacker is softspoken, but on it his accomplishments are so boisterous that even rivals admire him. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier tabbed Mosley as “one of the toughest linebackers he’s ever faced” in a recent The Players’ Tribune article. As Mosley’s list of accolades continues to grow with each stellar season, he will always remain connected to those Alabama roots.
“I wish there was a funny story I could tell you, or anything else, but he’s just a good man off the field,” Martindale remarks. For the past three years, Mosley has hosted an instructional football camp at his high school. He credits his platform in the NFL for the ability to conduct an event that helps teach fundamentals of the game he loves. “Every time we host it, I try to preach good grades, listening to your parents and to not forget about the people who’ve helped you when you were younger,” Mosley describes. “I try to make it very family-oriented. My parents help out with the whole camp – my high school coaches, like Coach Collier, my high school teachers, my brother and their best friends. It’s a big family vibe.” As C.J. Mosley has evolved as an athlete, from the Youth Bowl to the Pro Bowl, he has never forgotten his hometown of Theodore. Now, his superstar status on the field allows him to share memories and morals back to a community that helped shape the man he is today.
who have influenced him. His jersey, his name, even his number, represent all parts of his family. “You always want to defend your family – defend your name,” Mosley says proudly. Mosley’s current number “57” also serves sentimental significance. It was bestowed upon him as rookie in honor of O.J. Brigance, the former Ravens linebacker who earned a Super Bowl XXXV ring and currently serves as the team’s senior advisor to player engagement. BALTIMORERAVENS.COM 25