Moss makes his decision

He took his first visit to Texas A&M this weekend and it didn't take long for JUCO defensive lineman Matt Moss to make his decision. Websider's David Sandhop had a chance to catch up with Moss to find out more about his visit and his commitment.

Grossmont College (CA) defensive lineman Matt Moss and his father made their first trip to Texas this weekend to visit Texas A&M. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound California native liked what he saw in the Lone Star State. He committed to Coach Dennis Franchione and the Aggies while in College Station on Monday.

“I committed to A&M before I left. It was a great visit. I was comfortable with the community. The people around town were so friendly,” Moss said. “My dad came away very impressed and comfortable with the area.”

But it was the football program that sealed the deal according to Moss.

“Coach Eggen is a superb defensive line coach, and I like how Coach Franchione runs things with the players’ leadership council,” Moss said. “The facilities were incredible. You have everything you need to develop your skills. The stadium was massive. I can’t imagine coming out and playing in front of 80,000 fans.”

And while the town, school, and the football program certainly sold the Californian on his home for the next 2-3 years, a little coincidence or divine intervention didn’t hurt either.

“As we were driving toward the stadium, I noticed that one of the side streets was named Moss,” joked Moss. “I asked around to see if somebody just did that for my visit, but that road has been named Moss forever. At that point, I knew somebody upstairs was trying to tell me something.”

Finally, Moss felt the academics and the support system will be a big plus when his playing days are over.

“The academics are second-to-none. The support structure from mandatory study halls to course tutors is something important to me,” Moss said. “It prepares you for life after football.”

And that brought Moss to the final selling point of Texas A&M.

“A degree from Texas A&M is valuable. It’s all about the Aggie family and the Aggie network,” Moss said. “Aggies take care of Aggies. After I’m done and I have my degree, the career opportunities will be there for me.”

Moss will finish out his JUCO career at Grossmont College in the fall, and then plans to enroll at Texas A&M in January and participate in spring practice. He’ll have three years to play two, although the Aggies will need him to step in immediately with the graduation of three defensive lineman at the conclusion of the 2007 season.