Family and football go
hand in hand with the Magazu family of Charlotte.
Father, Dave, spent more
than 20 years coaching on the college level and will enter his seventh
year with the NFL's Carolina Panthers next season. Dave is currently the
Panthers offensive line coach.
The family's oldest son,
Anthony, is a junior quarterback at Kent State. The next-oldest,
Dominick, originally signed with Boston College but wound up playing as
a freshman wide out last year at Appalachian State.
The football connection
has continued with the middle child, Damon, who has already been a
starter for two seasons on the varsity at Charlotte's Providence High
School. Damon Magazu showed enough skills as a versatile safety-kick
returner that the East Carolina Pirates offered him a scholarship.
Magazu accepted while
visiting Greenville during the weekend of the Pirates spring scrimmage
on April 18.
“My brother Dominick was
with me on my visit to East Carolina,'' Magazu said. “I was texting my
Dad the whole day. I had told my Dad I was really thinking about
committing after the (spring) game. But he told me just to wait, get
back home into my routine and then see how I felt about it.
“As we were texting back
and forth that day, my dad asked me again if I was thinking about
committing. I told him, 'Yes, I'd commit in a heartbeat, if you'd let
me.' He called me later and said, 'It's your decision and I trust you.
So I guess you can go ahead and commit.' ''
Appalachian State,
Colorado State, Duke, Elon, N.C. State, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech
had also been showing interest in Magazu, but the Pirates were the first
to extend a scholarship offer.
A 5-foot-11, 170-pounder,
Magazu played with the junior varsity squad at Providence as a freshman,
but earned a starting job on the varsity the next season at safety.
Twice he's earned Southwestern 4-A Conference honors and as a junior he
produced 11 interceptions, including four in one game against Myers
Park.
Magazu will serve as one
of the Providence team captains in 2009 as a senior, according to head
coach Randy Long.
“He's a great leader, and
he's just a great football player,'' Long said. “We use him all over the
place. We play him at two or three different positions on offense,
mainly wide receiver, running back. Then he plays safety on defense and
he returns kicks for us.''
It was on a punt return
two seasons ago that Long realized he had another potential college
prospect from the Magazu family on his hands.
“We were playing South
Meck and we were down late in the game,'' Long said. “Well, Damon caught
a punt and went 60 yards for a touchdown. We got the ball back and ended
up scoring again to win the ballgame. His big punt return was the
difference.
“He's just a winner. He
hates to lose, and that's sort of a family thing. They're very
competitive people who work really hard.''
Magazu, who also has a
younger brother and sister, said growing up in a large family fostered
competition.
“I had to compete for
everything, from food at the dinner table, to playing basketball or
football outside,'' Magazu said. “I think that's one of the advantages
of coming from a big family.
“It's definitely been
helpful that my father is in the football business because we've always
been allowed in the locker rooms after games where the players are
asking us how we did on Friday night. We've gotten to question them on
certain things and how they'd play it. Plus, my Dad will sometimes
evaluate after our games. He corrects us and helps us out. Football has
just always brought us together.''
Magazu, who averaged 13
points and 6 assists for the Providence basketball team last winter, has
been recruited to play safety by the Pirates. He is the first, and
perhaps last player ECU is expected to recruit at that position for the
Class of 2010.
“(Defensive back) Coach
(Rick) Smith said that they were going to take only one safety in my
class,'' Magazu said. “But either way, I'm a competitor. I don't really
like anything given to me.
“I would say I'm a solid
tackler, and I have a natural instinct to get to the ball. I compare
myself to (Pittsburgh Steelers) Troy Polamalu. He's not the biggest or
fastest, but he has a knack for being around the football.''
Magazu joins Tallahassee,
FL, offensive lineman
Drew Gentry as the first two
members of ECU's recruiting Class of 2010.