"I had a
good season," added Bobby Massie. We went 10-1, and I became better as a
player."
Hargrave's head coach took it another step further.
"Bobby
is just an unbelievable player," added Robert Prunty. "There is no question
he is the whole package, and that is why he is the number one ranked player in
the prep league this year."
Coach Prunty feels like there are a few
attributes that separates Bobby from the rest.
"He is just so powerful,
massive, and he is so good at the point of attack. He is probably the best left
tackle I have seen come through here, and that is saying a lot."
The
former Lynchburg Christian Academy standout feels like he has learned some life
long lessons during his stay at Hargrave.
"The biggest thing you learn
from around here is that you do not take anything for granted, and you appreciate
everything."
The transition from being "the man" on campus
to a military environment has been tough but doable.
"It was real
hard at first. I am not going to lie (laugh). You are brought in this military
system. But it makes you focus on your grades. I raised my GPA and I am going
to qualify now. I am getting out of here in May. You realize you have to stop
fighting though. That is for sure (laugh)."
On the field, the transition
was much easier.
"In high school, you can take practices off and still
be the best player on the field. But up here, you can't do that and be on top
of your game. But I never liked to take practices off anyway, so it was no big
deal to me."
Hargrave held their combine today and there was a who's
who list of coaches in attendance.
"I spoke with the head coaches
from Ohio State, Penn State, Ole Miss, Georgia, Illinois, and Miami. Pretty much
everyone was here though."
The 6' 8", 330 pound left tackle did
not have much to prove, so he spent the majority of his time talking to coaches.
"Coach
Nutt (from Ole Miss) and I spoke briefly while he was traveling here. He wants
me to come down and start as a freshman. Coach Nutt is coming by my house during
the (Christmas) holidays to meet my family. Coach Richt told me that he thinks
I can step right in at left tackle too. The Miami coach set up my official visit
with them on December 12 - 14. I am excited about that."
Anymore official
or inhome visits set up?
"Not yet."
Who are the visits
going to come down to?
"It is pretty much between Georgia, Alabama,
Ole Miss, Clemson, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, and Tennessee. That is basically
it."
The first thing that comes to Bobby's mind when he thinks about
each one of these schools is what?
Georgia -
"Coach Sears and their offensive line. I would like to play for a coach like
Coach Richt too."
Coach Richt is obviously a big selling point for
the Dogs.
"I just like how smart he is about the game of football.
He just has that air of confidence in him that I like."
Alabama
- "I just like their offensive line and Coach Saban."
Ole
Miss - "Having the chance to take over for Michael Oher, and I watched
a couple of their games, and I like how they play as a team. They are going to
be one of the top teams in the country next year; look what they did to Florida."
Coach
Nutt has also made an impression.
"He is just a real cool dude. Coach
Nutt is the type of coach you respect as a player because he is not going to be
one of those head coaches that does not talk to you. He can relate to you and
is always joking around and keeping the atmosphere light."
Bobby almost
signed with Clemson out of high school, and they
are still high on his list.
"I just like the offense they run. They
put you in the two point stance and use a lot of zone blocks. I also like their
academic system. They give you a lot of academic support over there."
Which
colleges has Massie visited in the past?
"Last year I went to Clemson,
North Carolina, Alabama, and Virginia Tech."
Virginia
Tech was not mentioned earlier as a possibility. Are they totally out of
it?
"I am not counting them out just yet, but they are not up there
with the rest of those schools."
North Carolina's
head coach is a huge positive for the Tar Heels.
"I just think Coach
Davis is trying to turn that program around and do the same thing he did at Miami."
The
Sooner's success on the field goes a long ways.
"Just look
how their offense line plays. They blow people off of the ball. Coach Stoops is
one of the best coaches in America too."
Florida's
high powered offense is attractive.
"I just watch their offense play
and say, 'hey, that is the type of offense I want to play in.' They like to spread
you out, no huddle, and put a bunch of points on the board. I also like how their
offensive line plays."
Tennessee was
actually in strong contention before the coaching change.
"They were
the first school to offer me. I really liked them because they recruited me real
hard. Their wide receiver coach and I were close. But now they are all gone, so
that kind of takes things away."
Who is coming after Massie the hardest?
"They
are all calling me every week and trying to let me know how badly they need me.
No one schools stands out over the other. I am not leaning to any one school or
anything like that. I have no idea where I am going."
When it does
come decision time; what will be the main factors?
"I am just looking
for the place that I am the most comfortable at and the place where I can find
the people who are the most real. I do not want anyone telling me what I want
to hear just to get me there and then it is not like that when I get there. I
see that happen to too many people. I do not want that to be me."
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