USA TODAY International Edition
Mosley emerges from brother’s shadow USA SNAPSHOTS©
Former walk-on solid for Alabama
Exhausted and struggling to catch his breath, Jamey Mosley dialed his phone. Seven hundred miles away in Baltimore, older brother C.J. answered.
Jamey described to C.J. Alabama’s first freshmen practice: The endless running, the lack of defensive subs, the moment he and fellow walk-on Levi Wallace looked at each other and exchanged a panicked what-the-hell-did-we-get-ourselves-into?! glance. “We didn’t know a lick of anything,” Jamey cried, “and the coaches were onto us!”
It was summer 2014 and Jamey was a walk-on freshman linebacker at powerhouse Alabama. C.J. was a first-round pick of the Ravens, in Baltimore for training camp of his own. Since they were little kids in Mobile, Ala., C.J., who is four years older, has always been “my go-to guy for everything,” Jamey told USA TODAY. So when big brother assured Jamey that what he was experiencing was completely normal, Jamey felt at ease. This happened, of course, after C.J. stopped laughing.
“Man, that practice never goes well for anyone,” C.J. told Jamey. “That was just you guys getting the jitters out. It’ll get easier.”
Just a few years ago, C.J. Mosley was one of the most celebrated linebackers in college football. A three-time All American at Alabama, C.J. helped the Tide to back-to-back national titles before being drafted 17th overall by Baltimore in the 2014 draft. His name is legendary in football-crazed Tuscaloosa.
Jamey, also a linebacker, never felt intimidated by C.J.’s long list of accomplishments.
“This place felt like home,” said Jamey, who at 6-5, 248 pounds is 3 inches taller than C.J. “I saw the legacy my brother had here and thought of that as a goal to reach, something to look up to. He set his own path, but I figured I could blaze my own, too.”
Jamey believed that because C.J. had set the example for leaving your mark — and because big brother was always in his ear, telling Jamey he was good enough to play for the program that’s set the standard in college football for the last decade. The way C.J. saw it, it wasn’t about doing things exactly the same way. “We both have that Mosley name on the back of our jerseys, and we take that as a serious responsibility, on and off the field,” C.J. said. “I knew he’d be fine because he’s a great athlete but more than that, because everyone always talks about his work ethic.”
“I don’t think Jamey sees C.J. as casting any sort of shadow,” said Wallace, another former walk-on who is one of Jamey’s closest friends. “He embraces that legacy. He’s always talking about C.J. and how he loves what type of player he is. And man, when they’re together, you see that love between them. They’re goofy as all get out.”
Because he essentially grew up around the program, Jamey understood early the expectations for everyone involved with Alabama football. And though he’s quick to describe legendary coach Nick Saban as “a businessman,” he appreciates that Saban can laugh and have fun with his players — when it’s appropriate.
“Coach Saban sets the standard from Day 1, and he makes it clear he wants and expects the best from everyone — players, coaches, equipment managers, referees at practice,” Jamey said. But knowing he earned his spot “is glorifying” both because he finds so much joy in being part of the Tide family and because he likes proving doubters wrong. Jamey had a handful of scholarship offers from less prestigious football schools, including Minnesota, Kentucky, Old Dominion and Southern Mississippi. Plenty of people told him he’d regret following in his brother’s footsteps and never play.
Jamey redshirted in 2014 and didn’t play in 2015. He played sparingly as a backup last season. Now, he’s a scholarship player for the top-ranked Tide and has recorded 12 total tackles on the season, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
“Honestly, he took a tougher route than me,” C.J. said.
“I saw a lot of walk-ons come and go in my time at Alabama, guys who said they wanted to be part of the team. Jamey, he was willing to work his way up from the bottom. What I keep telling him is, don’t lose the focus that it took to get where you are.”