ATLANTA – Clinging to a four-point lead and an HBCU nationwide championship in sight, Florida A&M linebacker Isaiah Main knew what wanted to occur for the orange, blue and white confetti to drape the FAMU inexperienced jerseys and white helmets when the scoreboard hit triple zeroes inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
FAMU, a program constructed to beat adversity, as soon as trailed 16-10 at halftime and went scoreless within the third quarter. Nonetheless, it beat Howard College 30-26 to complete the season 12-1, due partially to Jeremy Moussa’s explosive three second-half landing passes that included two to Rattlers operating again Kelvin Dean.
With Howard (6-6) needing a landing to win this 12 months’s Celebration Bowl, Main witnessed an analogous story earlier than this season. In September, the Rattlers’ linebacker delivered a 40-yard pick-six towards Alabama State quarterback Damon Stewart, giving the FAMU a 23-10 victory at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
On Saturday, with 1:50 to play in regulation, the SWAC Defensive Participant of the 12 months trusted his instinct to leap Howard quarterback Quinton Williams’ bubble-screen cross within the flat to operating again Jarret Hunter. The consequence for the previous Independence Neighborhood School standout was the most important play of the sport that “God” allowed him to seize together with a HBCU nationwide title for the Rattlers.
“I knew he [Williams] was going to throw it, so I got here again to it,” Main stated after Saturday’s Celebration Bowl. “In terms of screens, attracts, fast outs… they [Bison offense] attempting to maneuver the ball quick. I went with my hunch and simply made a play on the ball and God allowed me to provide you with the interception.”
Main, who registered six tackles, one deal with for loss and the lone interception in Saturday’s win, completed the common season with 100 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a fumble restoration and a game-sealing interception towards Howard. He additionally led FAMU in tackles (83) and tackles for loss (13.5) within the ’22 marketing campaign.
Regardless of the hardship of trailing 14-0 within the first stanza and after two quarters, Majors by no means wavered in himself nor his teammates. All season, skeptics deemed FAMU a second half crew aside from its 28-10 win towards Jackson State within the Orange Blossom Basic throughout Labor Day weekend.
Along with gradual begins and failing to win video games in dominant vogue for majority of the season, Willie Simmons canceled soccer actions in July when a two-minute rap video consisting of express lyrics of Boston Richey’s music “Ship A Blitz” was filmed within the Rattlers’ locker room.
5 months later, it doesn’t appear to matter as a lot.
“We needed to deal with adversity from day one in fall camp,” Main stated. “We put in 28 [points at Jackson State] within the first half however the second half wasn’t our greatest. We’ve had lows within the season the place we’ve needed to struggle again and make issues occur.
“It was fairly straightforward… for us to get again to Rattler soccer [on Saturday] and get again to who we’re.”
As Main hung the ultimate curtain on his FAMU profession, it was all the time in regards to the Rattlers profitable a title. He was by no means involved solely about himself. “I don’t pray to be one of the best participant on the sphere, I simply pray for a win,” he says. Main’s selfless mindset was partially constructed primarily based on his relationship with former FAMU standout and NFL’s Cowboys’ security Markquese Bell, who performed in the identical JUCO convention as he did.
However nobody is extra important to Main’s development as a person than his mother, LaTrisha, who he considers his “largest supporter and hero.” The 6’0”, 200-pound linebacker retains an image of her, one among his deceased finest buddies who died on New 12 months’s day and his grandparents in a Bible that his grandfather gave him when he died in ’17.
“She’s the definition of a soldier and why I’m the place I’m in life,” Main stated.
With a Celebration Bowl and nationwide championship in a metropolis that he by no means performed in previous to Saturday’s conflict of the MEAC-SWAC titans, Main is making his mother proud and dwelling a dream.
“I’m perplexed,” Main stated. “It’s my first time ever profitable a nationwide championship in my life. … It actually don’t really feel actual in any respect…to stroll away with one thing so treasured is a blessing.”
