Newest UM recruit Mario Rowson talks Terps
Word traveled fast Friday of Mario Rowson's commitment to Maryland
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound cornerback left his Norfolk, Va., home for College Park on Friday morning. When he returned home later that day, word of his choice had already tricked back to friends and family.
“They knew before I could even tell them,” Rowson said. “I committed at like 3 [on Friday] and by 4 o’clock people were calling me. I was getting phone call after phone call after phone call.”
Maryland offered Rowson shortly after he participated in a one-day camp in College Park last month. Friday’s return trip gave Rowson and his mother, Cheryleen, a closer look at the campus and football program. Mother and son both came away from the visit impressed.
“Man, she loved it way more than I do,” Rowson said. “[She liked] that you get an education there. You come there to work and you leave with a degree if you work hard. The coaches were like, ‘keep working hard and get your grades up.’”
Rowson’s first and only scholarship offer came from the Terps. Other programs -- most notably Virginia and Virginia Tech -- wanted him to come to camp to earn an offer, but Rowson said there wasn’t much incentive to do so after he saw Maryland.
“I’ve never been to a school like that,” Rowson said. “There’s a lot more to do up there [than there is in Norfolk]. You’ve got the Washington DC area and the Baltimore area, so there’s a lot more to do.”
While the campus was a major selling point for Rowson, he also was intrigued by the UM staff’s plans for him. Rowson said Terps defensive coordinator Don Brown wants to utilize his size and play a lot of press coverage so he “can jam somebody up.”
“Coach Brown was the one that’s really cool with me,” Rowson said. “He’s the one who really got me the offer. He [coaches the corners] and that’s what they’re recruiting me for. He was fired up.”
Rowson said he’s entirely focused on preparing for his senior season now that the recruiting process is finished. Until then, Rowson’s ready to represent Maryland in Norfolk.
“I’m all about it, ” he said.
Click here for Lake Taylor coach Hank Sawyer’s take on Rowson’s commitment.
Comments
A 6-foot-4, 190-pound cornerback is every division 1 school dream. He can lock down the big wideout and jam the small guy. He is big enough to take on the pulling tight end and fullback. Good catch TERPS.
Posted by: Kevin Richardson | July 26, 2009 7:35 PM
I think we will start seeing tall defensive backs become more and more common. I really hope that Kenny Tate comes in to his own this season. The profile is exactly the same: 6'4", long, fast, and can hopefully hit. Tate is far from establishing himself but should be able to do so with 1 season under his belt.
Posted by: miami Terp Nut | July 26, 2009 9:20 PM
I was happy to read his comments about education and getting his degree. It sounds like he has the common sense and ability to make the most of this opportunity.
Dave J.
Physics '89
Posted by: Juenemann | July 27, 2009 3:48 PM