After transferring to four schools in five years, quarterback Jeremy Moussa finally found his home at Florida A&M University.
As the Rattlers’ starting quarterback, Moussa led Florida A&M to an 11-1 record overall this season (8-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference), its first conference title and its first Cricket Celebration Bowl berth. FAMU defeated Prairie View A&M University 35-14 on Saturday night in the SWAC championship game and will play Howard University on Dec. 16 in Atlanta for the Black college football national championship.
WHO RUNS THE SWAC? THEM RATTLUHS!
The Rattlers are the 2023 SWAC Champions!#FAMU | #Rattlers | #OurTime pic.twitter.com/C1sxPhIjB5
— Florida A&M Football
(@FAMU_FB) December 3, 2023
Moussa completed 13 of 22 passes for 188 yards, threw for one touchdown and ran for another against the Panthers on Saturday. He threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns during FAMU’s homecoming win over Prairie View A&M on Oct. 28.
On Nov. 28, Moussa was named SWAC offensive player of the year and earned a spot on the All-SWAC First Team offense.
“At the end of the day I don’t really pay attention to that stuff. [Awards are] a nice pat on the back … but ultimately it doesn’t matter,” Moussa told Andscape. “I’m just worried about going out every Saturday and playing a good game and helping our team win.”
He currently sits atop the conference in passing yards (2,604) and touchdowns (19).
“He’s fought and clawed his way to be one of the best quarterbacks in FCS football,” said Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons.
Simmons credits Moussa with bringing a new level of maturity to the program.
“We had some issues earlier in the year hitting [and] connecting on dig routes. And after practice every day, you saw Jeremy with receivers out there throwing dig routes, and then you saw the quarterbacks coming out as well,” Simmons said.
The NCAA requires athletic programs to give athletes time off throughout the week. According to Simmons, the Rattlers take Mondays off. However, Moussa uses Mondays to bring the quarterback room together to watch film in preparation for their upcoming opponent.
“You hate to call it a pro mentality, but I think that’s what it is. … To be a professional, you got to be willing to do the extra,” Simmons said. “And he’s shown the guys that doing extra pays off in a major way.”
A California native, Moussa attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School, where he threw for 90 touchdowns and 7,037 yards as a two-year starter. After graduating in 2018, Moussa committed to play for the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.
In 2019, he transferred to a junior college in his home state. After earning a conference title at San Bernardino Valley College, he landed a spot on Vanderbilt University’s roster in 2020. However, Moussa appeared in only three games as a Commodore, leading him to enter the transfer portal again in 2021, hoping to find a new school he could help lead with his play on the field rather than sitting on the sideline.
He already had some ties to the Rattlers. His high school quarterback coach helped train current Los Angeles Rams offensive assistant K.J. Black, who was a member of FAMU’s coaching staff at the time. Moussa said Simmons contacted him, and shortly after getting to know the coaching staff, observing the roster and going on a campus visit, Moussa decided he wanted the historically Black college in Tallahassee, Florida, to be his new home.
“I knew we were gonna have some weapons at receiver, so all of those things that I was looking for were [at FAMU] … and most importantly Coach Simmons was going to give me the opportunity to be a starting quarterback,” Moussa said. “I had to compete and earn my spot, but ultimately all I wanted was an opportunity.”
After getting a chance to earn the starting position, his first matchup came in the 2022 season opener against projected NFL first-round pick Drake Maye and the University of North Carolina. Moussa completed 28 of 38 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns in the loss and was named the starter for the rest of the season. He racked up 2,732 passing yards and 21 touchdowns, led the Rattlers to a 9-2 overall record and earned All-SWAC Second Team honors.
This year, with Moussa at the helm of FAMU’s first 10-win regular season since 1999, the Rattlers’ offense ranked first in the conference, scoring the most touchdowns (48) and averaging the most points per game (30.7).
FAMU wide receiver David Manigo has been on the roster since 2018 and played with multiple quarterbacks, including Moussa. He said the team’s success has grown since Moussa’s arrival to the program.
“Moussa’s leadership on and off the field has been very impactful for our team this season. He’s helped the offensive unit come together and pursue all our goals this season,” Manigo said. “The [football] knowledge Moussa has is highly impressive, and his great habits allow him and the offense to perform at a high level on game day.”
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