Moss, Rivers should anchor front four

March 25, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

As he reached the end of his one-year ban from Nebraska’s campus and readied his appeal for re-admission, defensive end Avery Moss took a two-step approach:

1. Pray for the best.

2. Prepare for the worst.

“I don’t really want to talk bad about their program or anything like that, but once they fired Coach Bo [Pelini], I kind of knew where the decision was heading,” Moss said. “I don’t think they wanted any of Coach Bo’s people around.”

Moss (6-foot-3, 285 pounds), a former three-star recruit out of Tempe, Ariz., was named to the Big Ten’s all-freshman team in 2013 after recording 36 tackles (eight for loss) in 12 games, including three starts. But he earned a four-year ban from campus following a public indecency conviction after he exposed himself to a woman in a campus convenience store in 2012.

While Moss worked at a car dealership in Lincoln last year, several Cornhusker players started an online petition and a Twitter hashtag campaign calling for his reinstatement. Once Nebraska denied his appeal, Pelini persuaded Moss to become a Penguin, believing he deserved another chance.

“I think we’re really fortunate to have Avery,” Pelini said after Tuesday’s practice. “He did everything he was supposed to do and somebody back there made the decision [to deny his appeal] and their loss is our gain.

“He’s a great kid, a tremendous person and somebody I think can add a lot to our football team. He’s not only a talented athlete, but he’s a good guy with a lot of leadership skills. He does things the right way, so I’m excited to have him.”

Moss’ appeal was denied on Jan. 9, meaning he only had a few days to choose a new school before the spring semester began. He first visited YSU on Jan. 20, then enrolled the following day. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

“It was like going through the recruiting process again from high school, but within like a week’s span,” he said. “So it made things very hard, not knowing who wants you and where you should go or what’s the best fit for you defensively, because I want to play at the next level.

“I knew at the end of the day, Coach Bo had my back and I really just want to play for him. He’s like a father for me.”

Moss joins a defensive line that should be one of the strengths of the team. Senior Junior defensive end Derek Rivers was the only Penguin to earn first team all-conference honors last fall, setting YSU’s regular season record with 14 sacks in 12 games.

“He can get a lot better,” Pelini said of Rivers. “He’s a physically gifted guy. I like his stinger, I like his ‘want-to.’ He’s into the details, he wants to get better and he brings a good effort to the field every single day.”

Added Rivers, “Once I found out who the new coach was, I was excited. I was ready to go. I was ready to come back here and get better. I know what I did last year and I want to do better than that.”

Senior DE Terrell Williams earned second team all-MVFC with 10 sacks in 12 games. The Penguins did lose DT Octavius Brown to graduation but seniors Steve Zaborsky and Emmanuel Kromah return. If Moss can return to form, YSU should have its best defense since the Jon Heacock era.

In person, Moss looks like a Big Ten player and acts like a happy-go-lucky college kid. When asked about Moss, Rivers smiled and said, “He’s goofy, but he’s a good dude. Avery’s cool.” (Moss laughed and said, “I don’t know what he’s talking about.)

Moss is also a natural in front of the media, joking that his first impression of Youngstown was “a lot of snow.”

“This winter was a hard one for me,” he said. “I’ve never seen so much snow in my life, being from Arizona.”

Pelini admitted Moss is rusty after the one-year layoff but thinks he can emerge as one of the team’s leaders.

“He knows what to expect from myself,” Pelini said. “He knows what the expectations are. At the end of the day, we’re looking for leaders to step up and take control of this football team and hold each other accountable on a more regular basis.”

Moss said he’s still a little heavy, but thinks he’ll shake off the rust by August. He’s already shaken off the disappointment of leaving Lincoln.

“My heart’s here now,” he said. “At first, it was really hard for me. I didn’t know much about I-AA and I was concerned about that, but I come here and see the talent level and all the stuff we have on the team and it’s not anything different than what was at Nebraska.

“I like it here. I’m surrounded by good people. They’ve made it very homey for me here already.”