Mohamed Massaquoi
American football player (born 1986)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mohamed Jah Massaquoi (/ˈmæsəkwɑː/ MASS-ə-kwah; born November 24, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft.
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Massaquoi with the Cleveland Browns in 2012 | |||||||||
| No. 11 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | November 24, 1986 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 207 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Independence (Charlotte, North Carolina) | ||||||||
| College | Georgia (2005–2008) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2009: 2nd round, 50th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Massaquoi was also a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets during the offseason. In April 2017, he was seriously injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident that resulted in the amputation of four fingers on his left hand, effectively ending any possibility of a return to professional football.
Early life
Massaquoi was born in Charlotte, North Carolina to parents from Liberia. He played high school football at Independence High School.[1] During his four years at Independence, his team did not lose a single game and won four straight North Carolina 4AA state championships. He played with two college football notables, former University of Florida quarterback Chris Leak and former University of North Carolina wide receiver Hakeem Nicks.
College career
He finished his collegiate career at the University of Georgia with 158 catches for 2,282 yards and 16 touchdowns, which ranks fourth best in school history. Massaquoi had a strong senior season with career-highs in catches (58), yards (920), and touchdowns (8). In Massaquoi's last four regular-season games at Georgia, he caught 29 passes for 544 yards and 4 touchdowns (including a career-high 3 in Georgia's 45–42 loss to Georgia Tech). His longest reception came in his junior season against SEC East rival Florida, hauling in an 84-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 33+1⁄4 in (0.84 m) | 9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) | 4.51 s | 1.55 s | 2.59 s | 4.15 s | 7.07 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) | 10 ft 7 in (3.23 m) | ||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[2][3] | ||||||||||||
Professional career
Cleveland Browns
Massaquoi was drafted by the Browns in the second round with the 50th overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft.[4]
Massaquoi was the Browns leading receiver during his rookie season (2009) with 34 catches for 624 yards, including an NFL best 148 receiving yards (on 8 catches) in Week 4.[5]
In his four years with the Browns, Massaquoi caught a total of 118 passes for 1,745 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Massaquoi was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars on April 5, 2013, on a two-year deal.[6] However, he was released on August 19.[7]
New York Jets
Massaquoi signed with the New York Jets on August 22, 2013.[8] He was released on August 31.[9]
NFL career statistics
Statistics from Pro-Football-Reference.[10]
| Season | Team | Games | Receptions | Receiving yards | Receiving TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Cleveland Browns | 16 | 34 | 624 | 3 |
| 2010 | Cleveland Browns | 16 | 36 | 483 | 2 |
| 2011 | Cleveland Browns | 16 | 31 | 384 | 2 |
| 2012 | Cleveland Browns | 14 | 17 | 254 | 0 |
| Career | 62 | 118 | 1,745 | 7 |
Accident
In April 2017, Massaquoi was severely injured in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident in Georgia while riding with friends. During the ride he attempted to negotiate a sharp turn, but the vehicle rolled over, trapping his left hand beneath the ATV. The crash caused extensive trauma to the hand, and surgeons were unable to save most of it. Four fingers were amputated, leaving only his thumb.[11][12]
The injury ended any realistic possibility of Massaquoi returning to professional football. In the years following the accident he adapted to the disability using a prosthetic device designed to restore some gripping ability and has spoken publicly about his recovery and rehabilitation.[13]
Post-football career
After his football career ended, Massaquoi transitioned into business and organizational consulting. He worked briefly in finance with Morgan Stanley and later pursued graduate study in industrial-organizational psychology.[14] He also completed the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School.[15]
In 2020, Massaquoi founded VESSOL, a leadership-development firm focused on helping organizations navigate change and build high-performance teams.[16] He also works as a keynote speaker and advisor on leadership and organizational transformation.[17]
