The Lions' Pride

Good first article Jeff!...Really looking forward to see how Massaro can do this year and see if he can return to his old form.

Welcome!

is it just me or does Pete's rehab seem to be taking a long time..its been a year right? and he is only at 85%?

Massaro seems like a really good guy. I talked to him at Cafe last spring about a couple of weeks after he tore his knee. He was very upbeat and positive about the situation. At that point he told me he was hoping to be fully back for the spring but that that hasn't happened.

As much as knee injuries suck, if it has to happen, the spring is the best time. That really gives the player a full year and half to get back. That extra 6 months always seems to be crucial. It's one thing to be healed, its another thing to be mentally healed..

Btw, welcome to the site jeff

Massaro is an important piece of this team moving forward. We put a very nice defensive unit on the field last year, but what we so desperately lacked was an outside pass rush. I think Stanley will emerge this year as a consistent weapon, as that is the trajectory followed by many of LJ's pupils heading into their senior year. But Massaro, as he showed two years ago, has the ability to be a top of the conference pass rusher. He and Stanley could really take this defense to another level.

Beyond that, he has the chance to petition for a sixth year, and further smooth the transition period for O'Brien by bringing back another high level player in year two. I'm hoping he takes advantage. He has already graduated, and could theoretically finish his masters by the end of his sixth year. That would give him an extra year to develop as a potential pro, and to finish the graduate work he is presumably starting this year.