Male Rookie of the Year: Justice Shelton-Mosley, Quick to Catch On

If the whole NFL thing doesn’t work out, freshman receiver Justice Shelton-Mosley is looking to concentrate in economics.

One day, the rookie out of Sacramento would love to work in San Francisco. Speaking last fall, he explained that he’s also hoping to travel the world, assuming he has the time and money to do so.

But if the six NFL prospects in the Harvard class of 2016 indicate anything, it is that professional football is a very real possibility for Ivy League Rookie of the Year Shelton-Mosley.

The numbers speak for themselves. In his first season with the Crimson, Shelton-Mosley tallied 589 receiving yards on 40 catches, the second-highest mark on the team. He also recorded 521 return yards, and his 19-yard punt return average was the highest single-season mark in school history.

“Standout player,” senior quarterback Scott Hosch said. “[He] came in from the start as a hard-worker [and] earned the respect of all of those guys, especially the upperclassmen. Kid just went out there and made plays.”

On the whole, Shelton-Mosley had by far the most all-purpose yards on the team with 1,140. For comparison, the next highest total was 872 yards.

But he’s more than just a receiver and a runner: He also threw a 28-yard touchdown pass against Penn.

However, Shelton-Mosley’s start to the season was hardly so glamorous. Through the first five games, he averaged barely more than a reception a contest.

“The first practice I was on scout kickoff,” Shelton-Mosley said. “I just got the opportunity to do some great things. The best thing about college [is that] you’re going to get an opportunity no matter what, and I just wanted to take advantage of those opportunities.”

Take advantage he did, as his production increased dramatically during the back half of the year. Over 400 of the freshman’s receiving yards came during the closing five-game stretch, along with four of his touchdowns, 121 of his 190 punt return yards and nearly two-thirds of his kick return yards. His lone punt return score came in the homestretch of the season during the Nov. 7 contest against Columbia.

In perhaps the most important game of the year, Shelton-Mosley was instrumental in the Crimson’s victory. Playing against Dartmouth on October 20, the freshman tallied 71 receiving yards.

His most important contribution came in the closing seconds. Down 13-7 with less than three minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Harvard started its drive at midfield. The Crimson drove the ball to the five-yard line with 38 seconds to play.

Then, on third and goal, Hosch rolled out of the pocket. With a linebacker closing in, the senior signal caller fired a pass into the endzone. Despite heavy traffic, Shelton-Mosley came down with the ball.

One extra point and 38 heart-pounding seconds later, Harvard claimed victory.

“There were a couple of games were we really needed a big play,” Hosch said. “He just found a way to pull through. It just speaks to his work ethic, his ability on the field. The way he carries himself is tremendous.”

In terms of sheer production, Shelton-Mosley’s biggest game came against Columbia. The freshman recorded two touchdowns, one through the air and one on a punt return.

The first score came late in the first half. With the ball at the 26, Shelton-Mosley ran a short slant route about five yards downfield. Stopping on a dime, he dropped his defender and ran up the sideline before diving into the endzone.

His punt return, however, was most indicative of his athletic ability. Receiving the ball at the 14 yard line, Shelton-Mosley ran up the left sideline before getting stopped in a pile. Breaking tackles from what seemed like the whole Columbia roster, Shelton-Mosley somehow slipped out and ended up in the endzone.

The electrifying perfomance added up to 270 all-purpose yards, including 131 receiving and 121 on punt returns.

But Shelton-Mosley was not done. Two weeks later, in the country’s oldest college football rivalry game, the Sacramento, Calif. native torched the Yale secondary for 119 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

“A lot of times I’m throwing him a slant route, he’s catching the ball five yards down the field, and he’s turning it into a 40- or 50-yard gain,” Hosch said. “When the ball is in his hands, he’s spectacular.”

Shelton-Mosley’s impact was not just felt on the field, however. Throughout the year, teammates regarded him as a mature, humble player.

“A lot of times, you would expect when a freshman has that much success [that] they would...feel entitled,” Hosch said. “He was not like that. He came to work everyday and accepted his position.”

Certainly, in reverse Shelton-Mosley has felt the influence of upperclassmen like Hosch, one of six seniors to have been contacted in some way by an NFL team.

For a rookie such as Shelton-Mosley, these veterans serve as role models to emulate—or, perhaps, as a foretaste of what is to come.

“I think the standard is set for me” Shelton-Mosley said. “I know what they did. I know how they acted on the field and off the field and how they carried themselves. If I’m able to replicate that, I’ll be able to get that chance one day…. I know what I need to do to get to the league.”

—Staff writer Wade G. Player can be reached wplayer@college.harvard.edu.