In the fall of 2010, Jake Muasau was No. 35, the long-haired, play-making linebacker on Georgia State's inaugural team.

Ten years later, the locks have been shorn, and Jake the Linebacker is about to become ... Dr. Muasau.

"I am in graduate school in a dual degree program, getting a master's in sports psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology, with the intention of becoming a sports psychologist and working with athletes and mental health," Muasau said.

"I can't believe it's already been 10 years since our inaugural season. It's been a bit of a roller coaster with a lot of ups and downs, but I can honestly say I'm in a great position now with where I'm headed."

Mental health has been become an important topic for all college students, and student-athletes in particular, and Muasau is no exception.

"It's become a huge passion of mine because I went through some personal emotional disturbances that got in my way of playing sports at times," he said

He explained how his own experiences led him to this career path.

"I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to play pro fooball," said Muasau, who spent parts of two seasons on the New York Giants roster. "It was during my experience with the Giants that I realized I wanted to pursue sports psychology. I was struggling with some personal issues that really clouded my judgement, and I think that affected how I was performing.

"I was working with the sports psychologist on the Giants' staff, and during one of those sessions, a light bulb went off. Whether I played pro football for 20 years or 20 more seconds, I knew what I was going to do afterwards. I very much appreciated the time I spent in the NFL."
 

Muasau was voted the Panther's Most Valuable Defensive Player by his teammates and coaches for both 2010 and 2011. After his two seasons, he was Georgia State's career leader in tackles for loss (16.5) and interceptions (3), along with 106 career tackles, seven sacks, four fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles.

But he says his favorite memories are not from games.

"Looking back, it was actually the off-season workouts," Muasau said. "The tough matt drills, the really difficult part of sports. Not the games, because the games were the easier aspect. 

"Knowing that you had 100 brothers that you were grinding with, waking up with you at five in the morning for these workouts. That was one of the most memorable parts for me. To be doing that with 95-100 other guys was one of the most important things as far as being part of team and having that shared struggle, that shared identity of pursuing the same goal. 

"As I've transitioned from playing sports to a more academic setting and a work setting, I'm noticing it's much harder to find that type of environment, where everyone's on the same page. Whether we won or lost, we all shared that responsibility inside."

One of his 100 brothers on the team was actually his own older brother, Louie, who joined the program at the same time.

"Of course, everybody was a brother to me, but having my blood brother there with me, going through that grind, was always motivation to keep on going. Having my best friend and my brother by my side just made it a little bit easier to wake up for those early morning workouts."

Jake says that Louie is doing well, married with four children and living and working in Arizona.

Another family aspect of the football program is the paternal relationship that head coach Bill Curry developed with many of his players, including Muasau.

"I always thank him so much for the personal progress that he helped me make, particularly the leadership council," Muasau said. 

"Prior to coming to GSU, I didn't really want to be a leader. When Coach Curry was putting the leadership council together, he came to me and said, 'There are a lot of guys who think you would be a good addition. I'm challenging you.' I think he pulled that leadership quality out of me, so I could use that outside of football. For that I'm forever grateful."
 

Muasau also made a point of thanking those he called the "unsung heroes" of the football program.

"I want everyone to know how important it is to acknowledge all the people behind the scenes - the academic staff, athletic trainers, all the the support staff. They have played just as much of a role as the players and are very important to the growth of the program and where we are now," he said.

Jake was married last fall, and he and his wife Khaliah, who recently completed her master's in speech pathology and language at the University of Utah, live in California in the Bay Area.

"I got married on Friday Sept. 13, 2019, to my college sweetheart," he said. "She was a student-athlete for a short period of time; she ran track. I'm very proud and super grateful to share that with people. When I talk about my love for Georgia State and the athletic program, there are so many fond memories, and more importantly, I met my wife there. So Georgia State will always be a part of me, and my wife as well."