Liberty running back Joshua Mack began his career excelling on the gridiron for the Maine Black Bears. As a true freshman, Mack led Maine with 712 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He then broke out as a sophomore in 2017 as he led all of FCS in rushing with 1,335 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
After the 2017 season, Mack announced he would transfer. Almost two years later, he is prepared to face his former school when Maine visits Lynchburg to take on the Liberty Flames.
“It was a fun year for me,” Mack said as he recalled his breakout 2017 campaign. “I always dreamed about playing college football. So, for me to have a season like that in the record books, even finished 4th in the school in rushing yards, it brought a lot of excitement, but at the same time that’s why I wanted to come here. I wanted to test my abilities and my skill set and see if I’m as good as that year.”
It’s taken some time for Mack to work his way into the rotation with the Flames this season. He had just two carries in the opener against Syracuse, fumbling inside the 5 yard line and not returning to action the rest of the game. He only had three carries in the next game, but he has reached double digit carries each of the past three contests including season highs with 16 carries for 113 yards and 1 touchdown and another 64 receiving yards in Liberty’s win at New Mexico State prior to the bye week.
Mack, the fashion design major, led the Flames in both rushing and receiving against the Aggies, and he scored the game winning touchdown on a drive where he gained every single yard on the possession.
“I like to pride myself in big games,” said Mack. “When it comes to the stretch, that’s a thrill ride for me. Some people like roller coasters and heights. I personally don’t like those. What gives me the rush is games like those where I get to show my true talents.”
Mack has already flown under the radar. He only had three offers out of high school, and even as he transferred from Maine the offers didn’t come rolling in. He had interest from a few schools like Purdue, Minnesota, and Old Dominion, but it was Liberty that he wanted to play for.
“Liberty has been my school,” Mack stated. “I’ve looked at Liberty on YouTube videos since 11th grade. Me having the ability to come here and play, that meant everything for me.”
Liberty didn’t offer him out of high school and didn’t have a scholarship when he first transferred as Mack entered the program as a preferred walk-on for the fall semester of 2018 before being placed on scholarship. Due to NCAA transfer rules, Mack had to sit out the 2018 season and then endured a coaching change.
“Sitting out that year I went through a lot of emotional ups and downs,” Mack recalled. “But the guys around me, they stood behind me. They made sure I was straight.”
Now, he gets to face his former team and former teammates that he spent the first two years of his collegiate career with on Saturday night.
“I’ve been looking forward to this one since I saw the schedule last year when I got here,” Mack said with a smile on his face. “I’ve been eyeing this game for about a year and a half.”
He says there’s no bad blood between him and any of the players or coaches. Instead, he has been rooting for the Black Bears since he left, including last season when they won 10 games and advanced to the FCS semifinals.
Perhaps Maine’s most explosive offensive player, Earnest Edwards, is Mack’s best friend. The two of them are both from Rochester, New York where they faced each other at opposing high schools. The combo both ended up at Maine and were roommates their freshman year.
“I talk to him as much as I can,” Mack said of Edwards. “We recap games, talk about what happened in a loss for us or for him. We try to keep in contact as much as possible. I’ve talked to him twice this week. We keep it friendly. That’s been my dog for a minute though. We went against each other pretty much our whole high school career. It will bring back some memories.”
Edwards already has two kick returns for touchdown this season and leads Maine in receiving with 473 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’s also completed two passes, both going for a touchdown.
“I don’t take these games personal,” Mack said. “This game is going to be filled with a lot more excitement for me.”
