By STEVEN MARCUS steven.marcus@newsday.com
They had just endured the shock of their athletic lives and, in a way, were looking for comfort in the enemy's lair.
Brock Jackolski and Miguel Maysonet were the biggest stars on Hofstra's football team, but when that program was terminated last November, the former All-Long Island high school running backs had to look elsewhere.
They had just endured the shock of their athletic lives and, in a way, were looking for comfort in the enemy's lair.
Brock Jackolski and Miguel Maysonet were the biggest stars on Hofstra's football team, but when that program was terminated last November, the former All-Long Island high school running backs had to look elsewhere.
Stony Brook was the choice, but there was some trepidation. There was that competitive tension of coming from a local I-AA rival combined with being in a room filled with mostly strangers.
"I remember looking into Brock and Miguel's eyes,'' Stony Brook linebacker Stephen Schwicke said. "I could tell they were a little uncomfortable. I remember talking to them and saying, 'You're with our family now.'
"At the end of the day, we want to win games, they want to win games. That's what we're after. They had their program taken away; to their credit, they handled it amazingly. They both worked extremely hard. They are humble kids. They handled it as well as anyone could.''
Jackolski, a Hansen Award winner from Floyd High School, spent two seasons at Hofstra. Maysonet, who won the Hansen at Riverhead, played his freshman year at Hofstra.
"For the most part, Hofstra is pretty much out of my system,'' Jackolski said. "Since I've been here, I feel like I've always been here. The guys have treated me so well. And the coaches as well. I'm learning the plays real quickly.
"Of course, I miss my friends that were with me at Hofstra. But it turned out for the best. You can't dwell on things. You have to make the most of it.''
Maysonet has taken a similar approach. "It didn't take that long for me to get acclimated,'' he said. "I'm really not thinking about that [Hofstra] anymore. I haven't been back there since I left. I will always have that bond that I created with the few friends that I made at Hofstra. It was such a short time there. Then the bond had to break and we all went our separate ways.''
Jackolski and Maysonet will be prime-time players for Stony Brook. Eddie Gowins is the leading running back, but coach Chuck Priore said there will be plenty of opportunities for the Hofstra transfers.
"The three will control 80 percent of the touches,'' Priore said, "whether it is through the air or on the ground. Brock is a very good receiver and so is Miguel. When we can flex these guys out, we become hard to defend. If we have 40 running plays, Eddie has 22 or 23, he deserves them. The other two are going to touch the ball 10 times and seven or eight in the passing game.''
Jackolski invites those who enjoyed watching him and Maysonet at Hofstra to see them play for Stony Brook.
"Absolutely,'' he said. "Between me, Miguel and Eddie and all the other athletes, Stony Brook is going to be putting on a show.''
"I remember looking into Brock and Miguel's eyes,'' Stony Brook linebacker Stephen Schwicke said. "I could tell they were a little uncomfortable. I remember talking to them and saying, 'You're with our family now.'
"At the end of the day, we want to win games, they want to win games. That's what we're after. They had their program taken away; to their credit, they handled it amazingly. They both worked extremely hard. They are humble kids. They handled it as well as anyone could.''
Jackolski, a Hansen Award winner from Floyd High School, spent two seasons at Hofstra. Maysonet, who won the Hansen at Riverhead, played his freshman year at Hofstra.
"For the most part, Hofstra is pretty much out of my system,'' Jackolski said. "Since I've been here, I feel like I've always been here. The guys have treated me so well. And the coaches as well. I'm learning the plays real quickly.
"Of course, I miss my friends that were with me at Hofstra. But it turned out for the best. You can't dwell on things. You have to make the most of it.''
Maysonet has taken a similar approach. "It didn't take that long for me to get acclimated,'' he said. "I'm really not thinking about that [Hofstra] anymore. I haven't been back there since I left. I will always have that bond that I created with the few friends that I made at Hofstra. It was such a short time there. Then the bond had to break and we all went our separate ways.''
Jackolski and Maysonet will be prime-time players for Stony Brook. Eddie Gowins is the leading running back, but coach Chuck Priore said there will be plenty of opportunities for the Hofstra transfers.
"The three will control 80 percent of the touches,'' Priore said, "whether it is through the air or on the ground. Brock is a very good receiver and so is Miguel. When we can flex these guys out, we become hard to defend. If we have 40 running plays, Eddie has 22 or 23, he deserves them. The other two are going to touch the ball 10 times and seven or eight in the passing game.''
Jackolski invites those who enjoyed watching him and Maysonet at Hofstra to see them play for Stony Brook.
"Absolutely,'' he said. "Between me, Miguel and Eddie and all the other athletes, Stony Brook is going to be putting on a show.''
