As he spoke about senior linebackers Alex Wujciak and Adrian Moten, Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen became more and more emotional with the realization that Saturday would be their final game together at Byrd Stadium.
“They’re fun to be around. They love to play football. I’m going to miss them,” Friedgen said. “I feel like I’ve had a special relationship with both of them.”
Throughout their careers, Wujciak and Moten have been constants on the Terps’ defense making plays, leading and jabbering — their stream of consciousness providing the soundtrack for practice.
“They’re both extroverts, Moten maybe a little more than Wujciak,” Friedgen said. “On the field they both like to talk.”
| UP NEXT | |
| No. 21 N.C. State at Maryland | |
| When » Saturday, 3:30 p.m. | |
| Where » Byrd Stadium, College Park | |
| TV/Radio » ESPN2/980 AM | |
And both back it up.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Wujciak, who has led Maryland in tackles each of the last three seasons — and has 369 overall — has lived up to the standard set by middle linebacker predecessors D’Qwell Jackson, E.J. Henderson and Erin Henderson. The 6-2, 230-pound Moten has been a disruptive force from the outside, piling up 209 tackles and 15.5 sacks.
Wujciak and Moten entered Maryland together as freshmen in 2006. They became close during a 2008 bowl trip to Boise, Idaho, when they sat in joint meetings together under linebackers coach Al Seamonson.
During spring practice last year, Moten gave Wujciak a birthday present, ambushing him with a cream pie to the face. To get even, Wujciak had to get more creative.
So enlisting the services of Terps videographer Jess Atkinson, Wujciak arranged a fake interview with Moten, the perfect distraction for his own cream pie attack.
“I owed him one,” Wujciak said. “It took some careful planning.”
In addition to starring in football at Seton Hall Prep in New Jersey, Wujciak started three years for the school’s national powerhouse basketball team, playing with current Pittsburgh standout Ashton Gibbs. But with his size and bloodlines (his father, Alan, played guard at Notre Dame), there was little doubt which sport Wujciak suited best.
Moten led Gwynn Park to the Maryland 2A championship his senior year. He has played with a heavy heart this year following the death of his father, Anthony, who passed away from a heart attack at age 53.
Saturday’s game against N.C. State will be emotional for both Wujciak and Moten for a variety of reasons, including their feelings for Friedgen.
“To have a special relationship with Coach Friedgen, me and Adrian have been here for five years,” Wujciak said. “We’ve been through a lot with him.”
