MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama football wide receiver Josh Magee recently sat down with USAJaguars.com to discuss what it was like to be part of a championship program in high school, what factored into his decision to transfer to South and who the biggest influence in his life has been, among other things.

Magee, a senior from Hoover, Ala., has been a member of the South Alabama roster since transferring from UAB prior to the start of the 2015 season.  During his time with the program, Magee has been one of the top offensive threats for the Jags.  In his last outing, Magee became the eighth individual in the program's seven-plus years of competition to post 1,000 or more receiving yards in a career.  While he ranks eighth in school history with 1,037 yards receiving, he stands second on South's all-time record list with a 16.46 yards per catch average.

Last season, you emerged as one of the top offensive weapons on the team.  How did last season help prepare you for this season?
"I took the good things from that season and going into this season, I wanted to not only make the big plays but the regular ones as well.  I wanted to be able to make every play this year and catch every ball thrown in my vicinity.   I also wanted to get better as a teammate as well."

What do you like about playing in coach Bryant Vincent's offensive scheme?
"I like that he puts me in a position to be successful and make big plays when needed to."

Are there any similarities in what you did offensively in high school?
"There are a few similarities; we ran more of a true spread offense at Hoover.  Coach Vincent uses more of a tight end-type offense.  At Hoover, we used more five-wide, empty packages."

What was it like to be part of a championship program like Hoover and how did it help prepare you for the next level?
"Coming from Hoover definitely prepared me for this level.  They have good coaches and good advisors that stay on top of you academically, so it was a good transition for me.  At Hoover, they handle things as if you were already in college."

What did you take from your time at UAB that you have used here at South?
"At UAB I learned to watch those players ahead of me.  I took aspects of a couple of players ahead of me – J.J. Nelson and Kennard Backman – and added it to my game.  I saw how they were able to move onto the next play and fight through adversity.  I also learned about being in the brotherhood within your team and how to be a leader and a good teammate."

What do you see as your role on the offense?
"I feel that I am the engine of the offense.  When I am able to get things going, I feel it helps our offense get going.  When I make a play, I feel that someone else will make a big play as well, and vise versa, if I'm down on myself, I feel that that negativity can rub off on the team and I try to keep myself positive so I can affect the team in a positive way."

Along with coach Vincent coming to South Alabama, what other things factored into your decision to transfer here?
"All of the players I had played with when I was here previously were still here like Danny Woodson, Marvin Shinn, Chris Lewis and Xavier Johnson.  I wanted to come back and play with them to finish out my career.   I also wanted to come back and play for coach [Joey] Jones because I owed it to him after I had left to go help take care of my dad.  I owed him that respect to come back and play for him."

Did you set any personal goals for yourself coming into this season?
"I wanted to be able to make it to the Senior Bowl and have more receptions and yards than I did last season.  Off the field, I wanted to get myself together and be a better father and a better teammate."

What are you wanting to do after your football career is over?
"When I'm done playing football, I want to either go back to Hoover and coach or use my degree and become a marriage counselor or someone who helps others.  I want to be able to communicate to people and be an inspiration to people."

You've previously discussed you clothing business.  Could you tell us a little more about it?
"I started my clothing line during my freshman year at Alabama.  It's called Rich Immigrant which is an urban style clothing line that includes t-shirts, hoodies and other things.  I've always wanted to be my own business owner so I started that brand.  Hopefully it will get bigger as I build my brand."

What do you like to do in your spare time?
"I definitely like to spend time with my three-year old son and teach him different things, especially baseball.  I'm teaching him how to hit off a tee and stuff like that.  I also like to go to bowling and movies with my friends.  I also love to eat, especially getting a porterhouse steak at Texas Roadhouse or Longhorns.  Other than that, I'm usually at home playing video games or with my son."

What are some challenges the offense faces this week vs. New Mexico State?
"We as an offense will need to make sure that we keep the ball and not put our defense back on the field as fast because New Mexico State has a great quarterback and offense.  We need to manage the clock and be efficient.  I feel whoever wins the first-down battle will win the game."

How are you looking at closing out your career here at South?
"I want to catch every ball that is thrown at me, catch a couple more touchdowns and close out the season with a win and go to a bowl game."

Where do you feel that you've made the biggest improvement since arriving at the collegiate level?
"I would say tracking down the deep ball.  I was kind of good at doing that coming into college, but over the years, I think I've gotten better at it.  I've also gotten better at going up and catching the ball at its highest point."

Who has had the biggest influence on your life?
"I would have to say my dad.  Seeing him be at the top and then him get knocked down to the bottom, yet still overcoming that adversity.  I've always wanted to be like him.  To see how happy he is now, even though he's not where he once was playing Major League Baseball.  He's the biggest influence for me because he's overcome all that and he's stays close to God.  He always has something positive to say."

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