Henry Hasselbeck, the son of retired NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, had been committed to play lacrosse at Maryland since last year. But Henry threw the sports world a curveball on Friday.
In a surprising announcement, the three-star quarterback who played high school football at Xaverian Brothers in Westwood, Mass. revealed that he would forego his lacrosse career and instead return to the game of football.
I'd like to publicly thank @CoachTillman1 for his unwavering support and the opportunity to play lacrosse at the University of Maryland. A true dream for me. Thank you to Jake and Jesse Bernhardt and all of @TerpsMLax for treating me like family.
I am your biggest fan. pic.twitter.com/hzpQewZF0U— Henry Hasselbeck (@HenryHasselbeck) June 30, 2023
With that being said, I've decided to play college football instead.
— Henry Hasselbeck (@HenryHasselbeck) June 30, 2023
Hasselbeck then revealed his commitment to Michigan State, who won out over Boston College, Pittsburgh and UAB.
Excited to announce that I have committed to play football at Michigan State! @MSU_Football @Coach_mtucker @JayJohnsonFB @MSUFBRecruiting @JakeReiling97 @CoachCKap @M2_QBacademy @XBHS_Football #GoGreen ⚔️ 🟢⚪️ pic.twitter.com/nmLLGf6S1O
— Henry Hasselbeck (@HenryHasselbeck) July 1, 2023
In April, the Spartans lost two-year starter Payton Thorne to Auburn after he entered the transfer portal. That left the team with only redshirt freshman Katin Houser and redshirt junior Noah Kim in the quarterback room. It also leaves the door cracked open for Hasselbeck to come in and potentially earn some playing time.
At Michigan State, Hasselbeck will have the opportunity to throw passes to the son of another long-time NFL player, Antonio Gates Jr., whose father is future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates.
Hasselbeck’s father Matt played for four different teams over the span of his 17-year NFL career. He found most of his success with the Seattle Seahawks, earning three trips to the Pro Bowl and leading the franchise to Super Bowl XL.
After his retirement, Matt was named to the Seattle Seahawks 35th Anniversary Team and was enshrined in the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor.
