Lacrosse has arrived at the University of Tampa, and so has Wayne Magee. The two-time Junior College All-American might look normal walking around campus, but once he garnishes his skin in war paint, it’s a different story.
Magee, who stands at 6 feet, 175 pounds will begin his junior year of college this fall as the school’s number one recruit for the 2011-2012 lacrosse class.
He grew up in Mastic Beach, NY., which is located on the South Shore of Long Island about 70 miles from New York City.
Being an avid sports fan due to his father’s passion for sports, he began to participate in soccer and football at a young age.
Growing up in a big family helped Magee develop a close bond to his brother, who also shared a passion for sports. The game that really grabbed Magee’s attention was lacrosse. He picked up his first stick when he was in sixth grade and fell in love with the sport. He started to play offense in his early years, but as he continued to develop in the sport, the defensive side of the game really attracted his attention.
Since sixth grade, Magee has played lacrosse every year while also playing football in the fall. He attended William Floyd High School in southern Brookhaven, N.Y., and continued to excel at both sports.
His special moment came in his first high school lacrosse season as he entered his first varsity game.
“On-and-off in ninth grade I saw my first time in varsity,” Magee said. “The coaches wanted me to get a few runs under my belt and from that point on I started to cover our opponent’s best guy.”
He started to stick out as one of the better players on the team. As attention from players and coaches came his way, Magee did his part to stay humble.
“I tried to never say that I was better than someone,” said Magee. “People would tell me I’m better than the rest, but I never let it get to my head.”
At the end of his high school tenure, he was voted the 179th best high school lacrosse player in the country by MaxPreps.com, which led him to begin thinking about his athletic and academic future.
Magee began to get scouted by Nassau Community College in Garden City, N.Y. NCC coaches started attending Magee’s high school games and eventually invited Magee to come watch one of NCC’s lacrosse games.
He liked what he saw and enrolled in the junior college in the fall of 2009. Magee packed his bags and moved to Hicksville, N.Y.
As the 2010 lacrosse season began play, Magee again put his name on the map. He helped lead his team to a staggering 14-2 season and garnered first-team Junior College All-American honors.
“It was a big achievement,” Magee said. “I didn’t expect it. I was thinking there were too many defenders out there better than me, but I guess people saw otherwise.”
His sophomore year brought the same heights and achievements as he again earned first-team All-American honors. This time, the award wasn’t so much of a shock.
“The second year, I thought I performed even better than my freshman year and was happy of course to find out I was named All-American again,” Magee said.
What makes Magee a special player is his willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team.
The personal awards are great in his mind, but if the team is winning and he is making his team better, then that’s what makes Magee truly proud.
NCC lacrosse head coach, George Powers, saw the young man grow in his time with NCC.
“[Wayne] just has a great work ethic and focus on the game,” Powers said. “He was the captain of the team his sophomore season and a two-time All-American. He’s a very strong on-ball defender.
“He was really great at understanding the concept of team defense and he did that very well the two years he was with us. [Wayne] also has learned to play great off the ball.”
Magee and the 2011 NCC lacrosse squad earned the right to play in the Junior College National Championships in Herkimer, N.Y., after posting a 13-4 regular season record.
Although they lost in the opening round, Magee met his future head coach, Rory Whipple. Whipple, UT’s lacrosse coach, met with Magee and talked to him about the possibility of enrolling in UT in the fall of 2011.
Although freshman recruits are fine, Whipple knew he had to assemble a talented group of polished junior college players to make his new lacrosse program at UT an instant success.
Coach Whipple, the winningest Division II lacrosse head coach in the country, liked what he saw out of Magee and believed that he was the best Junior College defenseman in the nation.
After a few more talks, Whipple found himself a new defenseman, and Magee had a new place to call his home; Tampa, Fla.
“I thought about heading south and didn’t want to spend my next two years on Long Island again, I wanted to get out,” Magee said.
“Coach Whipple came and talked to me and discussed how beautiful the campus was and everything great about UT so I said yes and took a shot on it, and I think I’m going to love it down [here].”
Whipple could not be happier to have the junior on his team and gives credit to the very valuable abilities that Magee’s game and attitude to the sport possesses.
“Wayne is very fast, quick and has great speed to close down on opposing attack men,” Coach Whipple said. “He also has fast feet and he will be very hard to run by and score.
“I look at him to be a hopeful Division-II All-American while he is here and he will be playing our opponents’ number one attack men and hopefully shutting them down.”
With a first-year program, it is safe to say that Magee will be one of the most talented players on the team.
For any sports team, a leader is needed and both coach Powers and coach Whipple believe that he will become that needed element.
“He leads by example,” Powers said. “For a young program he will be a great role model for the young kids down in Tampa.”
Whipple sees Magee as being a very vocal player on the field this spring and a player whose teammates will look at and want to follow because of his great work ethic and performance on the field.
“I’m really excited to meet the team and see what type of chemistry we can build and how far it will take us to succeed in games and tournaments,” said Magee.
As the number one lacrosse recruit enters UT, there is no doubt that Magee has the right attitude stepping onto the field every single practice and every single game.
According to Magee, once he steps on the field, he turns into what he likes to call, a warrior.
“It may sound funny, but my mentality is of a warrior when I play lacrosse,” Magee said. “I feel like I’m in battle, I put on face paint and get into my zone, it’s as simple as that.”
Michael Paonessa can be reach at mpaonessa@spartans.ut.edu.
So proud of our William Floyd graduate!!!!!