FAIRLESS HILLS — When Charles Snorweah’s fax went through Wednesday, Feb. 4 at Pennsbury High School, it culminated an 18-year plan that began when Snorweah’s family emigrated from Liberia.
The Falcons’ record-setting running back, Snorweah joined Rutgers’ 25-man recruiting class on National Signing Day with his parents, Charles and Dweh, in mind.
“Even though I hadn’t lived over there that much, I know from what my parents tell me and how they struggled and how things were hard for them,’ Snorweah said of the small African nation. “It motivated me to continue playing football. I knew this is where I could make my family proud and get a full scholarship. It means a lot to achieve what I have right now for them.’
Surrounded by immediate family members matching in Rutgers rugby shirts, Snorweah became the Scarlet Knights’ lone running back commit in an already crowded backfield.
He rushed for 2,700-plus yards and 40 touchdowns in Pennsbury’s Wing-T offense, leading the Falcons to a 13-2 record, along with league and district titles.
Thanks to a move to the I-formation, Snorweah rushed for 1,000-plus yards and 13 touchdowns in the postseason alone, capped by a 21-14 victory against Coatesville in the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA championship.
“I was the only feature back,’ Snorweah said. “It was just a new scheme, getting the ball deeper in the backfield. You have more speed coming in, your vision is better.’
At Rutgers, Snorweah joins six other scholarship running backs.
That list includes 1,000-yard career rusher Paul James, talented sophomores Josh Hicks and Robert Martin and junior Desmon Peoples.
Five different backs combined to rush for more than 2,000 yards in 2014, when Rutgers finished 8-5 in its first year in the Big Ten.
“I think the first year in the Big Ten was a huge success. I don’t know how else you can describe it,’ Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo said. “Bowl team two years in a row, winning some big conference games, Penn State at Rutgers drawing an incredible number ratings-wise in New York City and the metropolitan area. I don’t know what else people could’ve asked for in the Big Ten.’
Snorweah is one of six Pennsylvania natives in Rutgers’ 2015 recruiting class, tying New Jersey for the most from any state.
Entering signing day, Rutgers’ class ranked 47th on Rivals.com and 46th on Scout.com. It held off late advances from Michigan and Wisconsin to retain three-star Florida commit Jarius Adams, the only uncertainty on an otherwise calm deadline day.
Marques Ford, a late flip from Tennessee on Jan. 22, kickstarted a late wave of five commits that round out Rutgers’ class.
“I really like Marques Ford,’ ESPN national recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill said on a conference call. “I know Tennessee ended up not having enough room, but that’s a really important get for Rutgers. He’s a defensive lineman, which is a premium position. It expands their recruiting footprint into other areas outside of New Jersey.’
Ford becomes head coach Kyle Flood’s first four-star commit since he took the job at the end of the 2012 recruiting cycle. That’s the same class that landed offensive lineman JJ Denman, Snorweah’s teammmate at Pennsbury.
“Even when JJ was in high school and committed to Penn State, I was like, ‘ I’m going to follow you to Penn State,” Snorweah said. “Then he went to Wisconsin and I was like, ‘ JJ, I’m still going to follow you to Wisconsin.’ Now he’s over at Rutgers. … He did a great job taking me in like a little brother, watching over me.’
Snorweah took his official visit Jan. 24, when he said Rutgers “made my parents feel like kings and queens.’
Now he’ll only have to keep them up speed with the family’s newfound sport, which it slowly embraced.
“It was definitely culture shock,’ Snorweah said.
