UWA lands linebacker transfer

LIVINGSTON – Kirk Messick, a linebacker who played the last three seasons at Football Championship Series member Gardner Webb University, is transferring to West Alabama for his senior season.
From Hoggard High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, Messick played in 11 games for GWU last season, making 27 tackles. He recorded 1.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback sack while also breaking up a pass. He made a season-high five stops against Western Carolina.
Since redshirting in 2014 at GWU, Messick has played in 23 games and recorded 31 total tackles. He has seen action at linebacker and on special teams.
Messick was named first-team all-area by the Wilmington Star-News as a high school senior, an All-Coastal North Carolina selection by Friday Night Football Magazine and was selected to play in the 2014 N.C. East/West All-Star Game. As a senior he had 60 total tackles (56 solo) and three tackles for loss. He helped his high school team to a 12-2 record and a league championship while picking off three passes for 49 yards and breaking up five more passes.
Messick’s older brother, Antonio, just finished his career as a receiver at Georgia Tech.