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'He Grew Up Loving The Patriots': Canton Native Maurice Hurst Suits Up For Raiders At Gillette

CANTON (CBS) - Like most Massachusetts natives, Canton's Maurice "Mo" Hurst, Jr. was born a Pats fan. "He grew up loving the Patriots," his mom Nicole Page said. "He grew up watching Tom Brady."

In fact, his mom was even a cheerleader!

"They were my team. It's a weird feeling to be cheering against them," Page said.

Maurice "Mo" Hurst, Jr.
Maurice "Mo" Hurst, Jr. grew up playing football in Canton (Image credit Nicole Page)

Sunday afternoon, you'll find Hurst in #73 for the Raiders; the defensive tackle taking on the Patriots just miles from his childhood home.

"I'm sure he's going to be pinching himself. He always wanted to be there, at Gillette Stadium. It's very exciting for the whole family," his mother said.

He's always been a force on the field - from his Canton Bulldog days... and especially at Xaverian Brothers.

"That's when I was like he's really good. By junior year we started getting calls," she recalled.

hurst
Maurice Hurst, Jr and his mom Nicole Page (Image credit Nicole Page)

Hurst landed at Michigan and has kept climbing ever since.

"You take a moment and you're like, 'Oh my God, if I had known it was going to be like that I would have hugged him a little longer or given him a bigger kiss," Page said. "Most kids come back home after college. He didn't, but for all good reasons."

Good reasons indeed. The single mom has really never stopped cheering - on the sidelines and in his life.

"He definitely wants to do more," Page said. "He hasn't stopped with 'oh I made it to the NFL.' He wants to leave his legacy in the NFL and with his team. He's always trying to better. He's just an amazing young guy."

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