Making the jump from junior college to Division I could be a tall task for many athletes.

But Florida A&M junior linebacker Isaiah Major has had a seamless transition in his latest college football journey.

Major, from Oklahoma City, had a stint with Division II's Central Oklahoma and spent a year in junior college at Independence Community College in Kansas prior to arriving to FAMU.

At ICC, he had 30 tackles and 1.5 sacks in seven games. For his efforts, Major was offered Division I scholarships from schools that included Middle Tennessee State and Massachusetts.

Ultimately, he chose FAMU and has been a great reward to Rattler football (5-2, 3-1 SWAC).

"Isaiah brings a lot of intensity and is a smart guy," FAMU coach Willie Simmons said. "He's tenacious and always around the ball — as a linebacker, that's probably the number one attribute.

"He's a tackling machine and the level of play he's given us this season has really allowed our defense to take that next step."

Major, 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, is nearly glued to opposing ball carriers. He leads the Dark Cloud Defense and is third in the SWAC with 58 total tackles through FAMU's first seven games. Major also has seven tackles for loss and two sacks.

"He has energy and heart and plays hard," FAMU assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Ryan Smith said. "He's got that little edge to him that a lot of good players have."

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Living up to the hype

Major had a big moment to live up to.

In his introduction to FAMU, Major returned a 65-yard interception pass during the Orange and Green Spring Game which put coaches and Rattler fandom on notice.

"The spring game was my first taste of Division I football," Major said. "To have the opportunity to build on it is a blessing.

"It makes you want to keep going."

Since then, he's racked up two SWAC Defensive Player of the Week awards for cracking double-digit tackles against Alabama A&M (14) and at South Carolina State (13).

"Those were career highs," Major said. "I'm definitely trying to keep a humble head, but I've surprised myself in many games.

"I've been doing pretty fair and I'm actually doing my thing in Division I football."

Nothing has changed about Major since elevating to Division I. He's still the same person from junior college and Division II.

In fact, those days keep him grounded in the present day.

When FAMU moved its practices from afternoon to 6am, Major expressed how he was a morning person because of early practices at ICC.

He's not satisfied by just achieving a Division I roster spot and enrolling at the top public HBCU in the nation.

He wants to have staying power.

Major can also be found running extra laps and drills following practices.

He's dedicated to the point that he attended a class while wearing his full practice gear on a day where FAMU's practice was placed on a lightning delay.

"It's definitely humbling," Major said. "JUCO is the lowest rank you could be, so achieving my dreams and have it in front of my face is a blessing.

"My effort, heart, and what I stand for has been drilled in me since I've been a child. It doesn't matter if you're making pizzas or playing football.

"I try to live by that."

Zer0 the Her0

Many would assume that Major wears No. 0 in homage to former Oklahoma City Thunder basketball star, Russell Westbrook.

But nope.

Major originally chose the number when he arrived to FAMU simply because he likes it.

His love for the number heightened when he received a phone call from his grandmother, who educated him on the spiritual meaning of it.

"It definitely has meaning," Major said. "My ‘nana’ actually called me the other day and told me it means new beginnings.

"This is the new beginning to my life and new chapter that I've opened up to see what it has in store in me."

'Tallahassee's definitely been good to me'

Oklahoma City is forever home to Major.

But Tallahassee is taking good care of him.

Through triumphs and failures, Major has created indelible memories with his team and the community since coming to FAMU.

"I came in and laid some groundwork with my teammates in the spring," he said. "We became closer and bonded.

"My teammates are riding with me and I'm riding with them.”

In August, he was baptized at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church alongside eight teammates prior to the onset of football season.

"I've always been spiritual," Major said. "But to go and do it as an adult to build a better connection with God is something that I wanted to do and was allowed to do in Tallahassee."

Major's bell-ringing hits and playmaking ability on the field has also made him a known face in the city.

For that, he'll forever be covered by those in the Big Bend and FAMU community.

"Tallahassee's definitely been good to me," Major said. "For people to know my name, and say 'you're number 0, I know who you are,' makes you want to keep going."

Gerald Thomas III covers FAMU athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: Isaiah Major striving in first year in Division I