Senior wide receiver Wilson Van Hooser had to make a difficult decision this summer. Play his senior season at Tulane or transfer to a school closer to his hometown of Montgomery and be closer to his ailing mother.

Naturally, he chose family and says he’s happy with the choice he made.

“I realized this summer that God was really calling me to come back home and be closer to mom,” he said. “While I was at home, she said she went a week without pain, which is the longest for her in seven years. That was encouraging to hear especially since I transferred for that particular reason.”

Van Hooser’s mother suffers from chronic migraines and has undergone numerous back surgeries, along with a spine surgery in December.

Though he is in a new environment with a new playbook, Van Hooser said the transition has been made easier by the support of his new teammates.

“They’ve been very welcoming from top to bottom,” he said. “From freshman to the seniors, all of them have made me feel comfortable.”

Van Hooser accumulated 55 catches for 805 yards and nine touchdowns. During his sophomore campaign in 2011, Van Hooser caught 36 passes for 487 yards and four scores. He averaged over 21 yards on just 11 receptions last year but hauled in five touchdowns.

The speedy senior admits the systems at Troy and Tulane are different but says he is adjusting quickly.

“We ran more pro sets [at Tulane], a lot of tight end and fullback involvement. We had a lot of two and three receiver sets rather than four [like Troy],” Van Hosser said. “The biggest difference is we always huddled. We had some hand signals and stuff but we never ran they up-tempo style that I’m running now.”

As he learns the new system and gets comfortable in his new role on the field, Van Hooser is also looking to set an example off the field. A devout Christian, Van Hooser says he welcomes any teammates who wish to expand on their faith.

“God is what drives me in everything I do whether it’s football or something else. I have to have some quiet devotional time before every game or I won’t be in my element,” he said. “I try to open up to some of the younger guys and everyone really and share my story so that the might avoid doing some of the dumb things I’ve done.”

Van Hooser has been practicing at the X-receiver position behind fellow senior Eric Thomas.

Troy opens the 2013 season against in-state rival UAB on Aug. 31. The game is set for a 6p.m.