Joe Flacco's Super Bowl MVP performance against the heavily favored San Francisco 49ers may have had an inspiring effect on his little brother.

Mike Flacco, recently traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Boston Red Sox, has decided to leave baseball to pursue football. He is set to play tight end for the University of New Haven (UNH) after impressing coach Pete Rossomando.

Mike, 26, is six-feet-six-inches tall and weighs 250 pounds. By comparison, he is one inch taller and three pounds heavier than Tony Gonzalez, one of the NFL's greatest all-time tight ends, giving him an optimal build for a tight end. That is just body type, Rossomando said Flacco showed good football moves in a recent workout.

"He's a very smooth athlete who caught the ball very, very well," Rossomando told the Baltimore Sun. "He hasn't played football in a long time. He's very raw, but has great athletic ability. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I really enjoyed talking to him."

Joe, 28, recently signed a six-year contract worth $120 million with the Baltimore Ravens following the team's Super Bowl victory.

"He comes from a great family. The parents really set the precedent there," the UNH coach said. "We'll see what happens, but I'm really excited to get him out here working with our coaches. He's a great kid."

Mike is now the third Flacco brother to play college football joining John, who is a reserve wide receiver for Stanford University.

The UNH Chargers compete on the NCAA Division II level and finished 10-1 last season. That has not stopped Mike from aspiring for the NFL.

"He hasn't blocked anybody, so it will be interesting to see how he develops as a blocker," Rossomando said. "He's got to play for the University of New Haven or he won't play for the NFL. He's got some work to do, but he's a great guy who's willing to put in the work. He's a very humble guy, similar to Joe in that respect."

Mike will enter UNH as a sophomore in terms of classroom eligibility, essentially giving him three years in college football instead of four. Rossomando said his abilities would develop gradually, but that he could be very successful.

"We just want the kid to be successful and don't want to put too much pressure on him," Rossomando said. "He's not going to step in and be Joe Flacco. He's Mike, not Joe. I just want him to do the things he does well and not worry about having to live up to expectations. He gave it a good run with baseball, and now he's giving football a shot."