Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
For a pair of Madison County High School (MCHS) grads, this fall is like something out of a dream. Travis Jay and Zane Herring have been making their presence known as members of the Florida State University (FSU) football team. Both are young players and the future is certainly bright for them both.
The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) allows players to take a year away from competition in their chosen sport without losing that year of eligibility. Those players are still on scholarship and can work out with the team, they are just very limited in the amount of time they can actually compete in games. This is often used when a player sustains an injury or to give a young player an opportunity to grow while still participating in the program. When this happens they are called a “red shirt” player. A red-shirt freshman may actually be a sophomore in academic terms, but still a freshman in terms of athletic eligibility.
Both Jay and Herring are “red-shirt” players. Jay is a red-shirt freshman, playing as a defensive back. Perhaps his greatest impact has been his play as a kick returner. He holds the team record so far this season for the longest kickoff return, a 41-yard return during the Seminoles' 35-25 win over the University of North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 9. In total, Jay has 104 yards on four returns. Defensively, Jay has a total of 16 tackles, two interceptions and four pass break-ups. Jay is not only making an impact on the gridiron, he is also excelling in the classroom. During week seven of this season, Jay was recognized as one of three “Academic All-Stars” for the team. Jay is the son of Val Roberson.
Herring, an offensive lineman, is also a red-shirt freshman player for the Seminoles. When red-shirt sophomore offensive guard, Donte Lucas left the team earlier this season, Herring moved up the depth chart for the offensive line. He is currently a reserve left guard, behind red-shirt junior Dillan Gibbons. He has seen some playing time in two games this season, the game against Wake Forest and the Homecoming game against the University of Massachusetts. It is expected that Herring will be a starter in the near future. Herring has also been recognized as a “Seminole Scholar.” Zane is the son of Sean and Mindy Herring and April Kennedy Herring.
Regardless of what the future holds for these two young men, right now, they are fine representations of the best Madison County has to offer.