A championship ring. Every athlete In the Game High School Sports Magazine interviews wants one. Few ever have the opportunity to play for a state championship. Even fewer (none in the six years this author has been writing for ITG) get the chance to play for a national championship. This year, however, was different. Six football players from ITG’s South Georgia and Columbus Valley coverage areas were members of either the Florida State Seminoles or the Auburn Tigers. For the first time since ITG has been in existence, at least two ITG athletes were going to claim national championship rings.
By now you know what happened. Florida State came from behind to win 34-31 in what has become one of the best games in the now-defunct BCS era. Four Seminoles from South Georgia – three former Lowndes High Vikings and one former Colquitt County Packer – now have a national championship to their credit.
Maybe the most recognizable name of the South Georgia contingent is Telvin Smith, a future NFL draft selection who has enjoyed a stellar career at FSU. A 6’2”, 218-pound outside linebacker from Lowndes High, Smith led the FSU defense with 90 tackles in the 2013 season. He also grabbed three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. In the national title game, he tallied 15 tackles (11 solo, four assisted). Smith is the eighth-ranked outside linebacker in the 2014 NFL draft class.
Cameron Erving, a 6’6”, 320-pound junior, went to Florida State from Colquitt County as a defensive lineman. He has since been converted to offensive tackle, and he’s become one of the best tackles in the country. He’s a strong, athletic player with excellent footwork. He was considered a potential first-round draft choice if he decided to leave school after his junior year. However, Erving has decided to return to Tallahassee for his senior year, which means the Seminoles will have one of the most experienced offensive lines in the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.
Two other former Vikings – Tyler Hunter and Gerald Demps – also were on the field for the national title game. Hunter battled injuries all season and did not play after the September 21 game against Bethune-Cookman. He’s a versatile defensive back who can play either safety or cornerback. When healthy, Hunter is also one of the Seminoles’ most dangerous punt returners. Gerald Demps is a 5’11”, 200-pound redshirt senior. Primarily a member of FSU’s special teams unit, he has six tackles for his career.
Two other ITG athletes from the Columbus Valley area were Auburn Tigers. Gabe Wright, a 6’3”, 296-pound junior defensive lineman, came to Auburn from Carver High School in Columbus. He finished the season with 31 tackles – 16 solo, 15 assisted – and three sacks. Wright played in the national title game and recorded one sack. Bray, a 5’10”, 186-pound junior wide receiver and punt returner, attended high school at Troup County. He caught three passes in the national title game. For his career, Bray has 54 receptions for 382 yards and three touchdowns. He also has thrown one touchdown pass for the Tigers.
Six ITG athletes played for a national title. Four were on the winning team. And five will be back next year. Will any of them have an opportunity to repeat? Under the new four-team playoff format, the odds of that happening are long. However, these six players are the first to play for a college football national title. And nobody can take that from them.
Nfldraftscout.com, nfl.com, auburntigers.com, auburn.rivals.com, cfbstats.com, and floridastate.rivals.com contributed to this story.
Special Feature/South Georgia/February 2014
Six ITG Athletes Play In 2014 BCS National Championship Game
Robert Preston Jr.
