THOMASVILLE, Ga. – It's not easy to be on a team if you do not know if you are going to play. For Jay Waters that's the exact situation he was in.
The freshman from Panama City Beach went from fifth on the depth chart at the beginning of season to starting running back in week 10 against the number 17 ranked team in the nation St. Thomas. Scoring a pair of touchdowns to account for a bulk of the Night Hawks offense in the game.
"It was an amazing feeling." Waters said. "We knew we could compete at a high level, and I just wanted to make the most of every touch. I'm really proud of my teammates and how we fought."
Waters hauled in a 27-yard score for his lone reception in the game after he caught a dump pass to the right side and broke through two defenders to reach the endzone. He capped off his scoring in the fourth quarter with a 39-yard run after finding a gap in the right side. Finishing with a final stat line of 40 rushing yards on seven attempts and a touchdown and one reception for 27 yards and a receiving touchdown on the day.
"I came into the season with the mindset of earning everything." Waters said, "I knew opportunities might be limited, so I focused on getting better each day and making the most of every rep I did get. I trusted the coaches and stayed patient, because I knew when the chance came, I wanted to be ready to contribute."
Waters contributes his coaches and teammates for encouraging and pushing him to where continue to improve.
"My coaches encouraged me by pushing me everyday and giving honest feedback that helped me grow." He said. "My teammates kept me motivated by competing with me, supporting me, and celebrating small wins together. Their belief in me made it easy to stay focused and confident throughout the season."
Offensive Assistant coach Jesse Schober said, "Jay has shown a ton of growth this year in large part due to his late arrival. Because of issues outside of his control, Jay missed all the fall camp and didn't arrive on campus till the first week of school so he was already way behind the learning curve by that point he was sitting fourth on the depth chart to his credit. He continued to work and everyone noticed his work ethic on the field. Once injuries happened as they always do, he finally got his opportunity to shine. He really did in that game against St. Thomas. He still has a lot of growth to come. I don't think we've seen the best of him and he would be the first person to admit that."
Waters had this to say for anyone who could be facing the same adversity.
"I'd tell them that I've been there. It's not easy, but if you keep your head down, stay locked in, and keep getting better, that opportunity will come, and when it does, you'll be thankful you stayed ready."
Wise words for a young man with a bright future and wisdom above his years.
