Heflin lineman stays steady in faith, readies for FSU

Heflin lineman stays steady in faith, readies for FSU

Technically Blake Snider was too small for the expectations of NCAA football programs.

Even at 6 feet, 4 inches tall and 275 pounds — with the ability to bench-press 380 pounds — the offensive lineman for Class 4A Cleburne County High School in Heflin was repeatedly passed over by recruiters from Division 1 schools.

The recruiters sought linemen standing at least 6 feet, 5 inches.

Snider, son of Tony and Robyn Snider, of the Choccolocco community in Calhoun County, at first received only scholarship offers from several lower division universities.

But in February, as the teen and his parents enjoyed dessert at the home of Florida State University (FSU) Coach Bobby Bowden, Snider realized his dream of playing NCAA Division 1 football might become reality.

When the FSU offer came, Snider accepted the full scholarship and began summer classes and workouts on June 21.

“I just really wanted to play Division 1 football, because they’re the best,” Snider said.

His high school coach, Michael Shortt, said Snider’s can-do attitude and Christian character undoubtedly attracted FSU to the teen. Shortt said Snider has the intangibles — such as a strong work ethic, family support and the will to succeed — that will foster success at FSU.

“People ask me all the time if it’s possible to be a good athlete and a good Christian at the same time,” the coach commented. “I always say Jesus would’ve been one of the better players there ever was, because there were plenty of times He could’ve quit but He didn’t. Blake has that same quality.”

Snider, a guard who helped lead his team to the second round of state playoffs, was originally recruited by FSU as a gray-shirt freshman. He would have worked out with the team and taken classes this summer, then returned home for the fall season in order to retain full four-year eligibility as a player. 

However, Snider said recent communication with Rick Trickett, FSU’s offensive line coach, indicates a different plan. It appears Snider will try out as a potential backup center and, if chosen, will suit up this fall.

“He is bound and determined to show he’s good enough to play his first year,” Shortt said of Snider.

Brandon Robinson, Snider’s youth leader at Iron City Baptist Church, Anniston, in Calhoun Baptist Association, said the teen is known as a leader both at school and at church. Snider’s achievements at Cleburne County included playing baseball and basketball, serving as vice president of the Prayer and Bible Club and being a member of Future Business Leaders of America. At church, he is a team leader for the youth faith evangelism outreach.

He said one of his most satisfying accomplishments during high school came his sophomore year.
He and friends from church felt compelled to meet once a week at school to pray for students to become Christians.

As a result, attendance at Iron City’s Wednesday night youth services rapidly grew to more than 100; some for whom Snider and his friends had prayed accepted Christ as their Savior.

“Blake has a servant’s heart with a positive attitude, no matter what you ask him to do,” Robinson noted. “He is firmly grounded in his faith with daily quiet times.”

Snider said his life Scripture is 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Even after two injuries to the same knee his junior year, Snider kept his faith that all would work out.

“I prayed and thought college football might not be God’s will for me,” he said. “I knew everything would be OK, so I didn’t pray that. I just prayed that God would show me if I was supposed to play college football.”

His knee healed, and the injuries were never an issue for recruiters.

Snider knows he’ll miss his mom tremendously when he goes to FSU. But he will take with him the influence his dad has had in his life; in fact, he plans to follow a similar career path. When Snider attended Cleburne County, his father was an assistant football coach and English teacher.

“I was around him all the time and I talked to him a lot,” Snider said. “He had high expectations for me and he always said, ‘Be sure your sin will find you out.’”