Jayden Travis is a big dude, even as a middle schooler. That’s when Madisonville-North Hopkins football coach Chris Price first saw him in action. He knew Jayden could block because of his size. What impressed him was his ability to catch the football.
“The linemen were playing 7-on-7 and the next thing you know, he had six catches and was the guy everyone wanted to choose moving forward,” Price recalled. “When the camp ended, I told him I was moving him to tight end in high school.”
The move proved fruitful for both Price and, especially, Travis, who signed to continue playing football in college at Lindsey Wilson University on Wednesday.
Travis was an All-WKC selection after a senior campaign in which he caught 27 passes for 303 yards and a touchdown. Price said Travis was equally adept at catching the football and throwing important blocks for the potent Maroon run game.
“Everybody’s looking for somebody who can block. Blocking is an art form, and you can’t take it for granted. You can’t just assume because you’re big that you can get it done, because that’s not the way it works. It’s an effort thing. It comes from inside your heart, and you have to have the mind for it, and so I think that translates very well for him at the next level,” Price said.
He said that effort and determination showed up big in a game that didn’t end well for the Maroons – a 61-7 loss to eventual state champion Owensboro.
“If you watch that film, you’ll see that even though we were losing, he is still giving everything he has. He emptied the tank, and he’s out there pancaking guys. He never slowed down and never looked at the scoreboard,” Price said. “He just kept grinding.”
Travis ended his career with 53 catches for 649 yards and five touchdowns. He also finished as a reliable lineman.
“He’s the guy when it’s third and one, fourth and one, he says, run it behind me. He’s not a selfish guy. He takes blocking seriously, and it’s a testament to the work he’s been putting in over the years,” Price said.
Lindsey Wilson, an NAIA school located in Columbia, was 10-2 last season with one playoff win and a season-ending loss to top-ranked and national champion Grand View University.
