Stepping up
FAU center Roman Fernandez has established himself as the starter with a week left before the Owls open their season.
BOCARATON— Roman Fernandez experienced several emotions the moment he learned that Joe Gold had left FAU. Fernandez said he had odd and contradictory feelings about the news of Gold, his former teammate, leaving football behind: disappointment, motivation, puzzlement, excitement and nervousness.
On that day in late July, Fernandez knew the burden of being FAU’s starting center fell squarely on him.
“When Joe left, it was kind of a weird deal,” Fernandez said. He added: “I like Joe. He’s a real cool dude, but it was just a weird thing knowing that it’s going to be on me at the beginning of camp, and it’s important for me to go on through camp and improve myself.”
All of Fernandez’s teammates on offense said he has done just that in establishing himself as the starter with a week left before the Owls open their season on the road against Tulsa.
In that past six months, Fernandez has become stronger. He is also more comfortable with the playbook. And coach Charlie Partridge said Fernandez has thrived in what could have been a difficult situation for him and the team when training camp opened Aug. 4.
In the spring, he was competing with Gold, the projected starter after starting six games last year as a true freshman. But Gold decided to leave FAU and quit the sport because the demands of being on the team — along with a strict schedule throughout the year — were too much for him.
Throughout camp, Fernandez has worked almost exclusively with starting quarterback Jaquez Johnson and the first-team offense. Acquaintances at first, Fernandez’s relationship with Johnson has grown.
“At the point of attack, he’s one of the strongest guys on the team,” Johnson said of Fernandez. “He works really hard in the weight room and all summer he was out here snapping every day to get better at that. His opportunity came, and he’s taking full advantage of it.”
Partridge and offensive line coach Bart Miller have only one concern about Fernandez, a redshirt sophomore: he has played in only one game in his collegiate career, and it has been three years since he had meaningful snaps in a game.
But Fernandez’s teammates said their center will be ready when the Owls face the Golden Hurricane. Running back Greg Howell said Fernandez learns by being quiet and listening to the coaches and watching film. Howell also said Fernandez would be fine after the first play, which he said is always the most nerve-racking for a new starter making his debut.
Fernandez hopes that after the first snap FAU can push Tulsa around by running the ball for more than 100 yards.
“I feel like I’ve handled myself pretty well in my first camp entering as a starter,” Fernandez said. “It’s kind of a humbling experience from where I came from. I’ve always put pressure on myself to do as best as I can.”
The teammate that has pushed Fernandez and inspired him the most is right guard Antonyo Woods. In fact, Woods wanted Fernandez to join him in becoming a walk-on at FAU. The two play together at Seminole Ridge High and had success. The pair, though, never received the attention from recruiters or the number of Division I scholarships they expected.
“He’s my brother,” Woods, a redshirt sophomore, said of Fernandez. “It’s crazy how we both are traveling this journey together. It’s that drive and competition between us that keeps us closer together on and off the field.”
Fernandez and Woods were among seven previously walk-ons players to whom Partridge awarded scholarships for this season.
“I honestly cried,” Woods said. “It’s different when you earn it than when it’s given to you before you get here.”
Fernandez knows the feeling. After Friday’s practice, he smiled when explaining his story. He has enjoyed each day during camp. Now, he is ready to make his first significant contributions to the team.
“It’s great, you know,” he said. “From trying out here, to now getting a scholarship and getting ready to start my first game, it’s really beyond believable.”
nataylor@tribpub.com