“Everything I do I want to challenge myself. ” – Treyvon Parker T here was never a question about Blacksburg freshman Treyvon Parker’s talent.

But nobody thought that talent would be taking snaps so soon for the Wildcats.

Not even the ultra-confident Parker.

“I wasn’t thinking about the varsity,” Parker said.

In fact, his main focus in the preseason was to get his ailing back healthy for football. He suffered a couple of minor fractures in a fall during a basketball team camp this summer.

“My main goal was to work hard and to keep my back safe,” he said.

Upon receiving clearance from his doctor that his back would stand up to the punishment, he impressed the coaches enough during preseason drills to split time with Joseph Upchurch at quarterback.

He entered the season opener midway through the third quarter when Upchurch was ejected for his involvement in a fight with a Walhalla defender. Parker led Blacksburg to its only touchdown against Walhalla with 4:09 left in the game.

He got his first start against Southside Christian, leading the team to its lone win of the season.

After missing on his first three attempts, Parker rebounded by completing his first varsity pass for a 23-yard touchdown pass to Brent Bonner. He found Ryan Greene for the 2-point conversion pass following the touchdown.

Parker’s performance so far has even surprised Blacksburg coach Mickey Moss, who made the difficult decision to start a freshman at quarterback.

“For a ninth grader to step in as starting quarterback on the varsity team is quite an accomplishment,” Moss said. “Treyvon has a very bright future. He is a very intelligent and tough kid who does a lot of good things for us on the football field.

“I am looking forward to following his progress over the next several years. If he continues to work hard, earn good grades and gets a little stronger in the weight room, Treyvon can be a good college prospect down the road.”

Parker has already built an impressive resume. He never lost a game he started in middle school, guiding the Blacksburg Middle School football team to conference championships in 2007 and 2008.

Parker has made a name for himself on the football field. But his life doesn’t begin and end with football. He also excels in the classroom.

“I keep my head in the books,” he said. “I hate to make bad grades. Everything I do I want to challenge myself.”

It’s that attitude that makes him feel right at home under center for the Wildcats.

“I just don’t think of it as a big deal (starting as a freshman),” he said. “I’m just one of the guys. I don’t think what grade I’m in.”

As the offensive leader for the one-win Wildcats, Parker acknowledges that one of his jobs is to keep the team upbeat and positive.

“When I get into the huddle, I just tell them to ‘Let’s go,’” he said. “I just try to stay as positive as I can.”

Parker is an intense study, striving to improve on his weaknesses - like reading defenses.

“I just have to work on being patient and reading my receivers better,” he said.