Hometown Heroes: Several standout performances in college, NFL

Manatee County’s own once again proved how talent-rich the area is at the college and pro levels.

Even when dipping into Sarasota County, it’s easy to see how solid the 941 area is at producing athletes.

Here’s a look at this week’s Hometown Heroes.

From college football to the NFL, area fans have plenty to cheer about this week.

Andrew Zink: The last place you’d expect to see a long snapper end up on the stat sheet is in the fumble recovery column, but that’s where the Manatee High alumnus found himself in South Alabama’s road victory at Troy in a game dubbed “The Battle of the Belt.” Zink recovered a fumble on a punt that led to South Alabama kicking a field goal to pad its lead to 19-0. The Jaguars won 19-6 after forcing four Troy turnovers.

Garrett Ware: A freshman at Stetson, the former Manatee High standout linebacker delivered a huge hit to force a fumble in Stetson’s 28-17 victory over Davidson.

Greg Reeves: After Charlie Strong put the Manatee High alumnus on scholarship, Reeves is validating that move each week. His latest effort included a team-high eight tackles, including 1 1/2 for a loss and a half-sack in USF’s 33-3 victory over Cincinnati.

Brian Poole: The Southeast High and University of Florida alumnus showcased how to read a quarterback properly in breaking up a pass during the third quarter of the Atlanta Falcons’ loss to the Miami Dolphins. The play preceded a penalty that gave Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler a more manageable third down, which he converted with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills, the son of IMG Academy White team head coach Ken Stills. The Falcons lost 20-17 with Miami’s second-half surge, but Poole ended up with two tackles in addition to the pass breakup.

Kelvin McKnight: A Manatee High alumnus, the junior wide receiver is Samford’s top threat in the passing game. He has a team-leading 51 catches for 661 yards and nine touchdowns, and the Bulldogs will need a huge performance from McKnight during Saturday’s FCS game at No. 5-ranked Wofford.

Blake Keller: The Manatee High alum had eight tackles, a quarterback hurry and a half-sack in Marshall’s 35-3 victory over Old Dominion on Saturday.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: The one-week suspension with the New York Giants is over, according to multiple reports. The Giants reinstated DRC just a week after suspending him indefinitely.

Chad Rex: In a game that featured three Lakewood Ranch High alums, Rex had one of the best performances. A quarterback with the Mustangs, Rex is now a wide receiver for Ohio Northern University and he tallied seven catches for a game-high 111 yards. ONU defeated John Carroll University, where Lakewood Ranch alum Chris Hadley attends, in overtime last Saturday. Hadley tallied eight tackles and a pass breakup for John Carroll, who fell to Rex and brother Brendan Hadley, 27-20.

Karan Higdon: Huge game for the Sarasota Riverview alum last week. The Michigan junior running back tallied 200 rushing yards and three TDs in a 27-20 overtime victory over Indiana.

This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Hometown Heroes: Several standout performances in college, NFL."