Trevin Figgs wasn’t sure he deserved the award.
The Holy Cross junior running back/linebacker – winner of the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association’s Chris Vier Courage Award – is still surprised. He received the plaque at the annual East-West Game June 6 at Dixie Heights for overcoming a detached retina in both eyes, five surgeries, and missing months of school.
All while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average.
“I didn’t really think I was courageous,” Figgs said.
Former Holy Cross coach Bruce Kozerski and current Indians coach Curt Spencer, meanwhile, humbly think otherwise.
“The award’s kind of near and dear to me,” Spencer said. “I know that Trevin’s actually overcome a lot of adversity with the injuries and everything. He’s really had a hard way to go, and he’s hurt now (he injured his left hamstring during a recent practice) … He’s a very soft-spoken guy.”
Kozerski said Figgs’ ability to persevere is a character trait many current and former NFL players lack.
“He’s always been one of the most mature kids I’ve ever come across,” Kozerski said.
Kozerski said a mid-week practice last season is an example. Before drills started, he noticed Figgs on the bench – thinking about his job while others goofed off.
And doing his job well.
“I asked him one day, I said, ‘Trevin, where did that come from?’,” Kozerski said. “… He’s never wrong. He makes the right reads, he makes the right blocks, he makes the runs and cuts.”
Figgs credits his maternal grandfather, Rick Neiheisel. “I grew up playing (football), and my grandpa was a coach; I always wanted to play for him,” he said.
Blurriness
Figgs’ detached retinas – a partial in his left eye and a full in his right – affected his peripheral vision. He wasn’t sure when the problems started, but he thought it could’ve been during practice before a 41-3 loss Aug. 18 at Lexington Sayre.
“Things were blurry, and I had a couple blind spots,” Figgs said. “ … It could’ve been genetic, but it might have been football.”
Figgs didn’t find out how serious his situation was until last September.
“We didn’t really notice until I went to take my driver’s test, and I had failed,” he said.
Figgs played the 2023 season, mostly because his brother, 2024 graduate Donovan Ambrocio, was a senior. He ran for 358 yards and five touchdowns, grabbed three passes for another 31, and made 41 tackles.
Missing months
Four of Figgs’ five surgeries were on the right eye. He wasn’t scared until doctors said the first three “didn’t go as perfect as it could,” but the last two were trouble-free.
“I didn’t know what happened,” he said.
Figgs missed nearly three months of classes. He said some teachers sent homework assignments, which he would complete and turn in when he returned to school.
English is Figgs’ favorite subject; he prefers novels. “I really like to read,” he said.
Figgs said no more procedures on his eyes are scheduled, but his peripheral vision has not returned to normal. He prefers to talk about bettering 2023’s 5-6 record.
“For us,” Figgs said, “I would say getting a playoff win would be good.”