It’s a Tuesday night and Will Herring is exactly where he wants to be — on the football field. This time, it’s in a different capacity. He’s there as a dad and a coach.
Born and raised in the Opelika-Auburn area, Herring grew up an Auburn fan, even though neither of his parents went to the university. For him, there was no NFL, no other team on the radar; it was just Alabama or Auburn. Not in his wildest dreams did he think he would get the opportunity to be a part of it all.
"I loved every minute of it, and I would, I would do it again in a heartbeat," Herring said.
THE INCEPTION
When he was younger, Herring loved sports, but he wasn’t always a lover of football.
“Honestly, basketball and baseball were my first loves, as far as sports go,” Herring said. “I played football in the fourth grade and hated it. I did not play in the fifth grade or the sixth grade.”
Things took a different turn for Herring in the seventh grade, when Herring’s football coaches convinced him to go back out on the field for the football team, “and the rest is history.”
Davis Lambert, a friend of Herring’s, has known him since he was in kindergarten and Herring was in the first grade. Lambert and Herring grew up together and established a tight bond through their love of sports.
“He was good in all sports: basketball, baseball, and football… but he was very humble. He was a good dude to everybody. He was a good guy. I felt like everybody liked Will, flocked to Will. I guess you could call him that All-American type of guy, so to speak.”
As Herring developed as an athlete at Opelika High School, the university down the road began to take notice. He was a quarterback all the way through middle school and high school, but Auburn University saw his potential in other areas and offered him a scholarship as an athlete.
“He was a lifelong Auburn fan,” Lambert said. “He didn’t actually tell me that he wanted to go to Auburn or go anywhere else or play quarterback. But just from knowing Will, I felt like he truly wanted to go to Auburn and once he had that opportunity, I felt like… he was going to do that.”
Herring accepted Auburn’s scholarship offer and was redshirted his freshman year. While at Auburn, he played on special teams and on defense, officially switching to linebacker his fifth year.
“It was a dream come true when Auburn offered me a scholarship,'' Herring said. “I felt like I had stole something. I was just ecstatic.”
THE DRAFT
The future for Herring was uncertain as he finished up his time at Auburn. During the months between the end of the season and the draft, Lambert and Herring worked out together in preparation for Pro Day.
“He wanted to get drafted,” Lambert said. “He was hopeful. Of course, you know, again, he’s being humble. He’s not sitting there saying, ‘I’m going [to get drafted]’ I feel like deep down he felt like he had an opportunity and a shot at it. He just wasn't sure where that would be.”
Four rounds of the NFL Draft came and went, and still there was no word. Herring was at his parents' house in Opelika with his family and girlfriend at the time, now wife, Ashley when the phone finally rang.
“I remember getting the call on draft day. That was just an experience that I’ll never forget,” he said. “I just felt like, you know, there’s no way in the world that this is like actually happening to me. What a blessing it was.”
The Seattle Seahawks drafted Herring as a linebacker, 161st overall. The next step was moving over 2,000 miles away from the only town he’d ever known to begin training camp in August.
THE FIGHT
Training camp for Herring consisted of about three weeks of heat, grueling work and practice all combined with the uncertainty of his position on the team. At Seattle, Herring was a part of training camps that started with close to 100 people and were narrowed down to 53 by the end of camp.
“I was a guy that might get drafted, might not, you know. Might make the team, might not. And so every training camp I went into every August, you know every roster that I showed up to was like, ‘Your jobs are won,’ and you need to prove yourself to make the team,” Herring said.
Even amidst all the uncertainty, Herring cemented his position as a leader on the team by his conduct towards his teammates. While some veterans on the team kept to themselves, Herring chose a different path.
“I wanted to be a guy that looked out for the younger guys, even if it cost me my job. I wanted to be a guy that would help,” Herring said.
THE NEW FAMILY
During the offseason after his first year in Seattle, Herring married his fiancé, Ashley. Now in Seattle together, the newlyweds solidified themselves as a family unit and depended on each other even more because of the distance from their families and loved ones.
“We met some awesome people that are still are like pretty much family today. Different people just kind of became our family,” Ashley Herring said. “That was just a neat experience for us. But, you know I just tried to be the biggest cheerleader that I could be to support him.”
Ashley Herring also noted that their faith was a big part of their experience keeping them “grounded” in the different culture that they were plunged into.
THE NEW AMBITION
After his 2014 season with the St. Louis Rams and his eighth season in the NFL, Herring made the decision to retire.
“What I would give to do it again. I would love to play again, but my body just won’t let me,” Herring said. “The Lord made it apparent to me, like, it’s time to hang it up.”
The hits, old injuries and demanding schedule had taken a toll on Herring, pushing him to step away from football.
"Yeah, I miss it. I miss it a lot. But at the same time, I don't miss the stress. I don't miss the travel. I don't miss the physical beating that you and your body takes," he said.
Even though Herring still cherishes the time he had in the NFL, he is “at peace” with the decision to leave and turn his focus to his wife and kids. Auburn’s charm drew him back and he and his wife both consider it a great place to raise a family.
Now that Herring is back in Auburn, he and Lambert are back to their old habits and work out together three times a week. Both Herring and Lambert are avid hunters and their love for the outdoors has also kept the pair in friendly competition through the years.
“We’re actually closer now than we’ve ever been so that’s pretty ironic, you know, growing up and staying in touch the way we have,” Lambert said.
As a father, Herring’s role has evolved over the years when he and his wife Ashley adopted his son, Isaiah.
“When I was a little kid, I knew I want to be a dad when I grow up and I want to be a good husband to my wife,” Herring said.
Will Herring (right) and Isaiah Herring, 7, during his flag football game in Auburn, AL on Sept. 20, 2022.
These days, you can find Herring with a piece of paper drawn into six sections with X’s and O’s scribbled down in pen — all plays drawn out for his 7-year-old son’s flag football games.
“He’s a great coach and I love watching him do this. But I also love watching Isaiah love the sport that his dad loves,” Ashley Herring said.
Isaiah Herring described that his favorite part about playing football was “playing on offense”. He also likes how he can spend time with all his friends and have fun with them through the sport.
In addition to his role as a father and husband, Herring also works as a loan officer for CMG Home Loans. A large motivation for his current job is his desire to help people and make a difference in his community. Herring says that if you asked one of his kids what their dad does for work, they would say, “He helps people get into houses.”
As Herring continues to further both his career and his impact in the community, the lessons he’s learned of hard work, community, faith and determination amidst all of life’s challenges ring true.
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Kristen is a senior majoring in journalism with a minor in business. She has been with The Plainsman since her freshman year serving as a sports writer, podcast editor and host, and most recently, operations managing editor. Carr is currently the editor in chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
Twitter: @kristencarrau
