Spiller draws record crowd at C4C

February 23, 2011

​Meeting C.J. Spiller and standing on a stage with him Tuesday was a big deal for longtime fan Jonathan Herlong, a Mauldin High School senior scheduled to enroll at Clemson University later this year.

Running back for the Buffalo Bills and an All American at Clemson, Spiller opened a window to the largest audience in series history and offered a look at his life and his choices during the Coaches 4 Character gathering at Redemption World Outreach in Greenville. 

Spiller explained to the audience of more than 2,000 how he overcame despondency over his grandmother's death during high school to become one of the most coveted players in the nation as a senior; how he reached the unpopular decision to attend Clemson then later defied his mother and remained at Clemson for four seasons. 

It struck a chord for Herlong, who was presented The Greenville News Coaches 4 Character Award. 

"It's been a great experience," Herlong said. "It's been very encouraging, getting to meet C.J. Spiller. He's great, and there's a powerful message in what he says."

Herlong plans to join his brother Thomas at Clemson and major in engineering, he said. 

A member of the Mauldin soccer team, Herlong leads an active life academically, socially and spiritually as a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish National Honor Society and Beta Club at Mauldin. He will cap a three year term on Student Council as Senior Class Representative. He is a Palmetto Fellows Scholar and Newberry Scholar. And he has been a member of CAAN (Change Attitudes Now), a mentoring program for elementary students that promoted drug-free and alcohol-free lifestyles. 

Herlong is active at Edwards Road Baptist Church as a member of the youth group and he has served on several mission projects. He maintains a lawn service and worked as a lifeguard and in leisure time enjoys fishing, hunting, mountain biking, and basketball.

"I really don't have much down time," he said. "Whenever it comes I take advantage of it, that's for sure." 
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By: Ed McGranahan -- Greenville News