Travis Levy of Sherwood Football Named US Army Impact Player of the Month

Travis Levy, a member of the varsity football team at Sherwood High School in Montgomery County, has been named the US Army Impact Player of the Month for November!

Levy, who plays running back on offense and strong safety on defense, was nominated for the award by Sherwood's athletic director, Kathy Green.

"His work ethic on the gridiron transfers to the classroom as Travis is earning a 3.83 this quarter," Green wrote in her nomination. "Travis is the heart and soul of the 2016 Warrior Football Team because he leads by action- what he does on the field and what he does off the field- his character is second to none."

Indeed Levy, a four year member of the varsity football team and a three time captain for the Warriors, appears to be a near perfect example of the phrase "student athlete."

Away from the field, Levy has been active in Sherwood's academic community. He is a peer tutor for the school's math department, and a student counselor for Coach Joe Allen's Leadership Program.

When it comes to his own studies, Levy was praised by his teachers for not being afraid to ask for extra help to get the best grade he possibly can on an assignment.

Levy's prowess in the classroom opened the door for him to pursue multiple options to play football at the collegiate level. He eventually landed on Boston College, a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, because it combined both of Levy's passions.

"BC really liked me, put forth to me and academically, BC is definitely a good college," Levy said. "I think when you look at the academics and football it's a good choice."

Levy's character is also something the teaching staff at Sherwood commended. Green highlighted him for being active in organizing various community events through organizations like Wounded Warriors and the local Optimist Club's Christmas Tree lot.

Bonnie Gilchrist, a physical education teacher at Sherwood, lauded Levy for his ability to form meaningful relationships with those around him. She credits Levy's comfort level with doing this from being a member of a military family that moved multiple times as he was growing up.

"Travis has embraced the challenge of developing relationships with new coaches, teammates, teachers and friends in new environments which could be a difficult task for any adolescent. He has blossomed from a shy young freshman to being voted the 2016 Homecoming King," Gilchrist wrote in a letter of recommendation. "Travis walks tall, speaks for himself and others, and has become a person I am extremely proud to have been able to teach."

In 2016 Sherwood's football team went 10-0 in the regular season, before losing in the first round of the MPSSAA 4A north regional playoffs to Mervo from Baltimore City. In the four years Levy was on the team, the Warriors qualified for the playoffs three times.

Now that his final high school game has been played, it's clear to see that Sherwood will miss Levy's on-field contributions in the future. Levy finished his career with 4,593 total yards rushing and 69 touchdowns. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry in his career. Levy eclipsed 1,000 rushing in his final three seasons of high school football.

His senior year was his most prolific campaign, finishing with 1,805 yards on the ground, 28 touchdowns and 10.6 yards per attempt. On three separate occasions he rushed for more than 200 yards, and in three games he averaged at least 20 yards a carry.

Statistically, Levy's two most impressive games in 2016 came against Magruder and Kennedy. Against Magruder, he averaged 30 yards a carry as he finished with 270 yards, scoring three touchdowns in the process. In the Kennedy game, he scored six touchdowns on 10 carries for 297 yards.

For Chris Grier, Sherwood's varsity football head coach, Levy embodies everything a coach could want in a student athlete.

"He led by example and really showed everyone how we would like to have our program be represented. A truly classy individual with high character, and his work ethic was superb," Grier said. "Obviously we won a lot of games on the field with him and he brought a lot of notoriety to the program. His jersey will live on for a long time."

The Impact Player of the Month award is given to an individual who has impacted their team in a positive way, both on and off the field. Nominations can be submitted by parents, coaches, teachers or fellow students. Each honoree will receive a custom trophy from Crown Trophy and the opportunity for a videotaped award presentation at their school with a member of the US Army.

County Sports Zone would like to thank the US Army for sponsoring the Impact Player Award!

Click here to watch Travis get presented his trophy!

Congratulations to Travis!