Senior Spotlight: Andrew Herr
10/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Kellie Van Maele, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Over 600 miles away from home, redshirt senior Andrew Herr suits up for practice every day, thankful for the opportunity to play soccer at a Division I university. Playing at a school like Michigan State was always a goal of Herr's, and he credits the support of his family to help him get to East Lansing.
Anytime he puts on his uniform, Herr also sports a wrap on his wrist that includes his three favorite bible verses, the initials of the people for whom he plays and most importantly the word, "Family." To Herr, wearing the band on his wrist reminds him to stay grounded, something that his family has instilled in him from the beginning.
In his last season with the Spartans, Herr looks back on an experience that began with some of his darkest days, but now five years later has given him an experience that will be tough to forget.
Herr suffered a season-ending injury in the beginning of his freshman season, which sidelined him for the rest of the year. After the injury, Herr really questioned if he even wanted to be at Michigan State.
"Initially when I came here and was injured, I was miserable," Herr said. "I didn't have soccer anymore, and I felt so left out. My mom was the one that told me that I committed to this so I had to stick it out until I'm at least healthy. I needed to experience the things I didn't get to. So, I decided to stay."
During the time when Herr remained on the sidelines, he really turned to academics to take his mind off of soccer. He understood that being at a university like MSU provided him a great opportunity for his future, so his focus quickly shifted from athletics to academics.
'Breaking my collarbone is when I started to fall in love with academics," Herr said. "I like to say that I was actually blessed to get injured. For me, being a student-athlete, the athlete part - it is what it is. The academic part is where the success in my life is going to come from."
With a new focus on academics, however, Herr still struggled with being so far away from home. The near nine-hour trip from Millersville, Pennsylvania was the farthest he'd ever lived away, and his guilt became very apparent.
The long journey to East Lansing began when Herr began to take soccer seriously at 11-years-old. When his parents realized his potential, they encouraged him to set a list of goals.
"In high school my parents told me I needed to set goals, so I took that to heart," Herr said. "I wanted to become a Division I soccer player. I wanted a big school and when I came to MSU, I loved it. It's a wonderful school, but the only thing I regret is the distance made me realize how much of an impact my parents had on my life."
With all of the time, effort and money that Herr's parents had put in towards his soccer career, he feels guilty that they are not able to be at all of his games, but his successes here have validated his choice of moving away.
Since joining the Spartan squad, Herr was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, named to the Academic All-Big Ten team and recently notched his first career-goal against Yale on October 19. To Herr, those are the reasons he traveled to Michigan State.
"It means a great deal - especially to someone like me," Herr said. "I might not get recognized for my soccer or athletic contributions, but to be able to get recognized as somebody who is dedicated and resilient in the classroom - all of the time and effort is worth it. There's a certain level of respect that the Big Ten conference cares about you as an athlete, but also the student in you."
After this season, the academic part of Herr's life with become a lot more evident, as he is currently in the process of applying to dental schools. Using Michigan State to bolster his resume, Herr hopes to one day become an oral surgeon, but because that is "so far down the road," he is enjoying the last few months of his senior year.
"As I've been here and as I progressed through the years, this is now my home," Herr said. "I'm very proud of all that I was able to accomplish and I'm so happy that I decided not to leave, otherwise, that would have been one of the worst mistakes I could have made."
