When a peaceful river trip turned tragic, offensive lineman Jayden Todd leapt into action to help rescue an unconscious swimmer, proving his strength extends far beyond the gridiron.
A day of fun on the water for Florida State football teammates quickly turned into a race against time, with a human life hanging in the balance. Offensive lineman Jayden Todd and three of his fellow Seminoles were out on the river enjoying the sun and water, and came across a man floating in the water, unconscious.
According to a story by Ira Schoffel on warchant.com, Todd leapt into action, literally, by jumping into the water and swimming over to the man in distress, identified as Michael Hoofman. At 6-foot-6, 314 pounds, Todd was able to get the Hoffman out of the water and into the boat. The situation looked grim, as Hoffman was not breathing.
Todd’s teammates, Blake Nichelson, A.J. Cotrill, and Caleb LaVallee got the attention of a Citrus County sheriff’s deputy, who was patrolling the river. The deputy immediately shocked Hoffman with a defibrillator twice, but he remained unconscious.
Todd, a former EMT who happened to be passing by, and the deputy got Hoffman out of the boat and carried him to the deputy’s patrol car. Hoffman was given CPR for several minutes and driven to the marina, where more rescue personnel had gathered. Hoffman was then taken to a local hospital and later regained consciousness after suffering a heart-related incident.
The entire incident took about 20 minutes and was touch-and-go at times. However, knowledge of the river by deputies, the immediate help of Todd and others, and the fact that Hoffman was wearing a life jacket were all factors that helped bring a happy ending to this life and death situation.
Todd was modest about the incident and did not tell anyone at Florida State what had happened. “It was just something that happened, and it’s not something to boast about…I was able to just be there at the right place at the right time,” Todd said.
Last season, Todd played 12 games on the offensive line in 47 snaps and was selected to the Academic All-ACC team. As a unit, the Seminoles allowed 23 sacks, which ranked as No. 61 in the FBS. However, they did not allow a sack against Alabama, Virginia Tech, and NC State, and led the ACC in rushing offense.
In 2026, Todd will provide valuable depth to a position that will be in rebuild mode. Coach Mike Norvell welcomes four talented transfers that will be the tip of the spear for a talented offense, both passing and rushing the football.
When lives are at stake, heroes do not always wear capes. Todd exited his rather large phone booth, wearing garnet and gold, and was prepared to help at a moment’s notice. It was a selfless act of courage, so that another may live.
A fair trade.
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