For most preferred walk-ons (PWOs), making a game-day depth chart for a Power Four football team is challenging. For junior defensive back Donny Hiebert, failure was never an option.
Hiebert was recruited as a PWO from Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Fla., during the 2023 recruiting cycle. At Buchholz, Hiebert was instrumental in the school’s 2022 state semifinal appearance, compiling 103 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and playing nearly 1,700 consecutive snaps. He also played baseball and basketball.
“Playing there gave me a lot of confidence,” Hiebert said in an interview with the FSView. “Even though I was a walk-on coming in, I knew who I practiced against every day for four years.”
Now, Hiebert is a consistent member of Florida State’s special-teams unit and a reserve rover, combining his skills at both the linebacker and safety positions. So far, he has appeared in both games this season against the University of Alabama and East Texas A&M University.
Hiebert started playing immediately during his freshman season, appearing in all 14 games. Primarily on special teams, he recorded five tackles before he was named the Seminoles’ Special Teams Newcomer of the Year in 2023.
It isn’t often a freshman can make an impact right away, especially on a team that won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and finished No. 6 nationally. Hiebert’s work ethic, attitude and willingness to do anything allowed him to prove his worth to the team.
“It’s just work ethic and doing the right thing and making sure everyone trusts you,” Hiebert said. “If you give it everything you have and are willing to throw your body around, you can bring value and help the team.”
Hiebert continued his play during the 2024 season, recording a career-high two tackles against the University of North Carolina and 10 overall for the season. Although FSU finished 2-10, he remained committed to the program and helped rebuild it to where it is now.
“Practice is definitely a lot more demanding and you really can’t take a day off at all,” Hiebert said. “There’s always competition and that’s why I think we’re good again. That’s the way it should be at a place like Florida State.”
Hiebert has been described as one of the many “glue guys” on the defensive and special teams units, earning praise from special teams coordinator John Papuchis. With some key players leaving after last season, Papuchis has looked everywhere for players who play the right way.
“Those types of players are the mortar between the bricks,” Papuchis said in a press conference. “A lot of times, if you can earn a spot on coverage units, that translates into defensive snaps. You keep at it, stay the course and eventually the opportunities come because you’re older, more experienced.”
Last week, Hiebert recorded a tackle in the blowout win over East Texas A&M, when the ’Noles earned their spot as the No. 10 team in the nation. He plans to continue helping as the Garnet and Gold fight for a spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP).
Along with being an accomplished athlete, Hiebert is equally focused on his work in the classroom. With a 4.0 grade-point average in high school and now a repeat member of the all-academic team, he wants to use his degree in finance to pursue a career outside of football.
“I love the game and ideally want to try and stay near the game,” Hiebert said. “I like the concept of building a team and managing that aspect of it and I think the general manager role is a role that really interests me.”
Florida State football and Hiebert are set to return to action on Sept. 20 against Kent State University. Hiebert and other PWOs look to continue to make an impact on the field for the Seminoles as they fight to make a CFP push.
Cameron Chassen is a Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at contact@fsview.com.
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This article originally appeared on FSU News: How Donny Hiebert went from a walk-on to a fan favorite
Reporting by Cameron Chassen, Staff Writer / FSU News
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