Spencer Herron: From Football Star to Disgraced Teacher

Spencer Herron's story is one of stark contrasts, a narrative that shifts from athletic achievements and academic accolades to betrayal and criminal behavior. This biography explores the different facets of Herron's life, from his early days as a promising athlete to his downfall as a teacher convicted of sexual assault.

Early Life and High School Career

Born Brenton Ross Zuzo, later known as Spencer Herron, he graduated from Plymouth High School in Michigan. A multi-sport athlete, he earned letters in football, soccer, and track and field. Initially focusing on soccer for his first two years of high school, Herron transitioned to football during his junior and senior years. As a senior, he made 9-of-11 field goals and was named to the all-state first team as a placekicker. He also earned All-Metro West first team honors from the Detroit News. Herron's athletic abilities contributed to Plymouth's district championship in 2012. Beyond athletics, he was selected to the KLAA All-Conference Team and the Detroit Free Press All-West first team as a junior and received Detroit News All-State honorable mention in 2011. Herron was also active in school activities as a member of the Student Council and National Honor Society, earning honor roll and scholar athlete awards for his academic performance.

Collegiate Football Career at Nevada

Herron's football career continued at the University of Nevada, where he quickly made an impact as a true freshman.

Freshman Year (2013)

In 2013, Herron secured the kickoff and place-kicking duties, marking a successful start to his college career. He connected on his first 11 field goal attempts and remained perfect through nine games. Although his first miss came in week 10 from 54 yards out, he finished the season with 14-of-17 on field goals and 33-of-36 on extra-point attempts. Notably, he was perfect (5-of-5) from 40-49 yards. His kickoffs averaged 61.3 yards, with 22 touchbacks, contributing to Nevada's strong kickoff coverage unit.

Sophomore Year (2014)

As a sophomore in 2014, Herron played in all 13 games as Nevada’s starting kicker, making 13-of-17 field goals (.765) and 43-of-45 PATs (.955). He led Nevada in scoring with 82 points, ranking ninth in the Mountain West. He ranked fifth in the conference in field goal percentage. He averaged 60.7 yards on kickoffs with 26 touchbacks. He had a season-best effort against San Diego State, making 3-of-3 field goal attempts and made a career-long 45-yard field goal against Boise State. He was perfect on field goal attempts against Washington State (1-1), Arizona (2-2), Boise State (1-1), BYU (2-2), San Diego State (3-3) and Air Force (1-1). He made a career-high seven PATs in Nevada’s rivalry win over UNLV. At the end of the season, he ranked 24th amongst active FBS players in career field goal percentage (.794). He also earned Academic All-Mountain West honors and was a letter winner.

Read also: Spencer's Journey to the NBA

Junior Year (2015)

In 2015, Herron played in all 13 games as Nevada’s starting kicker and was named to the All-Mountain West second team. He made 17-of-19 (89.5) field goals, 38-of-40 PATs (.950) and helped Nevada convert two-of-three onside kicks. He led the Mountain West and ranked fourth in the nation in field goal percentage. He ranked second in the MW in made field goals per game (1.3) and seventh in scoring with 6.8 points per game. He led the team in scoring with 89 points. He was successful on all field goal attempts within 49 yards, including 1-1 within 20 yards, 8-8 between 20-29 yards, 4-4 between 30-39 yards, and 4-4 between 40-49 yards, with his only misses beyond 50 yards. He also tallied 67 kickoffs for a 61.4 average with 28 touchbacks. He went 3-of-3 on both field goals and extra points, recovered his own onside kick and matched a career-high with 12 points in Nevada’s win over Hawai’i, earning MW Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He made a career-long 47-yard field goal and also went 3-of-3 at both field goals and extra points in Nevada’s win over Fresno State, earning MW Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He made all three field goal attempts to lead Nevada to a victory in the 2015 Arizona Bowl. He went 2-of-2 against Arizona and Texas A&M. In the preseason, he was named to the Athlon Sports and Phil Steele’s All-MW second team and earned Academic All-Mountain West honors. He was also a letter winner.

Senior Year (2016)

Herron finished his career as one of the top place kickers in Nevada history. He ranks in the top five in several career categories at Nevada, including fourth in kick scoring (277), fifth in field goals (49-of-62), and fourth in PATs (130-of-138). He appeared in all 12 games during his final season and went 4-of-8 on field goals and 16-of-17 on PAT attempts. He hit a season-long 31-yard field goal at Hawai’i. He spent most of the year as the team’s primary kickoff place kicker, kicking off 61 times for 3,691 yards, an average of 60.5 yards per kick, and posted 26 touchbacks. He kicked off 269 times in his 50-game career for a total of 16,405 yards, averaging 61.0 yards per kick. Before the season, he was on the Lou Groza preseason watch list and earned preseason honors from Athlon Sports, Lindy’s Sports and Phil Steele. He was also a letter winner.

The Darker Side: Betrayal and Abuse

Beyond the football field and academic achievements, Herron's life took a dark turn. He became involved in a series of deceitful relationships and ultimately committed a heinous crime.

Double Life and Affairs

Jen Faison, Herron's former wife, thought she was living a fairytale romance with her college sweetheart until police arrived at their home in Georgia. Faison discovered that Herron was living a double life, filled with lies and affairs. She found explicit photos and videos of other women on his phone. Faison meticulously uncovered her husband's secret life in the "Betrayal" podcast, with Faison and Nancy Glass serving as executive producers. She sought answers and a timeline to understand when the deception started and if it ever ended.

Sexual Assault and Legal Consequences

The most disturbing aspect of Herron's double life was his sexual abuse of a 16-year-old student named Rachel. Rachel, once a happy and hopeful teenager, became cynical, angry, and depressed. She withdrew from her family and friends and felt undeserving of anything good in her life. Herron pleaded guilty to the sexual assault charges in January 2019 and was sentenced to five years in prison and 15 years of probation. He was granted parole in the summer of 2022 and required to register as a sex offender.

Aftermath and Healing

The aftermath of Herron's crimes has been devastating for those involved. Faison has been working to heal and rebuild her life, while Rachel has bravely shared her story to help other survivors. Faison first chronicled how she meticulously uncovered her husband's secret life in the "Betrayal" podcast, with Faison and Nancy Glass serving as executive producers.

Read also: Spencer's Rise in Basketball

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