Before he became the exceptional quarterback who has led Navy's football resurgence over the past two seasons with his share of dazzling performances, senior Blake Horvath suffered a devastating setback.
 
Or, as the analytical Horvath clarified, he took an opportunity thrust upon him and embraced it.
 
Back on October 7, 2023, Horvath, then a sophomore making his first collegiate start, absorbed a nasty hit late in the second quarter of an eventual, 27-24 victory over visiting North Texas. And just like that, Horvath, playing in his fourth career game and one of four signal callers who lined up behind center during Navy's 5-7 year, was done for the season.
 
Horvath suffered a broken left thumb, which required surgery. In the immediate aftermath, he said the sudden end to his season initially hit him hard. Horvath was looking forward to improving, keeping his starting job, and helping the Midshipmen achieve their first winning season since 2019.
 
"It was disappointing, after finally getting to the place I wanted to be, to have that [injury] happen. But everything happens for a reason," said Horvath, who looked back at a philosophical perspective he gained by being sidelined for several months.
 
"I think I ended up exactly where I should have been. I am grateful for what I learned while I was injured. I felt more grounded and more confident in myself and who I am as a person," he added.
 
"[The injury] helped me to remove my identity from football and from the mindset of 'play good, feel good'" or 'play bad, feel bad.' Too many highs and lows. That is not sustainable. Being injured led me to find more about my identity, my faith, my family and all the people who are always there for me."
 
Horvath recovered in time to participate fully in the spring football session in 2024, on the watch of a creative, accomplished new offensive coordinator in Drew Cronic. Horvath won back that starting position and propelled the Mids to a 10-3 finish with a spectacular junior campaign.
 
Navy earned the coveted Commander-In-Chief's Trophy and achieved double digits in wins for the first time since 2019.
 
Horvath and his core of versatile senior playmakers, featuring snipe/wideout Eli Heidenreich, running back Alex Tecza and snipe Brandon Chatman, have figured prominently in many highs over the past two seasons.
 
Over the last two seasons, Horvath has led Navy to a combined 17-5 record, while generating 4,668 yards of total offense and 50 touchdowns in the process. 
 
"I feel grateful that Blake is here. What he has done for this program is hard to put into words," said Brian Newberry, Navy's third-year head coach. "There are certain things you can coach and develop. Having that 'it' factor isn't one of them. Not everybody can play this game without anxiety and stress and worry that can sometimes paralyze guys. [Horvath] stays on point."
 
"Blake has those leadership qualities you want in an officer or your football captain," he added. "He's not a fiery guy, not going to yell and scream. He leads with his personality. He's calm and cool."
 
"It has been a joy to see [Horvath] grow as a player and a leader – from a plebe, when one of his first throws was like, 'Oh my goodness, what was that!' to where he is today as a complete football player, with leadership that has really impressed me," said Ivin Jasper, Navy's longtime assistant coach.
 
Opposing defenses have had trouble dealing with Horvath's sharp decision-making and outstanding speed and vision in the ground game of Navy's attack. They have also suffered trying to solve a dangerous passer who has developed substantially since his days of primarily running the triple option in middle school and at Hilliard (Ohio) Darby High School in the Columbus suburbs.
 
In 2024, Horvath generated 2,599 yards of total offense (1,253 rushing, 1,353 passing) and 8.3 yards per offensive play in 2024, second only to Malcolm Perry (2019) in both single-season categories in school history. His 164.4 passing efficiency rating last year ranks fourth in school history. His 13 touchdown passes tied Ricky Dobbs for most in a single season.
 
Horvath's 95-yard touchdown run in last year's Armed Services Bowl, which lifted the Mids to a 21-20 victory over Oklahoma, is the longest run in Navy history. He and Perry are the only players in school history to have multiple runs of 90 yards or more in a career.
 
More important to Horvath is the way Navy sprinted to a 7-0 start, in part by beating Air Force again to get closer to another CIC honor. The Mids already have achieved bowl eligibility for the second straight year.
 
Cronic has enjoyed working with Horvath from the first time they met and began to click. It soon was clear to Cronic that Horvath had the football smarts and easygoing positivity to go with his high classroom acumen, as his quarterback soaked up the new offensive concepts his new coordinator was installing.
 
"Coach Cronic is clear in his vision for his offense. He is never confusing," Horvath said. "He's always been a winner and he instilled a winning mindset with us. He creates new plays, installs them quickly. He doesn't fit players with his scheme. He fits the scheme with his players."
 
Horvath, who will graduate with a degree in operations research and is aiming to become a U.S. Navy pilot, is one of 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, known as the "Academic Heisman." Horvath carries a 3.69 grade point average and earned a perfect 4.0 in both semesters of his junior year.
 
But this highly serious student-athlete has a lighthearted, humorous side that complements his organized, businesslike approach to his duties. Coaches and teammates describe Horvath as unflappable in the face of pressure. He loves to razz teammates, who return the favor. He is a social butterfly in Ricketts Hall, sometimes delivering tasty treats, courtesy of his mother, Laura Horvath.
 
"Blake is a great combination of a wise guy, a funny dude who spends time with people and is very aware of them. He is invested in others around him," Cronic said. "He's a great football player who doesn't let things go to his head. He's a knucklehead, but really smart and respectful. On the field, he's like Joe Cool."
 
Cronic said it is not unusual when a meeting in the quarterback room runs a tad late, since Horvath is hanging out in the offensive line room playing computer games. Cronic can hear the players having a good time, before he breaks up the party.
 
Senior guard Ben Purvis said Horvath is skilled at delivering ice breaking jokes to set the tone on a given day. Such as the time recently when he poked his head into the offensive line room before practice, where three linemen, including Purvis, are engaged. Before closing the door to tend to his football business, Horvath asked, "Which one of you is proposing next?"
 
One of Horvath's traits that resonates with the team and staff is his steady composure, even after disaster strikes.
 
For example, after Horvath threw two interceptions and lost a fumblethat put the Mids in a 14-0, first-quarter hole at Tulsa, Horvath apologized to his offensive mates and reassured them that he would rectify his mistakes, that the Mids would recover and win that game.
 
Then Horvath jumped on a stationary bike and flashed an optimistic smile. The Mids stormed back to win, 42-23.
 
"If we are struggling, his message is always, 'Hey, we'll be fine.' Blake is just different. That mindset has always been there," Purvis said. "He recognizes how we all can be stressed, him included. He knows how to break the ice with a laugh or a smile, even after he failed to make a play."
 
"Blake takes the blame, bounces back, and moves on. That is something I admire," Tecza said. "There is a running joke on our team that Blake and I are like an old married couple, since we always get after each other and make fun of each other. He has never put himself above anyone on the team. He never gets down on himself."
 
Horvath's parents described their son as a highly competitive child who hardly showed a temperamental side. His father, Alan, can still picture him as a young baseball player – striking out, then jogging back to the dugout with a smile and putting his bat and helmet down.
 
Laura Horvath took the instructional driver role seriously in the family. When Blake was taking the steps to earn his learner's permit, his mother coached him.
 
"My older daughter and I would bicker with each other when she was learning to drive," Laura Horvath said. "One day, when Blake was learning, I raised my voice telling him he was driving too far to the right in his lane. Blake put his hand on my knee and calmly said, 'Mom, we are not going to do that.'"
 
"My whole philosophy of life is you have to be calm. When I'm not, I'm usually not able to operate very well, like at times earlier in my career," Horvath said. "When other people freak out on the field, I've got to be a guy they can go to."
 
Back when he was the quarterbacks coach at Hilliard Darby High, Chase Longwell was fascinated by the option quarterbacking talent and potential he saw in a Hilliard Heritage Middle school seventh-grader named Blake Horvath. The middle school team was practicing running the triple option and Horvath's command as an option quarterback jumped out.
 
"Blake knew what the coach wanted, what the game plan was going to be. He had the moxie it takes to play the quarterback position. He already was calling out the right checks," Longwell said.
 
Horvath's progression got derailed by a back injury in ninth grade – a broken bone that sidelined him, while he wore a back brace for several months. He played football sparingly in 10^th grade as a defensive back.
 
Horvath played roughly half a season as a junior quarterback, due to Covid. He received numerous Division II offers. But after he rushed for 1,722 yards and scored 28 TDs as a senior – and finished his two-year journey with 49 career rushing scores and 57 total touchdowns – Navy gave Horvath his only FBS offer days before the signing period opened.
 
"The prestige of the Naval Academy and its tradition and history were incomparable. My decision was all about the school and what they could provide for me afterwards and how they could help during [my four years]," Horvath said.
 
"I wanted to challenge myself. I got the opportunity to keep growing and do what I love – playing football," he added. "The academy really helped me with the ideas of dedication, accountability, and teamwork. Nobody sets a better example of those ideas than Coaches Newberry, Cronic and [defensive coordinator P.J.] Volker and the rest of our coaches. My experience truly has been a blessing."

Related Videos

Now Playing:

• Play Video