From those who have volunteered their medical assistance to those who have made a mockery of social distancing, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the best and worst in people.
Count Tre Herndon among the really good guys.
The former standout at East Hamilton High School and Vanderbilt University is now two seasons into a successful NFL career as a Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback. His production for the Jaguars has been surpassed by what he has done off the field, with the 24-year-old having recently pledged a donation that is providing more than 10,000 meals to those in the Sunshine State who have been affected by the coronavirus crisis.
Herndon and his girlfriend, Treyleanna Robinson, partnered with Feeding Northeast Florida to make the pledge.
"Something like this from Tre does not surprise me in the least," former East Hamilton football coach Ted Gatewood said. "You could see this coming all the way back from when he was in eighth grade. He and my son went through East Hamilton together, and I've never heard him say a negative word about anybody. He was always positive in his actions towards his teammates.
"I'm not sure how this story got out there, because he would probably prefer that nobody knew who did it. He wouldn't want anybody to know. That's the kind of kid he is."
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Herndon indeed has never been one for self promotion. His Twitter account contains just 32 tweets, or fewer than half of the 67 tackles he has compiled with Jacksonville since making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his family recently donated $5 million to their community, while St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright late last month pledged $250,000 to financially assist the minor league hopefuls within the organization after spring training was suspended. The kindness displayed by Herndon, whose salary was $570,000 last season, and his girlfriend is every bit as appreciated.
"This means everything to an organization like ours," Feeding Northeast Florida director of development Sarah Dobson told JaguarReport. "During a time like this, we find that those who are most vulnerable - the people who are struggling to make ends meet already - are the ones who are hardest hit when something like this happens.
"So to have leaders in the community like Tre and like other members of the Jaguars to step forward and to work for the people with the greatest needs, it means so much."
The Jaguars were quick to recognize Herndon's generosity, tweeting out, "Proud to have Tre as a part of our Jaguars family. Let's all do what we can to help one another during this challenging time."
Herndon was the nation's No. 1,052 overall prospect in the 2014 signing class, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings, and he was the 11th-best signee in a Commodores collection that ranked 46th nationally and last in the Southeastern Conference. He played 40 career games at Vandy under Derek Mason, compiling 122 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Vanderbilt was just 18-31 during Herndon's four seasons but did manage to knock off Georgia once and Tennessee twice.
"He's played through some tough times," Mason said during Herndon's senior season in 2017. "He's played on that island against great competition week in and week out. His football IQ is through the roof."
Proving doubters wrong has continued the past two seasons in the NFL, with Herndon having flourished this past year with 42 tackles and three interceptions. His growing status as a fan favorite has only been enhanced in recent days.
"This is just so indicative of the kind of young man that he is," Gatewood said. "He would rather do something like this and be unknown. He doesn't want the recognition. He's always humble, and he's always kind. He was never a 'look at me' guy. He just wanted to play ball and loved it, and he's worked his tail off to get where he is.
"I really see him sticking around for a while, because he's such a great teammate. In this day and time, finding good teammates can be hard sometimes, but he's that guy."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.