As a sophomore he helped the Gatesville Hornets bring home the Class 3A state golf title in May, with his two-round total of 146 tying for fourth place individually.

In August he was handed the starting quarterback reins for the Hornet football team and has them at 5-1.

"The thing that keeps him going is he's a fierce competitor," Gatesville football coach Kyle Cooper said. "That's one thing I really appreciate about him, the thing I love about him. He's let that drive him to be a great quarterback and a great leader."

But the journey to the top hasn't been easy.

At the state golf tournament, Truss had mononucleosis and probably shouldn't have been on the course the final day. But this was the state meet, and Truss wasn't about to sit out.

"Coach (Guy) Dean asked me if I needed a substitute," Truss said. "But that's not even an option in any case, not just at state golf. Whether you are quarterback of a pre-district game that means nothing - you play."

That was Truss' attitude in early September as well, when on Sunday, Sept. 6, according to his father David, the younger Truss and his girlfriend "went to celebrate her grandfather's 70th birthday. On the way home, she fell asleep, and unfortunately so did he."

Truss was driving and ended up wrecking the Chevy Suburban, sending both he and his girlfriend to the hospital.

"We were very fortunate, not lucky, but fortunate," Truss said. "We had God with us, that's for sure. I'm fine with it. It happened and there's nothing I can do about it now. You have to look past it, just like everything else."

Cooper didn't expect Truss to play that Friday against Fairfield. But again for Truss, not playing wasn't an option.

"Monday and Tuesday I couldn't do any physical activities," he said. "Wednesday I started jogging around a little and started tossing it around. Thursday I went through (workouts). My back was bothering me real bad, so we were constantly doing treatment for it. By Friday, you're not hurt but you're injured, there's a difference. That's something nobody really knows how bad it is but yourself. You just grow up and get the job done."

That Friday, he completed 11 of 26 passes for 107 yards and rushed eight times for 31 yards.

"It's good to be able to do that," he said. "And we got us a win that's what matters."

Truss has been a big reason the Hornets are 5-1 and seek a 2-0 start in District 7-3A Friday night when they host the Hillsboro Eagles (1-4, 0-1).

He has completed 93 of 153 passes for 1,231 yards and 16 touchdowns and has rushed for 165 yards and seven scores.

"We've never really been used to winning around here," he said. "It's never been a habit. And we are kind of making it, not necessarily a habit, but what's expected. We are coming together and getting the job done."

After being part of Gatesville's golf team that advanced to state the past two seasons and now having the starring role in the Hornets' offense, Truss is accustomed to the spotlight.

With the accident, the state title and the growing attention, a lesser 16-year-old might buckle. But Truss has remained calm, cool and collected through it all.

"That's what makes or breaks a lot of people," Truss said of being in the spotlight. "People that let that get to them, they are not going to perform. Our senior captain (center/nose guard Jacob Hunter) at the beginning of the year, he told me straight up 'You are going to be getting a lot of attention, but you can't let that go to your head.' I took that to heart because he's been here, he's started 20-plus games. Those words of wisdom really helped."

Cooper believes that Truss' time on the golf course is a big factor in how well he's handled the quarterback role.

"He's really grown up," Cooper said. "The golf has a lot to do with that. You deal with that internalized pressure when you are playing the game of golf. Once you get to the football field it's automatic. The game happens so fast, there's no time to be real nervous or feel a lot of pressure. I think his golf game has helped him grow up in that aspect to be that even-keel person that you want."

For Truss, keeping that calm, cool and collected attitude is all about moving forward, like he mentioned with the wreck. While there are things he'd like to do over again (the opening season loss to Mexia), and players that have been injured he'd like to have back (top receiver Ross Wallace who is out for the year), he doesn't dwell on anything. Instead he focuses on how the past can make him, and his team, better.

"We've had ups and downs," he said. "Just like any sporting event you see, it's going to have ups and downs. I've played games I just haven't executed everything I should. But we try to improve everyday. We have a saying: 'Work hard, improve everyday, be unselfish and be the best.'"