By Matt Langone
The world of Division 1 collegiate football is most commonly comprised of pigskin prodigies and top-notch recruits from states where the game is almost considered a religion.
At the center of this universe is the Big 12 Conference, as three schools currently ranking in the top five nationally are members of the football-rich league. Amongst the many ultra-talented players from Texas, Colorado, Kansas and any other Midwestern state you can think of that frequently fill the league rosters, a Gloucester native named Jack Reed has found his way onto the roster at Kansas State University.
Reed, who is in his junior year at Kansas State, is a former standout at Gloucester High School and a 2004 graduate. He lettered three years as a linebacker, safety and wingback and he was twice named a Northeastern Conference All-Star after leading the team in tackles his junior and senior seasons.
The resume was solid but not quite enough to overwhelm anyone, let alone Division 1 college scouts. Still, Reed had a vision of playing high-level college football, even though it may have seemed far-fetched to others at the time.
"The accolades weren't there for me in high school, I never got All-State, so people probably doubted if I could play Division 1," said Reed, a 23-year-old mass communications major. "But I wanted to play at the highest level possible and go to a place where someone would give me a chance. But people probably thought it was a pipe dream."
The first stop on the journey before Manhattan, Kan., was a year at Bridgton Academy in Maine. Through the advice of Gloucester football coach Paul Ingram, who coached Reed in high school, Reed decided to do a post-grad year in 2004-2005 to improve his grades and hone his football skills.
"He was an unusual player for us, in that he was so versatile," Ingram said. "He was very talented, he was tough against the run and he could cover fleet-footed kids.
"He had plenty of work ethic on the field but we weren't sure if he would go to college. He needed to be in an environment where he could grow as a student."
Reed began sending highlight tapes to several schools such as UMass, Montana, University of New Hampshire and some junior colleges in California. He was also made aware of the strong walk-on program at Kansas State, a school that he had always been a fan of growing up.
"I was always a big college football fan and they were always good in the 1990s," Reed said. "I decided to take a visit to the campus and I fell in love with the place. I wanted to venture off and do something different."
Reed applied to the school and was accepted, however, he did not make the football team as a freshman but was asked by KSU coaches to try again at the next tryout.
So he did and was rewarded with a spot on the team in the fall of 2006. He never saw game action and his primary responsibilities were relegated to practice and scout squad duties. He did get to suit up for games and make the trip to the team's appearance at the Texas Bowl against Rutgers. He was also awarded Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week during that season.
As a sophomore in 2007, his duties remained the same. But thanks to relentless work that offseason, Reed increased his playing weight to 227 pounds — up from 190 in high school — and impressed KSU head coach Ron Prince and his staff.
Then, in August, Reed was offered a full scholarship. He has appeared in nine of KSU's 11 games on special teams and at linebacker and has made three tackles, one for a loss.
"It's a great feeling when someone rewards you for putting in all that hard work," Reed said.
The ultimate experience
Reed is the ultimate success story. Almost a Rudy-like figure living out his dream of playing big time college football.
"I always thought he had the talent but I was a little shocked when he ended up at Kansas State," Ingram said. "I wasn't sure if he would be able to take the frustration of coaches not paying any attention to him at tryouts. But he got an opportunity and made the most of it."
Though it's been a down year for K-State, which takes a 4-7 record into tomorrow's season finale against Iowa State, the Wildcats are just five years removed from back-to-back 11-win seasons and a Big 12 championship and are beloved in the state. Meanwhile, much of the rest of the conference is enjoying huge success and Reed has had an up-close-and-personal look at arguably the nation's most powerful league.
"It's pretty cool," said Reed, who lives off-campus with teammate and senior linebacker Reggie Walker. "Before this season people always thought the (Southeastern Conference) was the dominant league and now the Big 12 has proved it's elite. The quarterback and receivers are so dynamic and it's fun to play against those guys."
Reed cherishes his opportunities to play in some of the largest and loudest stadiums in the country against Heisman Trophy hopefuls and future NFL draft picks such as Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Graham Harrell (Texas Tech).
"Everyone likes to talk about the stadium at Texas A&M, and I'll admit they do some cool things," Reed said. "But Colorado was my favorite trip. The stadium is right in the mountains."
The accommodations are also nice for Reed, as his team flies to all road games except for trips to play Kansas.
Meanwhile, the schedule is extremely busy, as the week is basically a continuous rotation of class, practice, film, study and sleep, with some meals mixed in.
"All these kids come to class and complain about how tired they are," Reed said. "I just smile, because I now know what it means to be tired."
While Manhattan, Kan., may not be Manhattan, N.Y., Reed says there are plenty of ways to have fun.
"There is always plenty to do," he said. "It's a great little college town."
Getting his Gloucester fix
Reed says he only gets back to Gloucester twice a year, the last time being last summer.
But Gloucester has been brought to him recently.
Last weekend, four of his best friends from Gloucester made the trip out to Manhattan to see Reed and his team host Nebraska. Unfortunately, the result was a 56-28 loss for the Wildcats.
Nevertheless, Reed's friends are now witnesses that he has indeed made it in college football.
"I think my fiends believed I could be where I am right now," Reed said. "They knew that I had the passion and the skills and I just needed a chance to display that."
Tomorrow, Reed's father, Ed, will attend a game at Kansas State for the first time.
Matt Langone can be reached at mlangone@gloucestertimes.com.
