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View Full Version : Article on Mike Reed - Guy is a Manster!



MojoRisen
4/3/2006, 04:40 PM
This guy looks like a Sergio Kindle- ready to make an immediate impact next year.



Some times it takes a dramatic turn of events to cause somebody to grow up.


Yuba College

Mike Reed is a 6-foot-4, 245 pound linebacker heading to Oklahoma.
For Mike Reed, a hard-hitting linebacker from Yuba (Calif.) College that committed to Oklahoma last weekend, that turn of events happened about 14 months ago.

Reed was a highly touted football player coming out of high school, but he didn't have things in order academically and ended up in Reedley, Calif., attending Reedley College. Instead of playing for Florida, Auburn or some other big time program he was thousands of miles away from home for the first time and got caught up hanging with the wrong crowd.

One night a few of his friends went and robbed a local house and when they got back, they asked Reed to help them carry the stolen property inside the house.

Little did Reed know at the time that stuff was hot.

He also didn't know that he was captured on security cameras helping the thieves carry the stuff inside.

"They charged me with possession of stolen property," Reed said. "I was just carrying the stuff in, helping them. I didn't know it was stolen. I had to spend 30 days in jail because of it. That was the most miserable time in my life.

"That was February of last year. I got caught up hanging with the wrong crowd, and I got in trouble. That's when I had to take a good long look at myself in the mirror. Was I going to continue down the same path or am I going to make something out of myself."

Reed said that's when he took the advice that his father had been giving him for years to heart.

"My dad always told me that 'people are going to follow you,' " Reed said. "He kept telling me, 'you are a leader and people will look up to you.' I said to myself at the time, 'why do I have to be a leader?' And he kept telling me that's who I am, and I see it now. People see me and know who I am, and how I carry myself after all the trials and tribulations that I had.

"I had to turn things around not only for myself but for everybody else around me. I'm a grown man out here. I've handled my business. I now help people and give everybody everything I have because it's the right thing to do."

The transformation began when Reed left Reedley and ended up at Yuba College, a school not exactly known as a football powerhouse. But it was the perfect situation for him. He was surrounded by caring coaches and a good community where you'd have to go find trouble instead of it finding you.

"This whole thing matured me," Reed, who is 21 now, said. "I tell everybody about how I messed up and tell them about how to do the right things. I'm the oldest guy, so they all look up to me.

"The guys do a lot of stupid things, because there isn't a whole lot to do in Yuba. I tell them you need to grow up, because being in the wrong place at the wrong time can kill you. I know from experience because it almost ruined my life."

With things going better off the field, Reed looked to the gridiron for more salvation.

He continued to get back on the right track by working hard and making himself a complete football player. He had to sit out a year because of the transfer from schools, which basically turned into a redshirt year. The time away allowed him to work on his football skills and physique.

The end result is one of the nation's top junior college linebackers.

"I'm very aggressive, but I'm also a player that plays with control," he said. "I have a nose for the football. I was taught in high school to just go out there and react to the ball.

"I like to study film and then I just go out there and react to it. That's what separates me from the other guy. When I see it, I react. I'm a 4.59 guy, but when I get on the field I play with 4.4 speed."

Oklahoma offered him orally about two weeks ago, and then the paperwork from Bob Stoops came shortly after that. Other schools like Auburn offered and Utah, Oregon, Arizona, Southern Miss and Central Florida were in hot pursuit before he decided to end the process this past weekend with a pledge to the Sooners.

"I thought about it and I said to myself 'maybe I shouldn't commit so early,' but I knew all the positive things that come from committing early," Reed said. "I could come out and get a chance to start, and I know OU knows what they want.

"Coach (Brent) Venables is a good person, and I have a very good vibe with him. His credentials are amazing. When you look at all the juco linebackers he's coached and the success they've had, it was too good to pass up."

Reed tried to reach coach Venables last weekend but had to leave a message on his voice mail saying he was ready to commit. Since Venables couldn't call him back because of NCAA rules for this time of year, the Sooner defensive coordinator had to text Reed back and have the star linebacker reach him on the phone.

"When I got his answering machine, I told him I was committing, and that I'd be loyal and dedicated to the program," Reed said. "I don't want to be a guy that switches out. I finally got to talk one-on-one with him, and he was excited.

"I told him 'I'm an OU guy now.' He was pumped, and so were my parents and coaches. It's been a long road for me, but this was the best thing that could have ever happened to me."

Reed then pauses to reflect internally. Finally he speaks again after a long moment of silence.

"It's scary to think what might have happened if I hadn't of turned things around," Reed said. "My dad says I'm a leader, and it took me getting in trouble to realize I don't need to be a follower. I've made it my goal in life now to be a great person and a great football player.

"I'm just excited I'll get an opportunity now for Oklahoma. I'm a Sooner now." Talk about it in: The Crimson Corner


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OUGreg723
4/3/2006, 05:55 PM
WOW. Touching story. Sounds like a great kid we have coming in. Hopefully an all american. Welcome to Oklahoma Football Mr. Reed!!

The Consumate Showman
4/3/2006, 07:30 PM
We are going to be LOOOOADDED at LB for the next few years!!! I love it!

OUGreg723
4/3/2006, 07:32 PM
NO DOUBT!

GottaHavePride
4/3/2006, 07:43 PM
Sweet. I wish the guy luck.

Collier11
4/3/2006, 08:51 PM
good to see guys picking schools not only for their football prowess but also how our coaches can suceed and carry themselves well, that often gets lost to kids and us fans

oumartin
4/3/2006, 10:24 PM
Mike Reed was already a professional football player turned country music singer.. "Walk on Faith"

King Crimson
4/3/2006, 11:23 PM
unbelievably stupid that you can't call a recruit but you can text message them.

way to go NCAA.

Collier11
4/4/2006, 12:23 AM
wasnt it the BOZ that called the ncaa National Communist Against Athletics or something like that??

The Consumate Showman
4/4/2006, 11:11 AM
The BOZ is crazzzzy like that...

RedstickSooner
4/5/2006, 05:06 PM
Hold on a sec -- it's fine for the NCAA to have some rules as far as no-call periods, or whatever. But if a player calls the *coach* and doesn't reach him, I think it's retarded that the coach can't call the player back.

NCAA rules need to have some sort of "sensibility" clauses added, or something. Or, more importantly, they should state with each rule the purpose of the rule, and have infractions judged on whether they violated the spirit of the rule -- not its letter.

In that world, calling a kid back who was excited to commit and wanted to talk to you would be fine. But having your pro day the same day as your junior day so that you can woo recruits with NFL scouts and alumni would NOT.

Cheating whiney petey boy.

Desert Sapper
4/8/2006, 08:40 AM
I've been looking everywhere (everywhere that I could think of, anyway), and I can't find anything about Reed when he was a 'highly touted football player coming out of high school'. Anybody have any ideas where to look? I've tried Rivals and Scout.

snp
4/8/2006, 11:40 AM
You think Chuck Long texts like teenage girls?

"lol hope 2 c u soon. ur bff -C"

OUGreg723
4/8/2006, 02:13 PM
You think Chuck Long texts like teenage girls?

"lol hope 2 c u soon. ur bff -C"


HAHAHA!:D