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Ex-Terrier adapts again, thrives in USF secondary

His three interceptions show Hillsborough High's J.R. Reed has had little difficulty adjusting to college football.

By PETE YOUNG

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 5, 2001

Tampa. Houston. Salt Lake City. St. Louis. Colorado Springs. Houston. Tampa.

It sounds like an exhausting weekend for a flight attendant.

Actually, it's the circle of 19-year-old J.R. Reed's life: born in Tampa, moved six times growing up, landing in Tampa.

Which helps explain something. After making all of those changes, a little thing like going away to college and adjusting to become a mainstay in the South Florida secondary after just one year seem like nothing, eh?

"I've learned how to adapt to different situations, and it helped me a lot with adapting to this team," said Reed, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound sophomore free safety who was one of just four freshman who didn't redshirt last season. "I've always had to learn to adapt to different people quickly. (At USF), I've had to adapt to a different defense.

"I guess that's why I'm starting as a sophomore; because I've learned to adapt quicker."

Despite his youth and inexperience, Reed, a Hillsborough High graduate, has made as big an impact as any Bulls defensive player this season. He has recorded an interception in each of the past three games and is third on the team in tackles with 27, the most among defensive backs.

His three interceptions account for the team total through four games.

"I've just been in the right place at the right time. Like last game, the ball was tipped in the air and I was right there," said Reed, who returned that interception for a touchdown in Saturday's 28-10 win over North Texas but had the score nullified by a holding penalty. "The other two (against Pittsburgh and Memphis), I just broke on them.

"If they throw my way, I'm either going to knock it down or intercept it; one or the other."

Reed is one of three new starters in the secondary this season, joining holdover senior strong safety Joe Morgan, with whom he shares a dreadlock hairstyle.

One of the new starters, senior cornerback Bernard Brown, started for three years before redshirting last season. Another, junior cornerback Maurice Tucker, started for two seasons at Indiana before transferring.

Thus, Reed is the group neophyte, and he was the unit's biggest question mark. He has allayed any fears, however. Reed has demonstrated an understanding of pass coverage, a nose for the ball and sure tackling.

"He has a knack for the ball," Brown said. "He's got picks in the last three games. He's come up and made a lot of tackles in run support.

"He's good in coverage. He's doing everything well."

Though Reed has proved he was Division I-A football-ready right out of high school, he wasn't considered the best defensive back at Hillsborough his senior season.

In fact, he wasn't even considered the second-best.

Buddies Cedric Edmonds (Syracuse) and Preston Jackson (Notre Dame) were rated higher by recruiting services and most college coaches.

Most college coaches.

"Not a lot of people recruited him. People make a lot of mistakes. I'm glad we didn't because he's good," said USF coach Jim Leavitt, who had to beat out his alma mater, Missouri, along with West Virginia, Lehigh and Columbia for the brainy Reed, who had a 4.3 grade-point average in high school.

"He could run. He could hit. He's smart. He's got good grades. He's got a good mom. (He's from) Tampa. I've said all along he was a pretty good player."

"(USF) put me No. 1 on their list," said Reed, who has a 3.0 GPA in computer information systems and would like to be a computer programmer. "Coach Leavitt came to my house and told me that they really wanted me.

"Other schools were telling me they wanted me and that I had a chance to play. Coach Leavitt was telling me I was going to play. He knew I could play."

Reed's father, Herbert Lee Reed Sr., was in the Air Force, so the family moved around.

After his parents divorced several years ago (Reed does not keep in touch with his father), Reed and his three older siblings stayed with their mother, Dottie Reed. Eventually, the family made its way back to Tampa.

After all of that relocating, Reed finally seems to have found a permanent home -- right back where he was born.

"I wanted to go somewhere I was really wanted, and it was close to home," Reed said. "Look how things are working out. I knew I could play, and I knew I worked hard.

"Things couldn't be better."

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