Indiana University Athletics
Reed Looking To Leave IU Better Off
11/19/2015 10:00:00 AM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - As the 2014 season wound down, Jake Reed had a career-altering decision to make. Though, he didn't actually need much time to think about it.
Reed was finishing his fourth season at Indiana. Having redshirted his sophomore year, he could have been done. Not all players opt to return for a fifth season and go through the gruel and grind of a football season.
Only, the more he thought about it, the more he realized he had to return. When Reed, a lifelong Indiana fan from nearby Columbus, Ind., reflected on his career in private, something was missing.
He couldn't leave, Reed thought. He wasn't finished yet.
"I kind of came here to change the culture. I believe in these coaches and this team," Reed said, now a fifth-year senior center. "I really didn't want to give it up the way it was. I wasn't ready to go into the real world yet. I've enjoyed it so much and I love all the coaches and love all the players. It wasn't my time to leave yet."
Reed came to Indiana as part of a pivotal recruiting class.
Originally a commit under the previous coaching staff, Reed elected to honor his decision to play for Indiana after meeting with head coach Kevin Wilson and hearing his vision for the program. Reed is one of just four remaining players from that initial class, partially responsible for launching a new era of Indiana football.
Reed said there's an extra pride among that first class of players, many of whom graduated after last season. With a new coaching staff and evolving expectations, the players shared responsibility for building Indiana football into the program it and Wilson envisioned it as being.
"And now there's four of us left. It's crazy," Reed said. "I think there's a certain expectation about our class to have left our mark on this team that we've spent all this time with."
Reed's own Indiana career has been full of change ranging from the coaching staff to his own playing position.
After lining up at tight end and defensive end at Columbus North, Reed committed to Indiana intending to play defensive end. But when a pair of tight ends went down with injuries before his true freshman season began, Reed was moved to tight end to fill the void.
Tight end proved to only be a short-term home for Reed, who redshirted the following season as he put on weight to move to the offensive line. His eagerness to move to the offensive line came as a bit of a surprise to those who knew Reed, who turned down multiple scholarship offers from schools who wanted him to play offensive tackle.
"It's funny because that really turned me away at first," Reed said. "I couldn't see myself playing O-line. I really didn't want to in high school, but I can honestly say that I love what I do now."
Reed has since moved over to center, where he's the latest in a line of dependable Indiana centers. He's following the likes of Will Matte, who started 45 games at center and Collin Rahrig, who played in 40 games himself.
Reed studied Matte and Rahrig, looking up to them and learning from their work habits. Midway through last season, Rahrig moved to guard, allowing Reed to take over at center and play alongside one of his mentors.
Since then, Reed has started 12 games at center.
"Jake Reed's a special kid," offensive line coach Greg Frey said at Indiana Media Day. "I mean, all my guys are special, but Jake has just worked so hard. That kid is a product of hard work. He never complained. He never whined. He never took time off. He worked."
He worked because he had work to do.
Reed wasn't ready to leave after his fourth season. He bought into Wilson's vision that Indiana had a winning football program.
That would be an ideal way to end his career, Reed said, but it's not his only definition of success.
"I wanted to leave this program better off than it was when I got here, and I'm not sure we're there yet," Reed said. "We've made tremendous strides, but there's still work to do apart from just winning. I still think we can get so much better, and it really does mean a lot to be able to have said I was a part of that."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - As the 2014 season wound down, Jake Reed had a career-altering decision to make. Though, he didn't actually need much time to think about it.
Reed was finishing his fourth season at Indiana. Having redshirted his sophomore year, he could have been done. Not all players opt to return for a fifth season and go through the gruel and grind of a football season.
Only, the more he thought about it, the more he realized he had to return. When Reed, a lifelong Indiana fan from nearby Columbus, Ind., reflected on his career in private, something was missing.
He couldn't leave, Reed thought. He wasn't finished yet.
"I kind of came here to change the culture. I believe in these coaches and this team," Reed said, now a fifth-year senior center. "I really didn't want to give it up the way it was. I wasn't ready to go into the real world yet. I've enjoyed it so much and I love all the coaches and love all the players. It wasn't my time to leave yet."
Reed came to Indiana as part of a pivotal recruiting class.
Originally a commit under the previous coaching staff, Reed elected to honor his decision to play for Indiana after meeting with head coach Kevin Wilson and hearing his vision for the program. Reed is one of just four remaining players from that initial class, partially responsible for launching a new era of Indiana football.
Reed said there's an extra pride among that first class of players, many of whom graduated after last season. With a new coaching staff and evolving expectations, the players shared responsibility for building Indiana football into the program it and Wilson envisioned it as being.
"And now there's four of us left. It's crazy," Reed said. "I think there's a certain expectation about our class to have left our mark on this team that we've spent all this time with."
Reed's own Indiana career has been full of change ranging from the coaching staff to his own playing position.
After lining up at tight end and defensive end at Columbus North, Reed committed to Indiana intending to play defensive end. But when a pair of tight ends went down with injuries before his true freshman season began, Reed was moved to tight end to fill the void.
Tight end proved to only be a short-term home for Reed, who redshirted the following season as he put on weight to move to the offensive line. His eagerness to move to the offensive line came as a bit of a surprise to those who knew Reed, who turned down multiple scholarship offers from schools who wanted him to play offensive tackle.
"It's funny because that really turned me away at first," Reed said. "I couldn't see myself playing O-line. I really didn't want to in high school, but I can honestly say that I love what I do now."
Reed has since moved over to center, where he's the latest in a line of dependable Indiana centers. He's following the likes of Will Matte, who started 45 games at center and Collin Rahrig, who played in 40 games himself.
Reed studied Matte and Rahrig, looking up to them and learning from their work habits. Midway through last season, Rahrig moved to guard, allowing Reed to take over at center and play alongside one of his mentors.
Since then, Reed has started 12 games at center.
"Jake Reed's a special kid," offensive line coach Greg Frey said at Indiana Media Day. "I mean, all my guys are special, but Jake has just worked so hard. That kid is a product of hard work. He never complained. He never whined. He never took time off. He worked."
He worked because he had work to do.
Reed wasn't ready to leave after his fourth season. He bought into Wilson's vision that Indiana had a winning football program.
That would be an ideal way to end his career, Reed said, but it's not his only definition of success.
"I wanted to leave this program better off than it was when I got here, and I'm not sure we're there yet," Reed said. "We've made tremendous strides, but there's still work to do apart from just winning. I still think we can get so much better, and it really does mean a lot to be able to have said I was a part of that."
Players Mentioned
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