Marcel Reed’s management and expertise propel No. 3 Texas A&M to 1st 10-0 begin since 1992

[ad_1] COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Marcel Reed wasn’t all the time a quarterback.

He bought his begin in Pee Wee soccer because the crew’s star working again. But it surely shortly grew to become clear he may throw higher than anybody on the crew, in order that they carried out halfback passes for the younger Reed.

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That wasn’t practically sufficient to showcase his athletic means and by fifth grade he moved into the place that made him a star.

He knew it was the place he was presupposed to be all alongside.

“It simply felt pure, simply because clearly I bought to the touch the ball each play,” he mentioned. “So, who can complain about that?”

Years later, Reed has developed into one of many nation’s prime quarterbacks and a Heisman Trophy contender as he’s led the third-ranked Texas A&M Aggies to their first 10-0 begin since 1992.

‘The charisma and the character’

Other than his bodily items, Reed’s rapport along with his teammates has helped him and the Aggies make a giant bounce in his second 12 months as Texas A&M’s starter.

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“I've the charisma and the character simply to have the ability to lead individuals,” he mentioned. “I inform individuals quite a bit that the way in which I lead is type of connecting with all of my teammates, not simply on a soccer degree, however simply type of understanding them.”

To that finish, he made it a precedence to know the names of everybody within the locker room from the celebs to the walk-ons. And he’s not merely memorizing names. He works to ascertain a relationship with every participant, one thing he realized from his father Rod Reed, a former Tennessee State coach.

“I attempt to make it recognized who I'm as an individual, not only a soccer participant,” he mentioned.

Teammates usually rave about Reed’s management and credit score him for a lot of Texas A&M’s success this season.

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“Marcel has circled this program for certain,” mentioned linebacker Taurean York, one of many crew’s three captains. “He’s the chief on the forefront of it and he’s on the market taking part in his greatest within the greatest moments and that’s one thing you could’t measure.”

He’s additionally impressed those that have been in his sneakers prior to now. Jerrod Johnson, the QB at Texas A&M from 2007-10 who's presently the Houston Texans quarterbacks coach, mentioned Reed is all the pieces you need on the place.

“Simply his command of the offense, he simply seems to be like he’s in full management,” Johnson mentioned. “You may see he seems to be much more comfy. You may see his anticipation is quite a bit higher than final 12 months. However simply massive image smart, man, you may see he’s a frontrunner of that crew."

Johnson, whose late father Larry Johnson additionally performed soccer at A&M, is aware of the strain of main a serious faculty crew and may solely think about how way more tough it's within the present panorama of faculty soccer.

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“It’s a privilege to play at Texas A&M,” Johnson mentioned. “I used to be two generations at it and I by no means took the chance to expire in Kyle Area and lead the Aggies evenly. And I can inform he cares about Texas A&M, he cares about his teammates and he has a way of appreciation and significance of the place he’s in. Being the beginning quarterback for Texas A&M is a large deal and he’s taking advantage of it and we’re all rooting for him.”

Making a reputation for himself

Reed made a reputation for himself as a dual-threat quarterback after throwing for greater than 6,000 yards and 62 touchdowns, whereas dashing for over 2,000 yards and 38 extra scores in highschool. Final season, he threw for 1,864 yards with 15 touchdowns and 6 interceptions and added 543 yards dashing and 7 TDs.

When the Aggies struggled down the stretch final 12 months, shedding three of their final 4 video games to fall out of rivalry for the School Soccer Playoff, many criticized Reed for not being a powerful sufficient passer. Although he mentioned the criticism didn’t hassle him as a result of he knew what he was able to, he spent a lot of the offseason engaged on enhancing his passing expertise and it’s clear his onerous work paid off.

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This 12 months, he’s thrown for two,632 yards and leads the Southeastern Convention with 22 landing passes.

Reggie McNeal, who threw for six,992 yards and ran for 1,889 yards for the Aggies from 2002-05, sees many similarities between himself and Reed. Although McNeal completed his A&M profession earlier than Reed was out of diapers, Reed named McNeal as one of many Aggies’ former quarterbacks which have impressed him.

“What he’s most likely bought extra of than I had was the shiftiness,” McNeal mentioned. “I made individuals miss however he’s extra shifty than I'm. ... So, it’s a pleasure to look at him play and it’s so just like the issues that I used to do again once I performed. And the offense that he will get to play in is prime notch and it suits him completely.”

McNeal has been impressed with how Reed has developed as a passer.

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“Every week he’s gotten higher,” McNeal mentioned. “You hear individuals speaking and he's quieting all of the speak down week by week. ... So, I imply the child — he is a participant."

Bringing an edge to the Aggies

Along with the opposite qualities which have elevated the quarterback this season, Reed has helped deliver an edge to the Aggies that they lacked lately. He ruffled some feathers after Texas A&M cleared out the stadium with a 49-25 rout of LSU final month when he mentioned Loss of life Valley “didn’t do a lot to me.”

Reed doesn’t care if individuals have been bothered by his feedback.

“If it does, then do one thing higher so it don’t irk you,” he mentioned. “That’s not my drawback.”

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Final week, Reed was requested about previous Heisman moments as he enters the ultimate two weeks of the common season as A&M’s first contender for the trophy since Johnny Manziel received it in 2012. He talked about Cam Newton and Manziel.

Then on Saturday, after the Aggies fell right into a 30-3 gap to South Carolina at halftime after three turnovers by Reed, it regarded like his Heisman hopes and presumably A&M’s possibilities to make the playoff for the primary time have been slipping away.

As a substitute, Reed had what might be his Heisman second by spearheading the most important comeback at school historical past in a 31-30 victory. He completed with a career-high 439 yards passing, together with 316 yards and three touchdowns within the second half to earn Related Press participant of the week honors.

“That most likely ought to maintain lots of inventory with Heisman voters, I'd hope,” coach Mike Elko mentioned. “He has elevated himself week in and week out. Once we’ve wanted him to step up and make performs to win soccer video games, he’s accomplished it. There’s been quite a bit fabricated from another individuals throughout the nation once they’ve had alternatives to step up and make performs, and so they have been rewarded for it. I’d wish to see our quarterback rewarded for it the identical approach.”

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Reed is glad to be gaining extra recognition because the Aggies chase their first nationwide title since 1939. However he’s much more targeted on serving to Texas A&M proceed its good season and setting an instance for individuals who come after him.

“It’s cool to be the individual that you all the time dreamt of being,” he mentioned. “I wished to be a university soccer participant and succeeding on the highest degree. And there are individuals earlier than me who I regarded as much as, so it’s simply nice to be on this place and produce other individuals look as much as me. And I strive my greatest daily to go on the market and placed on an excellent instance for the youthful ones.”

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