Two weeks ago, Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds carried the ball for a simple one-yard touchdown to seal Navy’s victory over South Florida. The play was nothing special for Reynolds – the senior has run the ball 712 times in his four years at Navy. But with this touchdown, the 77th rushing score in his career, Reynolds tied Montee Ball, the former Wisconsin star and current NFL running back, as the all-time NCAA leader in career rushing touchdowns.
By: Cory Burrell
Reynolds has been literally running over opposing defenses since his first year at the Naval Academy. Players with Reynolds’s numbers are often virtual locks to be taken in the NFL draft. But Reynolds realizes there is a very real chance his football career, like the careers of many players from the service academies, will end in college. Even though Reynolds may not get the chance to play in the NFL, he has already proven himself as one of the most explosive ground threats to ever play the game.
Reynolds had a successful high school football career as quarterback of Goodpasture Christian School in Madison, Tennessee , where he earned All-State honors twice and was the two-time MVP of his district. His talents got his some attention from college programs – but for the most part, wanted him to play defense. The only schools seriously considering Reynolds as a quarterback were the service academies – namely, Air Force and Navy.
Reynolds, determined to play quarterback at the collegiate level, decided on Navy, a school whose football program was quietly undergoing a surprising resurgence thanks in large part to head coach Ken Niumatalolo. Since Niumatalolo took over as Navy’s head coach in 2007, the Midshipmen have gone 64-36 and had a winning record and bowl appearance in every year except 2011. The success of Niumatalolo’s triple-option offense seemed perfected tailored to Reynolds’s strengths as well – Niumatalolo’s teams have never ranked lower than sixth nationally in total rushing yards.
But Reynolds’s collegiate football career nearly stopped before it even began in the summer of 2012. A grueling plebe (first year) summer at the academy left Reynolds constantly drained and exhausted. Further, Niumatalolo had been upfront with Reynolds before he committed to Navy about his playing prospects; he would likely not have a chance at the starting quarterback position until their current incumbent QB, Trey Miller, graduated in two years. While Reynolds said he respected Niumatalolo for his honesty, the stress of the academy life and seemingly little chance at the starting position left him questioning his decision.
“The first couple weeks of the season when I wasn’t playing, I questioned whether or not I made the right move, “Reynolds said in an interview with The Washington Post. “Maybe I should have gone to Wofford, a regular school, six-hour drive, real close to home. Things are done a lot easier, so I definitely questioned a lot.”
Reynolds would not have to wait long for his opportunity. In Navy’s fourth game of the season, Reynolds was forced into the game against Air Force in the fourth quarter following an injury to Miller. Reynolds shined under pressure, leading Navy back from an eight-point deficit to an eventual overtime win. The next week, Reynolds earned his first career start at quarterback and has not relinquished the position since.
Reynolds has been the heart and soul of Navy’s offense since he took over, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in his sophomore and junior seasons and well on pace for another 1,000 yard season to end his collegiate career. He also led the nation in rushing touchdowns in 2013 and 2014. Just one more touchdown will give Reynolds sole possession of the NCAA rushing touchdown record, while seven more scores will make him the all-time leader in touchdowns from the line of scrimmage – another record Ball currently owns.
But the numbers are not what impress Reynolds’ coaches – it’s his ability to make lightning-fast decisions under pressure that really makes Reynolds something special.
“What makes Keenan different is his decision-making,” Niumatalolo said in an interview with The Washington Post. “He’s as cerebral a quarterback as I’ve ever been around. To me that’s always been the number one characteristic of a quarterback…It’s not arm strength. It’s not your 40 time. From a decision-making standpoint, he’s the best I’ve ever been around.”
NFL executives often drool over quarterbacks who have the kind of leadership and decision-making Reynolds possesses, not to mention the scoring records. Yet Reynolds not only has to deal with the question of if he has the talent to play in the NFL, but if he will even get a shot in the pros at all.
As a soon-to-be graduate of a service academy, Reynolds is required to serve in the military upon graduation. These service requirements add an extra burden to athletes from the academies trying to continue to play in the pros. According to an email statement Commander Chris Servello, Special Assistant for Public Affairs and Chief of Naval Personnel at Navy, to the Bleacher Report, playing sports professional straight from graduation is far from a focus at the naval academy.
“The possibility of playing professional sports directly out of the Academy is not something we advertise or encourage as part of the recruiting process,” Servello said. “While it happens on rare occasions (to extraordinary Midshipmen that we are very proud of), the primary reason for attending the Naval Academy is to prepare young men and women for warfighting careers in the Navy or Marine Corps.”
That said, several men have either been able to work out ways to both honor their service commitments and pursue their aspirations as professional athletes. Roger Staubach, the legendary Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Dallas Cowboys to five Super Bowl appearances, is perhaps the most famous, having served a tour of duty in Vietnam before beginning his pro career. Currently, Joe Cardona, long snapper for the New England Patriots and a former teammate of Reynolds, is an active staff officer at the Naval Preparatory Academy while simultaneously playing in the NFL. While Cardona shows it is not impossible for naval academy graduates to go on to the pros, it should also be stressed there are no guarantees Reynolds will get the same chance as Cardona.
With Reynolds’s availability in doubt for the pros, there is also the question of if Reynolds’s skills can translate well in the pros. The triple-option offense Reynolds runs to perfection at Navy is something infrequently used by NFL teams. Meanwhile, Reynolds is not nearly as prolific a passer as he is on the ground; he has only broken 1,000 passing yards in a season once. While some of this has to do with a lack of emphasis on the passing game in Niumatalolo’ offense, Reynolds has been less than efficient in the chances he gets – his career completion percentage is a rather paltry 52 percent.
The dual-threat quarterbacks who do find success often have a feel for the passing game as strong or even better than their ability as a runner. Colin Kaepernick, the former NCAA leader in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback before Reynolds surpassed him, had several successful years as of late with the San Francisco 49ers. But Kaepernick tallied more than 2,000 passing yards every year during his career at Nevada. Reynolds may need to change position entirely to have a chance at making an NFL team – something that may limit his exceptional decision-making.
Reynolds’s historic football career may come to a close after he finishes the final portion of this season. At the very least, it is likely Reynolds will not play quarterback again, even if he get an opportunity to play in the NFL. Yet while Reynolds said he would love the chance to play at the highest level, he also understands where his priorities must lie.
“It’s been a dream of mine since Day 1,” Reynolds said in an interview with the Bleacher Report. “I think any competitive football player has that dream. Everyone wants to play professionally, but my No. 1 obligation is serving my country.”
Where Reynolds ends up playing in the NFL or serving in the military, he has already left a historic mark on football. Enjoy watching Reynolds in what may be the final games of football he ever plays – it may be a while before a player of his caliber shows up again.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
