Temple University Athletics
Forward Finisher
10.30.06 | Football
Oct. 30, 2006
PHILADELPHIA - By John Di Carlo
Three years ago, David Reese was back at home in Washington, D.C., attending Southeastern University.
The year before, Reese had played in all 12 of Temple's games as a true freshman at cornerback. He got a taste of playing Division I football, and he liked it.
But his football career had taken a detour down Interstate 95 because he needed to get his academic situation in order.
"It was real tough," Reese said. "I had to work to support my son (Matthew, now 3). I was helping out my mom around the house. My mind was going in all kinds of directions. Do I come back to Temple? Do I continue school later? My family always stood by me, though. I was always taught that whatever I started, I had to finish it. That was my mindset, and that's what I did."
Reese returned to play at Temple in 2004. He played in seven games, started four of them. Things looked good. But 2005 brought a familiar feeling of disappointment. He was ruled ineligible.
Another season away from football.
Reese was disappointed in himself that it had happened again, but he also knew from past experience what he had to do.
Reese spent last year getting better in the classroom. Then he got better on the field. Along with Neil Dickson, he was named most improved defensive player during spring drills back in April.
Now, at the age of 25, a bit older and a heck of a lot wiser, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior is Temple's starter at right cornerback. He'll graduate in May with a degree in criminal justice, and he knows now why he didn't give up on getting back on the football field and getting his diploma.
"It's just been huge for me, the whole process," Reese said. "I know now more than ever why it's important to finish what you've started." Maturity has been the key word that has stuck with Reese over the past several months.
"That's exactly what it is," Reese said. "It's all based on maturity. It was a huge role for anyone to handle. Going through academics and having a child is enough. Then you tack on being a student-athlete, and it gets even busier. By being mature, I'm able to balance all of that out. I also had six younger brothers and sisters looking up to me, so that drove me, too. I knew I had the ability to get things back in order, and I'm so glad I did."
So is his coach.
"David, from day one, has done everything we've asked him to do, and he's done well academically," Temple head coach Al Golden said. "He's got himself straightened out, and he's played a lot of football for us this year. He's another kid who, since we've gotten here, has never been an issue academically for us."
Reese has been able to lean on a couple of friends at Temple who can relate to who he is and where he came from. When he first got to Temple, it was former Owls cornerback Terrance Leftwich, who played at Anacostia High School in Washington, D.C. Reese had played at H.D. Woodson High as a two-time all-city wide receiver.
"He was on one side of town, I was on the other," Reese said. "Terrance helped me out a lot. We played against each other in high school. He was able to show me the ropes around the school, the do's and don'ts of how to manage my time. Back in high school, we were rivals, but he was my friend when I got here."
Later on, it was fellow D.C. native Mike Holley, now a starting wide receiver at Temple who is also in his final season. Like Reese, Holley has also missed two seasons due to academic issues. "We did talk a lot about our situations," Reese said, "especially last year. It was hard for both of us. We just keep pushing each other, and we got through it."
And like Holley, Reese is quick to talk to Temple's younger players about keeping a healthy balance between academics and athletics.
"I just always continue to talk to them and stay in their ear," Reese said. "The number one thing I talk to them about is their classwork. When it comes to the athletic part, it's all coming to them real fast, so I tell them to sit down in the meeting room, continue to test yourself and learn the game."
Golden likes to talk about Holley and Reese when it comes to the subject of players who have embraced the new coaching staff and bought into the program.
"The senior class has really made an impression on the coaching staff because of what they've been willing to do," Golden said. "It would have been very easy to resist, it would have been very easy for them to work around things. But they've stood there, they've welcomed it, and they've really helped us. David's a big part of that, and he's another guy that's going to be missed."
If he can't continue playing football after college, Reese is looking forward to a career in law enforcement. In fact, he has a very image of what he'd like to do.
"I've always wanted to do something with law, anything that means going out to get the bad guys," Reese said. "I kind of want to go into the FBI, maybe be part of the SWAT team, kick down some doors. That kind of stuff is exciting to me."
