Sept. 8
September 8, 2009
Wilda Marie Boudreaux Molaison
September 10, 2009
It is often said that once you become a member of the Nicholls’ football fraternity, you’re embedded for life.
For one former player, the saying “once a Colonel, always a Colonel” has never been truer.
Greg Reynolds manhandled defenses from his spot in the Colonels’ offensive line from 1992-96, to help open holes for a slew of Colonels running backs including current Ellender head football coach Tawaskie Anderson.
Reynolds’ role in Nicholls’ football history includes three different head coaches and a 1996 playoff berth. The Franklinton native also met his wife while wearing the red and gray.
During his time with the Colonels, Reynolds made lifelong relationships that he wasn’t ready to give up after graduation. After all, the lineman was not even close to playing college football, until Nicholls took a last-second chance on him in the summer of 1992.
The Franklinton High School alumnus was never highly recruited, but he wasn’t ready to give up on football. He tried going the junior college route, trying out for several schools, but that didn’t work out.
With football basically out of the picture, he signed with the Navy and was prepared to enter their delayed entry program.
Graciously, the Navy gave Reynolds a couple of months before he made his final decision to give up on football.
“That’s when (then-Nicholls assistant) coach Tom Gainey came calling,” he said. “In that time frame, he came to get me and stayed on me pretty good. I walked on at Nicholls and eventually just fell in love with Thibodaux.”
The decision to play football instead of joining the Navy ended up paying off for Reynolds, whose hard-nosed play at offensive line helped spring the Colonels’ option offense to success.
During his five years in college, Reynolds played for three different head coaches, Phil Greco, Rick Rhoades and Darren Barbier.
Greco coached him during his 1992 redshirt season.
Current Nicholls head football coach Jay Thomas, who was an assistant coach and residential advisor in the dorms, was also new to the Thibodaux community.
“Although he was a defensive coach, I had a chance to see him often because he lived in the dorms,” he said. “He’s a great guy. I get to visit with him a couple times a week now, and I am happy he has found the success he has.”
After Greco was relieved of his duties following a 1-9-1 performance, Rhoades came in but only lasted two seasons.
Under Rhoades’ regime, the highly-desired Reynolds saw limited playing time as a redshirt freshman, but was penciled in as the fulltime starter at guard during his sophomore season. He started every game from there on.
When it was all said and done, Rhoades stepped down as head coach following Reynolds’ sophomore season, and in came Barbier.
“The biggest thing I took out of that over the five years was learning how to deal with change,” Reynolds said. “It teaches you how to deal with adversity. I went through three coaches, each with their own style. It was something I had to learn how to adjust to.”
Not that he’s complaining, as Reynolds had a chance to see both the lowest and highest times of Nicholls football.
In addition to being a part of Greco’s 1-9 squad, Reynolds suffered through an 0-11 season during his junior year – Barbier’s inaugural year.
Just one season later, in 1996, the Colonels went 8-4 and made the playoffs. It turned out to be the Colonels first playoff berth since 1986 and extended Reynolds’ senior season at least one extra game.
“When we went 0-11, we learned how to deal with being at the bottom and the following year when we made the playoffs we learned how to be at the top,” he said proudly. “Just being able to be a part of that is something I’ll always remember.”
In the playoffs, the Colonels met Division I-AA powerhouse Montana, who at the time was the defending national champions.
Upon first arrival in Missoula, Mont., the Colonels knew they were in for a battle as snow powdered the fields, something the group from south Louisiana had rarely seen.
It made the hotel stays entertaining, he said.
“It was ‘country comes to town’ or any other clichés attached to it,” Reynolds joked. “We had the biggest snowball fight anyone could imagine.”
However one of the things he remembers about the experience didn’t even happen during the game.
“We were getting off the bus for practice the first day and we were all dressed in our winter gear like heavy coats, scarves and earmuffs,” he said. “Some of their players were walking out of the weight room in shorts, T-shirts and flip flops. That was a big psychological deal when we saw that. It was still a fun experience.”
His football career ended that day after the Colonels fell 48-3, but Reynolds wasn’t about to leave the area.
He married former Nicholls volleyball player Kimberly Ledet and went right into the construction industry. After spending some time working for a local contractor surveying levees in New Orleans, Reynolds moved over to B.E.T. Construction as a project manager.
It wasn’t until nearly six years ago that Reynolds set off on his own and started Drake Construction in Thibodaux.
He’s been doing that ever since.
When he’s not in the construction field, Reynolds is usually spending time with his 5-year-old son, Ethan Ray or taking in athletic events at the school he’s grown to love.
Reynolds had never spent much time in Thibodaux or even followed Nicholls prior to playing at the school. But after being a part of Nicholls football glory, he adopted the city as his home.
“I love it here. I love Nicholls,” he said. “I love the city, and I love the people. This is my town and don’t intend to leave.”
Even as his football career is a distant memory, Reynolds has made every effort to become the school’s biggest fan.
He is actively involved in the First Down Club, a booster club of Nicholls football, and is regularly seen at all Nicholls home games. Reynolds also makes it a point to travel to as many road games as he can.
He’s even gone to practices and other football-related events to get an early glimpse at the team and show support for his alma mater.
On top of that, he appears at baseball, basketball and volleyball games just to prove his Colonels’ blood runs deep.
“I’ve been a season ticket holder for six seasons now,” Reynolds boasted. “I never miss a home game unless I have a good reason. When they play at home I’m there and I make a couple road trips a year. I keep up with them regularly. I also catch a few baseball, softball and basketball games. I try to get to all of them. My wife and I also catch volleyball games since she used to play.”
Former Nicholls State offensive lineman Greg Reynolds pounded defenses for four seasons at the school. As a member of the 1996 playoff team, Reynolds was able to become a part of Nicholls’ football history. He also played under three different head coaches. * Photo provided by GREG REYNOLDS
