Nov. 17
November 17, 2009
Mr. Heath Adam Perkins
November 19, 2009
In what principal Kevin George labeled as the “biggest announcement in Thibodaux High School history,” Trovon Reed made his mother’s birthday this past Friday a little extra special.
As his family, friends, classmates and teachers anxiously awaited in a packed gymnasium, the senior ended the suspense when he reached from under the podium and pulled out an orange and blue Auburn hat and announced he would become the newest member of the 2010 Auburn Tigers recruiting class.
With a picture of his late mother sitting next to him on a chair, Reed teared up as he also accepted an invitation from Army Sgt. Thomas Higgins to participate in the 10th annual U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio, Texas on January 9.
New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Ohio State quarterback Terrell Pryor are among some of the stars to play in the game.
Reed said he couldn’t have picked a better day than his mother’s birthday to live out the dream she always had for him.
His mother, Roszaina Johnson, died on March 6 after a battle with stomach cancer. She would have turned 58.
“I feel like I had to do it on this day,” he said. “If I didn’t then, there was no other day I could have done it. It had to be on her birthday.”
Now that the recruiting process is complete, Reed said he can rest easy and enjoy the rest of his senior season.
The star chose Auburn over LSU and Oregon.
“I feel so good,” he said. “I feel like I have no more stress on my back. I asked God every night to lead me in the right direction. He always told me Auburn was the right answer. I was thinking otherwise. I was thinking Oregon or LSU. I talked to my family. Oregon was a little too far. LSU was a little too close. Auburn was perfect.”
Reed said he liked Auburn because it was quiet and gave him a chance to get away from home and focus on football and his studies.
He came away impressed with the campus on his first visit.
“I walked into (receivers) coach Trooper Taylor’s office and he had pictures of his family on his wall,” he said. “It was all of his receivers. He treats them like family. They eat at his house, sleep at his house and everything. I just felt like that is home.”
However, he wanted to keep an open mind during the recruiting process and gave every school an opportunity to show what they had.
“I had Auburn on my mind the whole time but I still wanted to see what LSU and Oregon were going to bring and they brought it all,” he explained. “Coaches, players, everything.”
In the end however it was still Auburn who won Reed’s services. Reed will play wide receiver in college and was told he could see a lot of immediate playing time in coach Gene Chizik’s spread offense.
“They tell everybody they are going to play right away,” he said. “You don’t know if you can play right away, you might get scared or freeze up. I’m just going to go there, work hard and do what I have to do to help the team.”
Despite earning consideration as one of the state’s top recruits over his time in Thibodaux, he was quick to pass on the praise to everyone around him.
“I give the credit to my teammates,” he said. “If I wouldn’t have the team around me then I wouldn’t be the player I am, so I give credit to every person on this team, every coach on this team and everybody who comes to support us.”
Trovon Reed announced during a press conference Friday morning that he would play his collegiate ball at the University of Auburn. * Photo by KYLE CARRIER
