Thibodaux athlete making most of NFL 2nd chance

A Thibodaux native is quietly using the end of the NFL season to solidify himself as a top-flight professional defensive back.

Thibodaux High School graduate and San Diego Chargers cornerback Trovon Reed is finishing the 2016-17 NFL season on a roll, playing some of the best football he’s played in his career.

In the past three games, Reed has 12 tackles and two interceptions for the Chargers, helping the team solidify its secondary.

One of the interceptions went back for a touchdown – a pick-six Reed scored against Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

The local said the past few weeks have been a blur – some of the best days of his life. He said he wants to stay focused and carry his momentum into the offseason so that he can work to become a prolific player in 2017.

“This is all just a blessing for me,” Reed told reporters after practice. “I talk to (teammate) Trevor Williams all of the time, and we say all of the time, ‘Man, just let it come to you.’ I’m a guy that’s been cut five, six, seven times. But now, I finally got a home – a locker room full of guys who love me for who I am and a set of coaches who gave me a chance. … It’s just surreal. It’s truly unbelievable.”

That Reed is in the NFL isn’t a surprise to many.

He was a highly recruited prospect out of Thibodaux – a four-star player who opted to sign with Auburn after fielding offers from just about everyone in the country.

But it’s his path to the next level that’s a little bit startling to some.

Reed signed with Auburn as a wide receiver after blistering defenses as a quarterback in high school – one of the most dominant players in the history of the school.

But adjusting to life in the SEC wasn’t easy for Reed, who never made his mark on the offensive side of the ball.

The local played four seasons as a wide-out at Auburn, including a redshirt year in 2010. He caught just 39 passes for 384 yards and one score – often falling out of the team’s playing time rotation because of his inability to get separation from faster, more physical SEC defensive backs.

But then, Reed changed course.

In 2014, the Tigers made Reed a cornerback – a position he considered out of high school, but opted to abandon because of a desire to score touchdowns.

Reed flourished, recording three interceptions, which boosted his resume enough to earn a spot as an undrafted free against with the Seattle Seahawks in 2015.

While there, Reed studied from the best, watching Seahawks standout Richard Sherman’s every move.

Doing that, Reed said, made him a better player – a guy who is drastically improved from his days at the college level.

“He taught me everything I know,” Reed told ESPN.com, when asked about his relationship with Sherman. “I appreciate him for that and all the rest of those guys, too – Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas and everyone else.”

Reed was likely going to make the Seahawks roster in 2016, but he got hurt in the preseason, which led to his release.

The Chargers scooped him up, let him heal and worked with him on their practice squad in the early weeks of the season.

After injuries depleted their depth chart, Reed got his shot in November 27 against the Texas – his first game on the active roster.

Two weeks later, he recorded two tackles against the Panthers, while also getting a pick-six.

Seven days later, he had five stops against Oakland, while generating another interception – the second of his career.

“He loves to play the game,” Chargers coach Mike McCoy said. “He has so much passion and so much energy for what he’s doing. If he has a limitation, he works hard to try and overcome it. That work ethic is a big asset to him. He loves to work hard.”

So now, the challenge is to keep it rolling into the future.

Reed signed a two-year deal with the Chargers, which means he’ll likely be back with the team in 2017, barring something unexpected.

Next season will be huge for Reed, because he becomes a restricted free agent in 2018, meaning he will have the opportunity to test the open market to try and land a significant salary.

The Chargers own the right to match any offer Reed gets on the market.

But the Thibodaux native said he’s immune to all of the talk, because the whole experience hasn’t fully sunk in yet.

He said his No. 1 focus is to continue to make good impressions on as many people as possible in an effort to show the world he can play defensive back at the highest level.

“I just want to keep working and keep competing,” Reed said. “This has all been such a blessing so far. I just want to keep it all going.” •

Trovon Reed

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