Game Prep: Chris Reynolds, The Heartbeat Of The Charlotte 49ers
At the start of the second quarter against the Florida Atlantic Owls in week 1, disaster struck for the Charlotte 49ers. After being forced to move out of the pocket, starting quarterback Chris Reynolds would scramble near the left sideline and be tackled around his right ankle, suffering an injury.
He would later reappear in this game, but 49ers coach Will Healy and the staff could tell something wasn't right and decided they had to take him out. The 49ers would lose to Florida Atlantic 43-13, along with their next two games against William & Mary and Maryland, partly because they didn't have their leader on the field.
Then they took on Georgia State last weekend, and Chris Reynolds, in his return, made his presence felt.
A Much Needed Spark
After returning from his injury, Reynolds gave Charlotte a much-needed boost, throwing for 401 passing yards and five touchdowns, including the go-ahead touchdown over a well-coached Georgia State team.
After the win, Reynolds showed humility by giving credit to his teammates for not letting the bad start to the season make them throw in the towel.
"You see guys that go through it, and they don't give up... to see those guys put their head down and work and just answer the call every single day... for somebody like me, it makes your heart big for a little bit."
A Quarterback With Winning Qualities
While Chris Reynolds is a touch on the short side at 5'11, according to his ESPN player profile, Reynold's play squanders any doubts due to his physical stature.
He's a good athlete who can make plays with his feet and arm. Reynolds was hesitant to attack defenses vertically to start his career but has consistently improved that area of his game. When he makes his final decision, he tends to be correct, shown through his 69 career passing touchdowns compared to 25 career interceptions.
He can also make throws off platform when on the move, a skill not easily attained by most quarterbacks, and while not always in stride, will get the ball into the vicinity of his receivers more often than not.
He's easily one of the best Group of 5 quarterbacks in college football, and with the weapons surrounding him, Chris Reynolds can keep Charlotte in any game they play.
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