Seahawks Rookie Jerrick Reed II is 'All Business,' Ready to Make Mark in Seattle
Embarking on a new journey after winning two state titles as head coach at Rio Rancho High School, David Howes finally received the chance to show what he could do at the highest level of college football when New Mexico came calling in 2020.
After taking the safeties coach position under coach Danny Gonzales amid the challenging COVID-19 pandemic, the Mountain West Conference initially delayed the season before playing an abbreviated schedule with established protocols put in place. Before the Lobos would see the field again, however, Howes knew he needed to earn the trust of his new players and made establishing those connections the first priority on his agenda.
Among those who he hoped to build a rapport with quickly, safety Jerrick Reed II was initially a bit skeptical of Howes, who came to the school after the Lobos won just two games during the previous season. Speaking with the Olive Branch, Mississippi native for the first time shortly before the start of camp in the weight room, he could sense hesitancy in the player, who would now be playing for his fourth different coaching staff in as many years.
"He was very standoffish and I knew that he was going to test me for a while and he was going to feel me out for a while," Howes said in an interview on a recent episode of Locked On Seahawks podcast. "And I remember walking up to him and I said, 'You know, I'm gonna win you over. I know it's gonna take a minute, but I'm gonna win this battle.' And he goes, 'Well, you have three years.'"
In today's NIL era where college athletes change schools like everyone else changes clothes, Reed could have easily opted for the easy route and taken his talents elsewhere to a Power 5 school. In the win-loss column, New Mexico hasn't been anything close to a football powerhouse, winning more than five games only twice since 2000 and losing 10 or more games five times in that same span.
But after somehow being ignored coming out of high school despite being an All-State talent in Mississippi and receiving zero scholarship offers from Division I or Division II schools, Reed wasn't about to abandon ship with the program that gave him a chance after initially starting at the JUCO level. Instead, as he proclaimed to Howes on their first encounter, he planned to ride through the good and the bad in Albuquerque with the steadfast belief he would come out stronger in the end.
While their relationship took time to develop as expected, Howes eventually did win over the versatile Reed, who tied for the Mountain West lead with four interceptions in just seven games during their first year together. Though he only picked off two passes in his final two seasons, under the tutelage of his position coach, he developed into a fierce, reliable tackler averaging 91 tackles per season and continued to thrive in coverage, breaking up 10 passes as a senior in 2022.
Even as the Lobos continued to struggle winning games and finished with three or fewer victories in each of his four seasons with the program, Reed received much-deserved individual accolades, earning Mountain West All-Conference honors twice. He also grew into an outstanding leader, never complaining no matter how difficult or adverse things became, including when injuries forced a pair of true freshman into the lineup last year alongside him in the secondary.
Through all of the ups and downs, Reed stayed even keeled regardless of what happened around him, earning the utmost respect from Howes and the rest of the coaching staff for his efforts keeping the defense afloat.
"He did a nice job of gluing it all together," Howes said. "And I give him all the credit in the world for that and his maturity. I think that he's light years ahead of a lot of guys out there when it comes to knowing what it takes to be successful. And I think that when you watch that unfold with a team that's struggling, when you can blame all you want, you can complain all you want, you can make all the excuses you want. At the end of the day, you never heard that stuff from Jerrick. He was all about making sure that this defense hadn't had a chance to be successful. And that is stuff that is rare."
Much as he was coming out of high school, in part due to New Mexico's status as a consistent cellar dweller in the Mountain West, Reed exited his collegiate career under the radar as an NFL prospect. Despite his accomplishments over the past four years, most draft outlets didn't even list him in their safety rankings and he wasn't invited to any of the postseason all-star showcases, putting more obstacles in his path to achieve his dream of making it to the league.
But at the Lobos pro day workout in March, Reed put his name on the map for a handful of teams. Measuring in at 5'10, 196 pounds, he ran a blazing 4.46 40-yard dash, posted a 38-inch vertical jump, and benched 225 pounds 18 times, displaying an intriguing blend of speed, explosiveness, and power. His Relative Athletic Score of 7.32 scored higher than Alabama's Brian Branch and Penn State's Ji'Ayir Brown, two of the top safeties in the 2023 draft class.
Catching the attention of regional scout Ryan Florence, the Seahawks scheduled Reed for a top-30 visit, understanding the risk of inviting him to the VMAC with other teams privy to visits. Impressing everyone from general manager John Schneider to coach Pete Carroll with his maturity and football acumen, the team hoped he would remain out of the spotlight to ensure they could draft him or sign him as a priority free agent.
One of two teams to meet with Reed for an official visit, Seattle pulled the trigger with the 198th pick in the sixth round of the draft last month, snagging the player Schneider later called an "angry little elf" when describing his hard-hitting, aggressive playing style, referencing a quote from the popular Will Ferrell Christmas movie.
Proud of his pupil for the hard work and effort he put into achieving his dream, Howes knew when the Seahawks brought Reed in for an interview earlier in the spring that they would be "locked in," quickly realizing this kid was different. As for the characterization made by Schneider, while he took exception to one word to an extent, he thinks the shoe fits nicely.
"I don't know if I would ever describe Jerrick as angry because he's one of those those players that he never gets too high and never gets low. He's all business, he's one step at a time," Howes said. "But it's a great descriptive term for somebody that plays their tail off. He's going to run to the ball, he's going to do everything that he's gonna have to do to make plays."
Coming to Seattle, Reed will join a star-studded safety group featuring perennial Pro Bowler Quandre Diggs and two-time All-Pro Jamal Adams. The team also signed do-it-all defensive back Julian Love, who has starting experience at both safety positions as well as slot cornerback, in free agency, further crowding the competition.
On the surface, that may not seem like an ideal situation for a late-round pick such as Reed to find his way onto an NFL roster with so much established talent ahead of him on the depth chart. But the Seahawks have a storied history of unearthing day three gems in the secondary under Carroll and Schneider, including drafting Pro Bowl cornerback Tariq Woolen in the fifth round last year and trading in 2019 for Diggs, a former sixth-round pick himself.
Experiencing first-hand how the gritty, persistent Reed is wired and the giant chip he carries on his shoulder after being overlooked coming out of high school, the JUCO ranks, and New Mexico, Howes knows he won't intimidated by the competition. Checking off all the boxes with athleticism, playmaking ability, a high football IQ, proven leadership intangibles, and most importantly, the heart of a champion, he expects Seattle to reap the rewards of the angry little elf slipping through the cracks.
"He's always had success wherever he's been. But, you know, I'm kind of glad that they didn't see him earlier. I'm glad that he's had to develop this style, this me against the world mentality. And he didn't get that success early because it's led to exactly who he is today. He's dealt with nothing but being overlooked and adversity and now he's running with this Floyd Mayweather fighter mentality that nothing shakes him."
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