MOBILE, Ala. – Making his return to Ladd-Peebles Stadium, former University of South Alabama football student-athlete Jeremy Reaves played a key role in helping the South to a wire-to-wire 45-16 victory over the North in the 2018 Reese's Senior Bowl on Saturday.
The Pensacola, Fla., native was credited with eight total tackles — which ranked second on the team — accounted for one of the North's three takeaways with a third-quarter interception he returned 19 yards and added another pass defensed. Reaves also contributed on multiple special teams units, serving as the South's punt protector for most of the contest while setting up to return punts in the second half as well.
"It was everything I dreamed of," Reaves said of his bowl game experiences throughout the week. "It was long nights and countless hours working toward a goal, and we achieved that goal today as a team and I think I achieved that goal individually too. I wanted to come out here and leave my mark one last time for the home team, and I think I made South and my family very proud today.
"My main goal was I wanted to get the win. I'm a competitor and I don't like losing at all, so I wanted to do what I could to help us win; it was team first and me second."
2018 Reese's Senior Bowl Photo Gallery
The safety's first pass broken up came on third down in the middle of the opening quarter, forcing the North to settle for a field goal as the South remained ahead, 7-3. Midway through the next period Reaves stopped Arizona State's Kalen Ballage — the North's leading rusher with 57 yards on the day — for a gain of one on fourth-and-two to give the South the ball just shy of midfield, while his third-quarter interception was made at the South's 21-yard line as the North attempted to enter the red zone. He also broke up a two-point conversion attempt that would've tied the game after a North touchdown made the score 18-16 midway through the third quarter.
"On that third down we were playing Cover Two where I was working off the hash[mark], I saw Baker [Mayfield] staring down the receiver breaking inside of our linebacker so I squeezed it; he threw a laser over the 'backer's head but I was close enough to where I could make a play," explained Reaves. "I was confident in myself, I know I'm a ball player. I've been doing this for four years, I trust myself. I'm very confident in what I do and was just trusting the process of letting things come to me, not being too aggressive or antsy — that can be my problem sometimes — and when my name was called it was time for me to make a play."
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