Paying Attention To Detail Pays Off for Reynolds
September 29, 2004

Football fans who come to the stadium equipped with binoculars believe they’re going to get an up close, inside look at the game.

Not to rain on that parade, but to really see how AU senior defensive end Jason Reynolds plays, a microscope would be a more apt tool.

Fans who fall in love with Reynolds’ game are of the same ilk who get excited about a well-manicured lawn where the flower beds are always squared and edged. Those with an appreciation for the way Reynolds plays would get excited about a perfectly beveled sidewalk.

Like a master craftsman, Reynolds pays strict attention to detail. The fact that only a select few folks are watching, or appreciating his work, doesn’t matter. He doesn’t cut corners and he plays the right way because that’s the way business is supposed to be conducted.

“He brings us experience and security because of his demeanor,” explains AU defensive coordinator Jim Meyer. “He’s a quiet type of leader. He’s very dependable and he’s an excellent example for the rest of our players.”

“I try to lead by example,” said Reynolds, in line for his fourth letter this season. “You learn from the older guys in the program. I learned from Brad Mumau, Brian Morrison, Bobby Mercer and Brock Swonguer. My only hope is my values, my work ethic, can influence others. Hopefully my example can help other guys develop. I think a lot of other upperclassmen are doing the same thing. You have to have a great work ethic, you have to try and get faster, to be a student of the game, to be focused every practice.”

That’s not a problem with Reynolds. When head coach Lee Owens and his staff took over last winter, one of the first things they noticed in offseason workouts was how dedicated Reynolds was to the cause. He didn’t question anything and did everything. That approach has paid huge dividends. Reynolds tested out at the end of the spring as one of AU’s best conditioned players. He’s playing at 270 pounds, down 15 pounds from a year ago. But the loss in weight hasn’t thinned down his other numbers. He is AU’s most active defensive lineman with 15 tackles.

“It’s my senior season,” said Reynolds, when asked why he went so hard so often in the offseason. “I wanted to be in the best possible shape. I focused on running and kept on top of my lifting. I did 110’s, agility work, some sprints. I never thought I could run like that.”

The result of all of that work has been a player who’s shown up to work each and every day.

“He’s not been banged up,” said Meyer, “and he’s playing physical football. I haven’t seen him in the training room or with ice bags all over him. I think everything he did has helped his endurance.”

Endurance is important because Reynolds is expected to be on the field the majority of the time. But he’s sometimes forgotten because he plays a position where big numbers aren’t easy to accumulate. In the AU system, the linebackers pile up tackles and the defensive backs, as is the case in most defenses, are easy to identify. To find Reynolds, fans have to zero in on the line play and pay strict attention to the nuances of the game.

“In our scheme we sometimes ask him to do other things than rush the passer,” said Meyer. “Maybe we ask him to contain. But when he does have pass rush responsibilities he has to dominate that situation. He has to win that battle.”

“What I get out of the defense is team-oriented,” said the 6-5, 270-pound product of Clinton, OH, and Jackson High School. “When no one can run on us, that gives me a sense of pride. There are different levels of defense, the defensive line, the linebackers, the secondary. Each unit does its job and then the other units can do their jobs. There are no selfish players out there.”

This week the Eagles face Mercyhurst. A year ago in Erie, PA, Reynolds had one of the best games of his career against the Lakers. He recorded five tackles and had a pair of sacks. Reynolds has two sacks this year. While Meyer admits that he’s always pushing Reynolds to keep pressuring the quarterback, he cautions that a defensive end can’t be judged solely on that figure alone.

“He’s been overlooked at times,” said the AU assistant coach. “He’s been really good all year. The way teams pass today, there are a lot of quick passes and sacks can be hard to come by. Typically, you get sacks usually when teams are behind and they have to throw the ball down the field. He’s a real important part of our defense. He’s taken care of business.”

Hearty defense has been a staple of Ashland University football for years. A year ago, AU was second in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in rush defense and total defense and fourth in pass efficiency defense and scoring defense. A new staff may be in place in 2004, but the emphasis on defense hasn’t changed. Until last week, no running back had gained 100 yards against AU since the next-to-last game of last season.

“I think it’s the attitude of the players on defense,” said Reynolds when asked to pinpoint the unit’s success. “All of our coaches teach fundamentals. On defense we try to be exact in everything we do – the right reads, the right steps. We try to be as meticulous as possible.”

That should come as no surprise, seeing as how that’s a way of life for the defense’s elder statesman.