News-Argus Defensive Player of the Year -- Cougars' Jarran Reed

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on December 12, 2010 1:50 AM

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Jarran Reed plays football with a wisdom and maturity that makes him as much of a force on the field as his size and speed do.

A workout warrior and film room junkie, Reed spends as much time sharpening his mind as he does his body. Goldsboro's senior defensive lineman and linebacker recorded 59 tackles and 59 assists with one fumble recovery this season.

For his efforts, Reed is the 2010 News-Argus Defensive Player of the Year.

A 6-foot-3, 275-pound, versatile defensive lineman, Reed is often used at middle linebacker against various offensive formations and in certain situations.

Reed's speed and the knowledge he gains as an offensive lineman allow him to wreak havoc on offenses from both his linebacker and defensive line positions. He recorded 10 or more tackles in seven games this season.

"In a couple of defensive schemes he did back out to middle linebacker," said Cougars' head coach Eric Reid. "That's a testament to his foot speed. Our defensive coordinator Mike Harper saw where we needed a big body just to dominate the middle. Throughout the course of the year there were situations where he was more valuable to us in a stand up position."

Reed dedicated himself in the off-season with a rigorous workout regimen that included running, lifting weights and improving his foot work. In order to become a smarter player, Reed took it upon himself to learn the responsibilities of every defensive position. He spends countless hours each week watching film of himself and studying opponents' tendencies to better prepare for Friday nights.

That commitment toward improving paid dividends as Goldsboro surrendered 13 points a game and held six opponents to seven points or fewer. The Cougars won their second consecutive Carolina 1-A Conference championship and reached third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-AA (large school) playoffs.

"It just takes responsibility with what you do on the field," said Reed. "You have to study, it's not something you can just do. I get the film on Sunday and I watch our game to see what reads I could have made better on offense and defense. When I'm on the field and I see a formation I saw on film, I can make adjustments to my teammates or call out where the ball is going."

Reed dreams of playing college football and he understands that a relentless work ethic and a strong desire to maximize his potential are necessary to succeed at the next level.

"That's what it's going to take when I get there and to do well when I get there is that extra work when nobody's watching," said Reed. "My teammates and coaches, they just pushed to me to do better. All that extra weight lifting and and extra running, it means something.

The things we accomplished, I didn't just do it myself, we all did it."