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But after spending eight years in the NCAA due to a host of injuries and circumstances such as a global pandemic, Reese said there were times he wondered if he shouldn\u2019t be walking into a classroom, burying his head in a textbook or preparing for the next exam.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get done earlier in the day and it feels like I\u2019m supposed to go to tutoring or something,\u201d said Reese, who is expected to get a third consecutive start Sunday against the Ottawa Redblacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got all of this free time. It feels kind of weird. I\u2019ve been in college for so long. It felt weird the first couple of weeks. I\u2019m adjusting. It gives me more time to take care of my body and stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The thirst for knowledge remains as Reese digs into the three-down game.<\/p>\n
His inquisitive nature, combined with his drive and determination, are serving Reese well in the early stages of his CFL journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor anybody, it\u2019s great if you listen and David is wired to listen,\u201d said head coach Mike O\u2019Shea. \u201cAsking the questions is one thing, listening to the answers and trying to implement them is another. He does have that. He\u2019s got that thirst for knowledge and a desire to be better. That kind of combination endears young guys to vets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the veteran players Reese has endeared himself to is fellow defensive end Willie Jefferson.<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid is a good rookie,\u201d said Jefferson. \u201cHe wants to know how he can be better. He\u2019s one of the young guys that\u2019s looking to be taken under a wing. For me, all I can do is give him everything I can to make him better.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s figuring it out. Since his playing time increased, he\u2019s making the most of his opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reese appreciates having someone like Jefferson as a sounding board as he learns the intricacies of the CFL.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a blessing,\u201d said Reese, who was named to the SEC academic honour roll in 2019, 2020 and 2021. \u201cHe\u2019s a Hall of Famer. To have somebody experienced and who has been around the game for such a long time, been in the CFL, knows the ins and outs \u2026 He\u2019s just helping me with my game and how to prepare. All the little details. He\u2019s giving (advice) and being a big brother role model and just kind of helping when needed. Being new to the league, being new to Canada, he\u2019s definitely helped out a lot. For me and the other rookies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moving to the pro ranks was always the goal for Reese and a series of injuries at the University of Florida tested his patience before eventually fortifying his will.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere comes a point where you really have got to ask yourself \u2018Is this something that I really want to do?\u2019 Once I made that decision to go, I\u2019ve been running with it ever since,\u201d said Reese. \u201cHonestly, it was a blessing. I tell anybody who asks me, I\u2019m thankful for it. Being able to grow and go through those things, with adversity throughout my life, I feel like it really puts me in a position where mentally I don\u2019t feel like anybody can mess with me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way I attack life, the way I go about my business. When you actually have to wake up and go to rehab every day, to do the little things to have to get yourself back on the field. Nobody is going to do that for you. That really gave me a greater perspective on life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The initial injury happened during summer workouts after Reese finished his redshirt season and it was an eye opener.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first time I tore my Achilles, that was the hardest because I had never had an injury before that,\u201d said Reese. \u201cBeing an 18-year-old kid, I had everything I wanted as far as football-wise. Having that taken away from me was difficult. Being a kid, being away from home. Trying to navigate it. Obviously, I had love and support from my family but it\u2019s different when you\u2019ve got to battle and look in the mirror and figure out stuff. After that, we were back to work. In order to do whatever we had to do to get me on the field, let\u2019s do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reese petitioned and gained three years of additional eligiblity due to injuries he dealt with, then entered the transfer portal, heading to the University of California for two seasons. That\u2019s where his game took a big step.<\/p>\n
He finished his NCAA career in 2025, suiting up with the Syracuse Orange.<\/p>\n
Reese was used in a variety of roles in college, playing defensive back as a freshman and later splitting time between linebacker and defensive end.<\/p>\n
Being able to move around the defence caught the attention of the Bombers, who like to move guys around in the scheme designed by defensive coordinator Jordan Younger, making Reese a great fit as a free agent.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a pretty hungry kid. He works extremely hard, he asks a lot of questions, he\u2019s always trying to learn,\u201d said O\u2019Shea. \u201cAnother one of those guys who is extremely versatile. He can come off the edge with speed, he\u2019s got quite a bit of power and strength. He\u2019s a compact guy. You would underestimate him if you just looked at his weight. He punches above his weight. But he\u2019s also got the ability to sort of be off the ball too. That gives (Younger) another piece to move around as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reese has five tackles and recorded a quarterback sack two weeks ago against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, taking Jake Dolegala to the turf at the end of the game.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n
\t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Reese was reluctant to celebrate since the play had to survive a challenge and subsequent review before it was official.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was new because they can challenge plays after, so at first I was a little skeptical that there was even going to be one,\u201d said Reese. \u201cI\u2019m thankful that they gave it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be surprised if it\u2019s the first of many. <\/p>\n \u201cAll I know is to hustle. I wake up and grind. That\u2019s all I\u2019ve ever done,\u201d said Reese. \u201cYou get out what you put in. With all of the work I\u2019ve put in coming back from injuries, I refuse to stop now.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/kenwiebe<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Ken Wiebe Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Reporter
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