Tag: Eric Reed

Before winning the Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike’s trainer lost two dozen horses in a 2016 barn fire

What an unfathomable tragedy to come back from.

After winning the 148th Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike’s trainer Eric Reed should understandably feel like he’s standing on Cloud Nine. When you make history and floor the entire horse racing and betting sphere in the process, the world is your oyster.

But with great glory comes a degree of adversity and, in this case, a terrible tragedy.

Before Rich Strike kicked it into gear in unprecedented fashion down the stretch on Saturday, Reed once had to salvage the impossible from the ground up. As impressive as his horse’s run was, this is about the horror he endured before capturing horse racing’s most prestigious title:

In late 2016, on his farm in Lexington, a massive barn fire claimed the lives of 24 horses under his care.

More from WKYT News:

“The owner of the training center, Eric Reed says they rescued as many as they could before the flames took over.

‘My other guys were helping and the horses would run back in naturally and we would have to take them back out. The barn started collapsing and we just had to call it off,’ Reed said.

Reed says there were 36 horses inside the barn at the time, but only close to a dozen made it out alive.”

Oh my goodness. I can’t even comprehend the courage that compels you to run back toward danger after escaping to safety. It’s simply unfathomable. I wouldn’t have blamed Reed if he gave up on training then and there for pure trauma’s sake.

A half-decade later, he and Rich Strike are co-owners of the famed rose garland. What a remarkable twist of fate after so much heartache.

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Going shopping once again: Three defensive backs the Sooners could target via the transfer portal

Three defensive backs the Sooners should pursue via the transfer portal. Names like Trey Morrison, Eric Reed, and Darion Green-Warren in play

While much has been made about the Oklahoma Sooners’ offensive pursuits through the portal with receivers and quarterbacks, should the Oklahoma Sooners also be looking at defensive backs?

The defensive backs weren’t horrible when largely healthy but the Sooners lost their two most trusted players on the back end to the NFL Draft (Delarrin Turner-Yell) and Stanford (Pat Fields). While reports of Jay Valai being the next Sooners defensive backs coach are out there, the Sooners may see defensive backs hit the portal before and after his hiring as guys look for a fresh start. They could also feel as if a new coach may not afford them the same chances they may have thought they would get with Roy manning or Alex Grinch still in the fold.

The Sooners still need game-ready bodies back in the secondary. While they have some talented incoming freshman set to join the squad, the Oklahoma Sooners shouldn’t go into 2022 relying on true freshman on the back end.

Lucky for you, we’ve compiled a few names that may fit just what the Sooners could be looking for.

Eric Reed, CB

The first name that stands out as part of the current potential portal possibilities is Eric Reed. Reed is a cornerback out of Louisiana who left the state to go play for the Auburn Tigers.

Out of high school, many weren’t sure where his best fit was but he can play high-level football at a multitude of positions in the secondary. He’s not played much in college but why not get a fresh start and give him the chance to earn his stripes under a new coach with no preconceived notions about him at all?

Trey Morrison, DB

Trey Morrison is probably the opposite of Reed in the sense that Morrison has played a lot of snaps at the college level. Morrison appeared in 11 games as a true freshman for the North Carolina Tar Heels, starting 10, at nickelback in 2019. That season, he totaled 46 tackles, two sacks, 5.5 TFL, and four pass breakups.

In 2020, he started all 12 games at defensive back and was All-ACC Honorable Mention which included 39 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, three PBU, and one INT. While physically he’s not the biggest player, he’s productive and he’s very experienced.

Over four seasons, Morrison has played in 44 games in college. He gives the Sooners a veteran presence and more position versatility as they ook to retool and rest their secondary going into the 2022 season.

Darion Green-Warren, CB

If you’ve followed the Sooners on the recruiting trail, this name will probably ring a bell. Darion Green-Warren was at one time a hard Sooners recruit. He was recruited most heavily by Kerry Cooks who is no longer with the program.

Green-Warren decommited following the hiring of Alex Grinch in 2019 after being committed to the Sooners for almost an entire year. He would eventually end up at Michigan in 2020 and put his name in the transfer portal recently.

Can Brent Venables lead the charge to get him to finally land at Oklahoma? For the Sooners, it may be worth revisiting. After all, none of the defensive coaches involved with that recruit are on the staff anymore.

While none of these names have reportedly received an Oklahoma offer, the Sooners are in the business of reshaping the roster in the image of Brent Venables. No name is off the table and quite frankly it shouldn’t be as they continue to retool heading into the 2022 season.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

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Georgia misses out on elite safety; chooses Auburn

Georgia football lost a recruiting battle with Auburn for Eric Reed.

Georgia has a had another stellar Early Signing Day.

Most things have gone Georgia’s way, however, the Bulldogs did just lose a recruiting battle with Auburn and Gus Malzahn for 4-star safety Eric Reed.

Reed, the nation’s 175th overall player out of Shreveport, Louisiana, chose Auburn over Georgia and LSU.

The 6’1” 197 pound DB would have been a nice one to get, especially with Georgia losing J.R. Reed and possibly Richard LeCounte.

Luckily for Georgia, the Dawgs were able to pull off a big commitment from a different 4-star safety out of Louisiana, Major Burns, who signed today.

Georgia looking to close out 2020 recruiting class with a bang

These are some of Georgia football’s top recruiting targets remaining in the class of 2020.

Georgia is currently sitting with the nation’s No. 6-rated recruiting class. The Dawgs have commitments from 15 athletes and have room for 23 this cycle.

During Coach Smart’s tenure, he has always closed the recruiting process strong and produced some unexpected surprises.

Who’s on the radar for UGA this season? The wish list includes talent that fill immediate needs and a few game changers.

Five-star cornerback Kelee Ringo from Arizona is the nation’s top cornerback and No. 1 rated player in the state. He was in Athens last week for his official visit. The Dawgs are battling Oregon, Ohio State, Texas and USC for the 6’2”, 205-pound corner, and at this moment, he’s a strong Georgia lean.

Four-star wide receiver Arian Smith from Lakeland, Florida is a strong Georgia lean. He’s the nation’s No.14 wideout and 13th-rated player in the state. The 6’1”, 175-pound speedster is expected to sign on Wednesday. Alabama, Oklahoma and Florida are still in the mix but Smith and current UGA commit Marcus Rosemy appear to be the future at the wide receiver position.

Four star cornerback Eric Reed from Shreveport, Lousiana visited Athens over the weekend and appears to be headed back to the Classic City this fall. The 6’1”, 205-pound prospect is the nation’s No. 14-rated corner and 7th overall rated player in the state. Auburn, Alabama, and LSU are pushing hard but expect Reed to sign with UGA on Wednesday.

With the graduation of tight ends Charlie Woerner and Eli Wolf, five-star tight end Darnell Washington is a must. The Desert Pines High (Las Vegas, NV) athlete is freak-like good. Washington, 6’7”, 261-pounds, is the nation’s No. 1 rated athlete and is matchup nightmare. Alabama, Florida and Tennessee are still seeking his services but but the Bulldogs are in the lead.

Four-star wideout Jermaine Burton from Calabasas, California is currently a LSU commit, but the 6’, 190-pound speedster was in Athens this weekend. The No.6-rated prospect in California is originally from Atlanta and the pull from the Peach State may be too hard to resist.

Four-star cornerback Dontae Manning from Kansas City made the long journey to Athens over the weekend for his official visit. The 6’, 185-pound athlete is the No. 6 rated corner in the country. Texas A&M and Oklahoma were in the lead but saving the final OV for Georgia is a good sign.

Four-star safety Major Burns was also in Athens this weekend. The 6’2”, 177-pound safety from Baton Rouge is a LSU lean but Georgia, Texas A&M and Oklahoma have a shot at the nation’s No. 5 rated safety.

Can Georgia make a final surge and a secure five-star Jordan Burch? The Palmetto State’s No. 1 prospect was on campus this weekend and Coach Smart recently had a home visit with the 6’4”, 275-pound defensive end. Alabama, Clemson, South Carolina and LSU are still in the mix for his signature. Burch is expected to sign on Wednesday.