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| Jamel Johnson runs a route during scrimmage warm-ups (Lamar Higgins photo) |
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| Chip Reeves lines up during T-Day (Lamar Higgins photo) |
This story appears in the Thursday print edition of the Dothan Eagle. It can be found on dothaneagle.com HERE.
BY DREW CHAMPLIN | dchamplin@dothaneagle.com
TROY – While Troy struggled to a 3-9 record last year, two of the Trojans' top receivers were in another state.
Jamel Johnson was showing out against competition in the Mississippi junior colleges, but working harder on his grades. Chip Reeves was at home in Stone Mountain, Ga., paying out of his own pocket to take online classes to regain his eligibility.
Now that the two are back, Troy’s offense is rolling again in spring practice. Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 217-pound junior gives Troy a physical element it didn’t have last year. Reeves, a 5-foot-10, 176-pound senior, may be the fastest player in the Sun Belt and has been nearly impossible to cover on deep routes during the spring. Troy missed that speed last year.
The two played secondary roles in Troy’s 8-5 2010 season, but still put up big numbers. Reeves caught 30 passes for 515 yards and five touchdowns, and Johnson caught 23 balls for 258 yards and three scores.
But off the field, their grades suffered. Johnson admitted to being lazy and said he fell three credits short after the spring 2011 semester. He could have redshirted last year, but went to Holmes Community College in the small town of Goodman, Miss.
“(The town) could probably fit in this stadium,” Johnson said, while inside Veterans Memorial Stadium. It was eye-opening and humbling. It was teaching me what I had lost and what I can gain.”
Johnson made it to a couple of games. Reeves tried to watch, but couldn’t bear to when he’d check in and see that Troy was losing.
“I’d get down because I felt like it was my fault,” Reeves said.
Reeves was also academically ineligible for the GMAC Bowl after the 2009 season. He had to take online classes last fall, but was put back on scholarship before the spring semester.
“I had a talk with (Troy athletics director) Mr. Steve Dennis,” Reeves said. “He had a long talk with me and told me I had to do right if I wanted to be back on the team. I promised him that I would do right and that’s what I’m back here trying to do.”
Reeves felt worse for his family, as it seemed like he wouldn’t be able to make it back to Troy. But he did what he needed to do, and is poised to have a big senior season.
“It was bad for me because it broke my mom and my dad’s heart,” Reeves said. “Everybody thought I blew my chance to play at the next level. I thought I blew my opportunity to get an education in college and play at the next level, so it was heartbreaking for me to see my family go through it.”
Troy’s offense had some growing pains last year with injuries and several new starters. Reeves and Johnson join key returners like junior Eric Thomas (team-best 67 catches, 875 yards, nine touchdowns), senior Justin Albert (40 catches, 338 yards, one TD) and sophomore Chandler Worthy (22 catches, 392 yards, four touchdowns), to name a few.
Johnson could have been recruited again, and said Auburn showed some interest, but he was set to come back to Troy. Troy head coach Larry Blakeney was confident that Johnson’s coach in junior college would ensure that he returned to Troy.
“I just wanted to get my grades up, that’s the biggest thing,” said Johnson, a Montgomery native who is focusing on being a leader. “I really wanted to come back to Troy because I like playing football here.”
Blakeney said that all academic reports on the duo have been positive, but they’ve still got to keep it up to be ready for the fall and that Johnson has a chance to be “better than good.”
“Every report I’m getting has been positive,” Blakeney said. “I’m sure there’s a way to screw it up. We’ve got everything hopefully headed in the right direction and they’re doing what they are supposed to do.
“It would be a big, big shame if something bad happens, because they’d make a difference.”
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