Working towards his goal

BAKER – There has been a new face around the Baker football program this summer.

Former Crestview offensive lineman Tyler Reeves is doing an impromptu internship of sorts helping the Gator coaching staff with the offensive line.

For Reeves, who is preparing for his senior season at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala., it was the kind of chance he was looking for as he prepares for a coaching career.

Reeves and Gator coach Bob Kellogg agree that it has been a win-win situation for all involved.

“There’s more coaching opportunity out here (than at Crestview),” Reeves said. “There are less coaches, so I have a better chance of having more one-on-one coaching time with the players. That’s what I was really hoping for when I came out here, to be able to work one-on-one with everybody to build their techniques.

“Crestview’s got somewhere between 11 and 13 coaches, so I wouldn’t really get a lot of chances to showcase my coaching ability over there.”

Kellogg has nothing but good things to say about Reeves.

“He’s been a great help,” Kellogg said. “He’s a guy that wants to get into coaching. He’s a real fiery, enthusiastic type guy and the kids have really enjoyed him this summer.”

The Baker linemen have enjoyed having Reeves around as well.

“He’s an excellent coach,” rising junior Joseph Lee said. “He helps you out. He tells you what you are doing wrong and he tells you how to fix it, and I think he’s a great coach.”

Lee believes that Reeves can relate to the Gator players because he’s still a player himself.

“He’s going through it the same way we are,” Lee said. “He’s going through the same stuff we are. He’s basically going through the same thing.”

Coaching is the only career path that Reeves has ever really considered and he has pursued his dream with a plan as he has kept focused on his coaching goal.

“It was just being a good student,” he said. “Listening more and trying to understand things on the other side of the ball at different positions. I’m trying to learn now more about the defensive side of the football because that will help me be a better offensive line coach, a better offensive coach period.

“I like learning new offenses and how to run new stuff; just anything and everything I can do to make myself a better coach.”

Reeves’ desire to learn more about football is obvious to Kellogg.

“He loves to sit and talk football and we’ve done that,” Kellogg said. “That’s kind of what they are doing up there (at Huntingdon). The head coach that he plays for, coach (Mike) Turk, I remember watching him in college at Troy and talking to him as a coach.

“We just sit and talk, and I tell him the things I want and he’s able to do it with the group (of linemen). He’d be a great guy to get when he graduates, but jobs are tough right now.”

Reeves describes himself as among other things, a loud and intense coach.

“I like to be a very charismatic coach,” he said. “I’m definitely a perfectionist. I like for things to be done right.

“I feel like I shouldn’t have to tell a player more than twice what to do and they should be able to do it. I like for things to be done to perfection, crisp with good technique.”

Reeves plans to have a tough love approach to his coaching where he requires a player’s all on the field, while at the same time letting his players know he cares and they can talk to him about anything.

This summer Reeves has proven to Kellogg that he is willing to pay the price to be a coach.

“I told him, ‘You’ve just got to do these type things (volunteer) to give yourself the extra (exposure) that somebody wants,’” Kellogg said.  “‘You show them that you are willing to go out and work for nothing and just help people because you like the game.’”