Getty Craig Reynolds runs the ball for the Lions against the Broncos in 2021.
Craig Reynolds was one of the most impressive Detroit Lions players in training camp, which made the decision to cut him all the more puzzling for the team. As is often the case in the NFL, however, things came full circle this past weekend.
With the Lions in a desperate spot at running back, Reynolds was called upon to boost the group and did just that in a regular season game against a good defense. Reynolds rushed for 83 yards against the Denver Broncos, and managed to put himself back on the map once again in terms of being in play in a deep backfield.
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Reynolds has been forced to grind his entire life and career, and that mindset served him well for this game. Speaking after the game played out on December 12 in an interview posted to DetroitLions.com, Reynolds said that sticking to his own persona has helped him find that success.
“Just controlling what I can every day. Working hard in practice, in the preseason. I came off of training at home and it’s the same thing, just controlling what I can,” Reynolds said to the media. “Just going out there for my teammates. and playing hard for them, we were down some backs, and opportunity presented itself and I just wanted to pick up where (D’Andre) Swift and Jamaal (Williams) left off. Appreciate Jamar (Jefferson) and Godwin (Igwebuike). We’re a tight-knit group, we work hard and push each other day in, day out in practice. I’m very thankful for those guys.”
So how does a player come in cold off the practice squad and not look to miss a beat? According to Reynolds it had everything to do with that same preparation.
“Just controlling what I can day in and day out, taking care of my body, knowing the playbook, staying after practice when I don’t get the reps, studying the plays for the week with (Steven) Montez, our practice squad quarterback. We go over minor things, little details Because you never know, and just controlling what I can, so that’s all,” Reynolds said.
Safe to say things went well for Reynolds. Depending on how long Swift’s injury lingers and what plays out with the COVID-19 situation within the Detroit locker room with Williams, he could be called on to get on the field again.
If that’s the case, it seems safe to say he’ll be ready based on the way he prepares and the mindset he keeps.
Dan Campbell Not Surprised With Reynolds’ Success
If there’s any person who sees a scrappy player who puts in the time and appreciates that, it’s Detroit’s boss Dan Campbell. As the coach said after the game, Reynolds has been a player who has put in the work, so his success was not a shock to the team or to Campbell himself.
“I though Craig ran hard. I thought he did some things. I don’t think anybody on the staff is surprised. We like Craig. We thought he would do a good job and certainly he did,” Campbell explained following the game.
The question now will be whether the Lions like Reynolds enough to keep him around for the future when the backfield returns to normal. That’s a question for another day, but obviously, the team does seem to like Reynolds a lot, which could be a good development for the future.
Reynolds’ Stats and Highlights
When Reynolds entered the mix in Detroit, he came to the Lions short on NFL experience but long on intrigue given his work in college and what he did in a short time in the NFL. He came into the league as an undrafted free agent of the Washington Football Team in 2019, then signing with the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020.
Here’s some highlights from when he played at small-school Kutztown College:
This swap may subtract from the defense but add a bit to the offense, being Reynolds was solid in college, ending up as Kutztown’s third all-time leading rusher with 2,650 yards on the ground. He was also second in school history with 5,277 all-purpose yards to his credit.
These numbers and highlights show only one side of Reynolds. His mental attributes might be most important to his career development at this point in time, and once again, the youngster was very impressive.
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