Ooltewah linebacker Tyler Reid (23) follows the play.On a tough-as-nails defense, Tyler Reid is the hammer.
Ooltewah High School’s defense has been among the best in the state this season, regardless of classification, helping the Owls earn a region championship against a rugged schedule and a first-round playoff win last week. And while players such as middle linebacker Jeremiah Jackson and defensive back Rashun Freeman get much of the credit for that success – and the attention of college recruiters – it is Reid, a senior strongside linebacker, who best embodies the physical style of the swarming Owls defense.
“Pound for pound, Tyler is our best football player period. And everybody on the team knows it,” Ooltewah defensive coordinator Doug Greene said. “It’s rare to find an adult you can count on, much less a teenager, but you know exactly what you’re getting from Tyler every single day. People talk about Jeremiah and Rashun, and those guys are big-time players, but Tyler is the one we all count on to get everybody lined up right before the snap and then to deliver that big hit early that everybody else will feed off of.
“He’s our biggest hitter, no doubt.”
Greene’s ritual before each game is to find Reid in the locker room and remind him of one simple task: “Set the tone right away.”