Be it on the football field, reviewing game video, studying in class or participating in Fellowship of Christian Athletes events on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus, sophomore defensive back Reuben Lowery III has made it a point to be all in on whatever he is doing at the time.
It speaks to a drive that exists within the 5-foot-9, 192-pounder from Powder Springs, Georgia, that will likely lead to him making his way into the UTC secondary's rotation this season and beyond.
"It comes from my faith," Lowery said. "I just do a lot of reading in the Bible, and it just helps me to know that everything I'm doing is for the glory of God, first and foremost. Secondly, just my parents, man; they put a lot on the table for me, and they sacrificed a lot for me when I was growing up, which allowed me to go and seek my passions and seek my love. They allowed me and blessed me to do that, so I just want to give that to them in the long run.
"In Ephesians and Galatians, it talks about letting your spirit guide you and letting the Holy Spirit guide you in not letting your fleshly desires guide you. We're on the field, you see that all the time - you get tired, you get excuses in your head, you've got all this heat on this field. So allowing my spirit and not giving in to my fleshly desires to guide me (helps) throughout the day."
It's also what compels him to continually seek - and sometimes bug - defensive backs coach Jordan Tippit, requesting extra sessions to review game video with the former Moc who was an All-Southern Conference first-team selection in 2009. Tippit admitted he sometimes "puts his head down for two seconds" when he sees Lowery come in to pick his brain, but he also noted it's a problem worth having.
"Sometimes you don't have time to work with him, but you've got to make time because he's going to make you make time," Tippit said. "But that's what you want from a kid. You want him to be in the office all the time, because he really is a coach's dream.
"He keeps me on my toes as much as I keep him on his toes."
Off the field, Lowery is a two-time dean's list honoree who is majoring in mechanical engineering and enrolled early in January 2020, having finished his time at Hillgrove High School with a GPA of better than 4.0. On the field, he has 17 tackles and has broken up three passes in a UTC career that's still young but not without experience. He was a SoCon All-Freshman selection last season after playing in all 11 games, and he also appeared in all five games during the Mocs' 2020-21 season, when the scheduled was significantly altered by the coronavirus pandemic.
He'll likely move right into former Ooltewah standout Rashun Freeman's spot at nickelback, but if not, Lowery will surely be counted on at safety.
"What he does in that defense is a big deal, but he's a young man you don't worry about because he's trying to always be better," UTC head coach Rusty Wright said. "Every day, every day he tries to get better at something, and he takes it personal - schoolwork, football, all the same to him. That's how he treats his life, and that's how he takes care of things."
Like so many in the program, Lowery wasn't happy with how last season ended - with a 6-5 record and without a spot in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs - and part of the preseason drive this year has been taking the next step. But in addition to the personnel losses in the secondary, two-year starting defensive tackle Christian Smith has decided to step away from football, making five total bodies to replace on that side of the ball.
While that's a challenge, it has led to an active camp, and the competition simply to get on the field could lead to an already stout defense becoming even better for the preseason SoCon favorites heading into their Sept. 3 opener against Wofford at Finley Stadium.
"It's a lot of people just grinding and putting their head down," Lowery said. "I'm excited about what we can do, the potential we have, and I'm just excited for our abilities and what we've been blessed with to overcome obstacles and situations we've been through the summer and in this training camp.
"I'm ready to get started and ready to see what's going to happen this year."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.