This young man has to have these goals, All-ACC and then on to the NFL….David Reader Jr., the BIG(6’2/325) young man from Greensboro’s Grimsley High School and a defensive tackle for the Clemson Tigers in on the map/radar and he is now in the conversation being mentioned among the best in the ACC, as the 2015 season approaches….
We have known D.J. here at this site, since back when he was in the 8th grade and on his way to his first high school football practice at Grimsley, and coming off of a Summer of PONY baseball and travel baseball in and around the Greensboro area and all across the state of North Carolina…..
D.J. was the man back and he really is “The Man” now and he looks like a slimmed down version of himself, even at the 325 pounds….This kid can play and we can’t wait to see him open up his game this 2015 football season for the Clemson Tigers….D.J. can play and his name has been all-in the news and on the TV and on the web sites this week, coming out of the ACC Football Preview in Pinehurst….
Wish him the best and we can say we knew him when and let’s hope he and his Tigers can win enough games this season to be in the ACC and the National Title Hunt….Would be a great way to see D.J.’s career conclude at Clemson….Best of luck and a safe season for this former Greensboro Grimsley Whirlie and you can see his bio below, as it appears on the Clemson Tigers’ football web site…
Keeping an eye out for the Tigers and their All-ACC defensive lineman D.J./David Reader Jr. this season and you may see some of things that I taught D.J. showing up on the football field and maybe off of it too, here in 2015….(Those things would be always be able to run and never stop running your mouth, so the people will know, D.J. came to play)……
from the Clemson Tigers’ athletics/football web site:
#48 D.J. Reader
Position: DT
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 325
Year: Senior
Hometown:Greensboro, N.C.
High School:Grimsley HS
Major:Communication Studies
Experience:2 Letters
Has been a primary backup at defensive tackle and has also seen action as a fullback … has the size and mobility to make a difference … has 110 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 21 quarterback pressures and one pass breakup in 828 snaps over 38 games (four starts) in his career … became the second Tiger to letter on top-25 football and baseball teams in one academic year (2012-13) since 1994-95 (Kyle Parker (2009-10) is the other).
2014: Had 27 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and 10 quarterback pressures in 250 snaps over 12 games (one start) … had five tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in 23 snaps at No. 12 Georgia on Aug. 30 … had five tackles in 22 snaps at No. 1 Florida State on Sept. 20 … had three tackles and two quarterback pressures in 23 snaps against Syracuse on Oct. 25; also played one snap on offense … had three tackles, 0.5 sacks and a team-tying-high three quarterback pressures in 25 snaps at Wake Forest on Nov. 6; also played one snap on offense … had three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack in 22 snaps against South Carolina on Nov. 29 … had two quarterback pressures in 21 snaps against No. 24 Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 29.
2013: Had 43 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks and eight quarterback pressures in 342 snaps over 13 games (three starts) … played four snaps on offense … had five tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in 33 snaps against SC State on Sept. 7 … had five tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in 26 snaps against Wake Forest on Sept. 28; also played one snap on offense … had four tackles and his first career sack in 29 snaps at Syracuse on Oct. 5; also played one snap on offense … had one tackle and two quarterback pressures in 28 snaps against Boston College on Oct. 12; also played one snap on offense … had two tackles and one sack in 37 snaps against No. 5 Florida State on Oct. 19 … had five tackles in 32 snaps at Maryland on Oct. 26; it was his first career start … had four tackles, a team-high two tackles for loss and one sack in 24 snaps at Virginia on Nov. 2; also played one snap on offense … had two tackles and a team-high three quarterback pressures in 33 snaps against Georgia Tech on Nov. 14 … had five tackles in 21 snaps against The Citadel on Nov. 23 … had six tackles in 41 snaps at No. 9 South Carolina on Nov. 30.
2012: Had 40 tackles, three quarterback pressures and one pass breakup in 236 snaps over 13 games … averaged one tackle every 5.9 snaps, one of the best figures on the team … had two tackles in six snaps against No. 25 Auburn at Atlanta, Ga. on Sept. 1; it was his first career game … had five tackles in 25 snaps against Ball State on Sept. 8 … had five tackles in 13 snaps at Boston College on Sept. 29 … had three tackles in 19 snaps against Georgia Tech on Oct. 6 … had seven tackles in 27 snaps against Virginia Tech on Oct. 20 … had three tackles in 21 snaps at Wake Forest on Oct. 25 … had three tackles and a pass breakup in 20 snaps at Duke on Nov. 3 … had two tackles in 20 snaps against NC State on Nov. 17 … had three tackles in seven snaps against No. 7 Louisiana State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31.
Baseball (2013): First-baseman who was 0-for-3 with one run, two walks, one hit-by-pitch, a .500 on-base percentage, three putouts and one assist with no errors in seven games off the bench.
Before Clemson: Rated as the No. 19 offensive guard in the nation and No. 20 player in North Carolina by Rivals.com … No. 20 offensive guard in the nation by Scout.com … No. 58 offensive guard in the nation and No. 27 player in North Carolina by ESPN … No. 41 defensive lineman in the nation and No. 8 player in North Carolina by SuperPrep … SuperPrep All-American … had 50 tackles, seven tackles for loss and five sacks as a senior … starting center on the basketball squad … standout baseball player (righthander and DH) who has been clocked in the 90s … all-conference in baseball as a sophomore, junior and senior … all-region in baseball as a junior and senior … team MVP in baseball as a junior and senior … batted .529 as junior … lettered four times in football, four times in baseball and four times in basketball … coached by Damon Coiro at Grimsley High School … recruited by Robbie Caldwell.
Personal: His mother, Felicia, played softball at North Carolina A&T from 1985-88 … his uncle, Glenn Ford, played football at Tennessee from 1978-80 … majoring in communication studies … born July 1, 1994.