Reggie Roberson: All the way back?

[PonyPride]

All the way back?
Reggie Roberson out to prove injuries are behind him as he prepares for 2021

Posted on 08/06/2021 by PonyFans.com

The first question asked of SMU football head coach Sonny Dykes at The American Athletic Conference Media Day was about who will play quarterback for the Mustangs this fall. That makes sense, given the importance of the position.

But if the first question is about who will throw the ball in 2021, the second is about who will catch it. More specifically, where does Reggie Roberson fit into the Ponies’ stable of receivers?

Roberson burst into the spotlight as a sophomore in 2018 when he transferred to SMU after playing one season at West Virginia. In his first season in Dallas, he finished second on the team with 52 receptions for 802 receiving yards and six touchdown catches.

As a junior, he started eight games before his season ended with a foot injury. Despite playing in just eight games, he finished second on the team with 43 catches and 803 yards through the air, reaching the end zone six times. Half of those touchdown catches came against Temple, a game in which his 250 receiving yards were the second-most in a game in SMU history.

Last season, Roberson returned amid huge expectations; with James Proché off to the Baltimore Ravens, Roberson was the unquestioned leader of the receivers … until he injured his knee against Memphis in the fourth game of the season. For the second time in as many years, Roberson spent the remainder of the season watching the Mustangs play on without him.

The top target in the passing game was scheduled for knee surgery. As soon as it was scheduled, he told SMU head coach Sonny Dykes and wide receivers coach David Gru “I hope you’ll take me back for another year.”

He hoped they would take him back?

Imagine being a receivers coach and having an undeniable deep threat with four years of production and experience against college defenses asking for a chance to play for you. Gru admitted that he likely did a poor job of holding his poker face.

Gru acknowledged that Roberson could have decided to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft, and knee injury notwithstanding, likely would have been selected to begin his NFL career. He could have gone pro and been productive, and nobody would have complained.

Instead, Roberson did what he has done so many times before: he put his head down and went to work.

For the second time in as many years, while his teammates ran pass routes and did on-field conditioning work, Roberson became intimately familiar with the SMU trainers’ room, putting in work to get his surgically repaired knee ready for a final season on the Hilltop.
“The rehab process was an everyday-type of thing,” Roberson said. “I went in to the training room every day, just staying in there for hours. Worked on some PT, just trying to get my leg back, my quad back, my hamstring — just everything around that — and then going out there, just ran with the team and worked out on the side.”

With Roberson working his way back, Rashee Rice and Danny Gray were the top targets during the team’s spring workouts, joined by the likes of Austin Upshaw, Calvin Wiggins, Arizona State transfer Jordan Kerley and true freshman Dylan Goffney. Still, having Roberson back changes the SMU offense. He has exceptional speed, but that does not always ensure a great downfield threat — there is a difference between teams that recruit track stars and try to teach them to play, and players like Roberson who have the wheels to get behind defenses but also the body control to adjust to the ball in flight and make plays downfield.

Asked if he will play this season with a brace on his knee, Roberson smiled and told the media “I guess you guys are going to have to wait and see.”

While Roberson works to get back on the field to catch passes for the SMU offense, he does not yet know who will be throwing it. The Mustangs have three quarterbacks — returning veteran Derek Green, Oklahoma transfer Tanner Mordeca and true freshman Preston Stone — all vying for the job. Roberson said he has high expectations for the Mustangs’ quarterback — regardless of who ends up winning the job.”

“From the QB room, I expect a lot,” he said. “We’ve got three great QBs back there — we’ve got Tanner, Preston and Derek. Any one of those guys can go out there and start for me. I feel like no matter who it is, they’re all competitive, they all want to play, they all know the playbook. It’s going to be exciting to see who’s going to be the starter for us, and where that QB room goes.

“Personally, it doesn’t matter. As long as the ball’s in the air, I have a job to go get it, and make the QB make a play and make him look good. So as long as the ball’s in the air and they give me some room to catch the ball, that’s what I’m going to do, because that’s what they brought me in to do.”

Gru said Roberson’s decision to come back to SMU for a final season was as much about his “emotional attachment to this place” and the fact that he thinks Roberson “wants to see it through” as anything else. At Media Day, Roberson oozed optimism that appeared to support his position coach’s assessment.

“I feel like this is going to be a great year for us, coming off that Covid, being able to hang out with the team, being able to be around the team more, and just bond and do stuff together and getting that team chemistry down is great,” Roberson said. “Just going out and practicing, doing 7-on-7 right now, I can see the competitive nature this team has. We all have that one goal. We’re going to go reach that goal, no matter who’s in our way.”

Reaching those goals means hard work, which has been a staple in Roberson’s agenda since he started working his way from surgery for one last go-round with his team. Gru said that if SMU had a game this weekend, Roberson would be ready to play. Roberson said he feels as good as he ever has. He starts his final SMU season as a member of the watch lists for the Maxwell Award and the Biletnikoff Award, named first-team All-AAC by Athlon Sports, first-team All-Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine and DCTF’s Best Receiver heading in to the season.

“The rehab has been great, and going into fall camp, I feel amazing — better than the whole time I’ve been here at SMU,” he said. “I can’t wait.”

[Charleston Pony]

A full, productive season from Reggie as he proves to NFL scouts that his knee is going to hold up would really be nice. Pulling for him to be playing ball for years to come.

[giacfsp]

I'll hold my breath every time he plants and cuts, but when he is fully healthy, he is incredible to watch. Here's to a healthy season and a long and healthy pro career.