By: Jacob Eisenberg
At 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, Navy’s Keenan Reynolds has always had his fair share of doubters. “He’s too small to play quarterback,” they would say. “He’s going to get hurt out there.”
Reynolds heard the concerns. Several respected programs around the country offered him a conditional scholarship if he was willing to switch positions to wide receiver. Reynolds stood firm; he knew in his heart that quarterbacking was in his nature and that he would turn heads once he got the opportunity.
“I’m just confident, in a lot of things,” Reynolds told the Washington Times. “Confident on the field, confident in games, confident in the locker room as far as being a vocal leader. And then just confident in the playbook, more knowledgeable about what we do.”
And there’s reason for Reynolds to be confident. Since coming to Navy in 2012, Reynolds has left a unique impression on his teammates and coaches. Simply put, he thrives on the field because he’s dedicated to being the most prepared player by the start of the game.
“His preparation is not like a binge diet where you starve yourself then eat McDonald’s for four days,” Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo told Sports Illustrated. “Keenan doesn’t cut corners. He comes to practice and meetings every day to put in the necessary work.”
Reynolds’ first significant encounter with his coaching staff at Navy came when he was a senior in high school. While his friends were going on group trips for the high school spring break, Reynolds asked to come to Annapolis to sit in on practices and quarterback meetings.
"He was everywhere," Niumatalolo told USA Today. "He'd sit in meetings, player meetings, coaches meetings. He wasn't very talkative. I should have known then that this guy was taking everything in. He was observing and soaking everything in, just like a sponge."
While some certainly would have preferred to relax on spring break, Reynolds was more comfortable getting ahead on his future playbook.
“I was hungry to learn,” Reynolds told Sports Illustrated. ”I wanted to be the guy.”
The preparation paid off. By the sixth game of Reynolds’ freshman year, he was sent on to the field to relieve Navy’s injured starting quarterback. Ever since, the job has been Reynolds’.
"He had that 'it' quality about him, the way he talked,” Navy’s Offensive Line coach Ashley Ingram told USA Today.
Now, a summer away from his senior season, Reynolds has inserted himself into the preseason Heisman conversation and has earned distinction as Navy’s best quarterback since Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach in the 1960s.
Staubach himself is happy to be on the Reynolds bandwagon.
"Every time I've seen him play, he's been fantastic," Staubach told USA Today. "Keenan is as elite a quarterback as there is in college football today, I think. He's in a system where he doesn't throw as much (as others), but he does everything you have to do as a quarterback, as a leader, to win."
Reynolds owns the NCAA record with 31 rushing touchdowns from the quarterback position, a record he set as a sophomore. But after a slightly disappointing junior season in which he rushed for only 23 touchdowns, the quarterback is going back to practice in the spring with a chip on his shoulder. With full time service training to balance on the side of football, Reynolds has more on his plate than his competing Heisman hopefuls. Still, Reynolds thinks the Naval Academy has made him a better quarterback – on and off the field.
"You learn how to manage things much better, how to deal with a lot of problems at once, stress,” Reynolds told USA Today. “You learn how to manage it all. I enjoy it, and I wouldn't trade it."
Beyond the impressive credentials on the field and the time commitment to training, it’s hard to believe that Reynolds finds the time to excel in the classroom. However, it’s his commitment to learning has made him a true Scholar Baller®. He’s majoring in international relations and earned a 3.32 GPA last spring.
When he finishes playing football at Navy, he’ll be serving the country. As far as what position within the Navy he wants, Reynolds says he wants to work in either intelligence or aviation.
And after his service is done, don’t be surprised to hear Reynolds’ name called in the NFL draft someday. Scouts compare his decision-making and speed with Russell Wilson and believe he could be a hidden gem off of most teams’ draft boards.
As for Niumatalolo, he’s just excited to have one last season with his superstar.
“I think what he did was he earned their respect first, which shows you what kind of leader he is,” Niumatalolo told the Washington Times. “He didn’t try to come in here and say, ‘Hey, I’m the quarterback, give me the respect.’ He earned it. And I think guys gave it to him freely because he earned it.