While most people spend their Sundays watching football on television, Rio Hondo’s John Reyes spent this past Sunday playing football at AT&T Stadium in Arlington – the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Reyes took the field as the starting center for the West squad at the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl. The West team won the game 7-6.
Reyes had been to two Blue-Grey combines earlier this year but this game was the feather in his high school cap.
He attended a combine this past April, where he took home a top performer award in the bench press and another in the summer where he saw more of the nation’s competition.
Now, even after all the games he’s played at Rio Hondo, Reyes looked at Sunday’s event as the biggest athletic moment he’s been a part of.
“It was a great experience because I got to play against some of the best high school football players in the nation,” Reyes said. “Some of the guys up there are already signed to big Division I colleges and I got to play against them. It was a real confidence booster.”
Reyes said he split time with one other center during the game and played about 35 plays.
“I’d have to give myself a B if I had to rate my performance,” he said. “I was pretty nervous at first and made a few mistakes, but once I got going I did OK so therefore I’ll give myself a B.”
Reyes said that the experience also helped him realize that he can match up against the nation’s best.
“I was one of the smallest guys out there but I still held my ground and played pretty well,” he said. “I learned that my size won’t hold me back if I get the chance to play at the next level.”
Reyes said he hopes that Sunday’s event was not his final football game and that he does reach “the next level.”
“At this point I’ve gotten calls from West Texas A&M and Howard Payne about playing college ball,” he said. “I haven’t heard whether they want me yet, but I’ve sent them information on me and we’ll just have to wait and see.”