Former Taylor High School alumnus Terrell Reynolds has been very active in his community lately as the former standout quarterback for the Ducks started a threeday youth football camp at the Taylor Athletic Complex.
At the camp, Reynolds wants to get these kids to develop great habits on the field, and that starts with the mental responsibility of being a quarterback.
“Quarterback is a grown man position. A mental position where you have to know everyone’s job, what they’re like or their personality. You’ve got to be able to trust them,” Reynolds said. “I’m trying to teach them that standpoint before they can pick up a ball and start going. If they’re not going to be able to trust me, they are not going to be able to trust anybody.”
Reynolds had high praise for former Taylor offensive coordinator Trenton Kirlin, who was with the Ducks from 2015 until 2017 and now is with Vanderbilt University as a quality control assistant on offense with quarterbacks. Many of the drills that Reynolds taught the kids on the field this week came from what he learned under Kirlin.
The physical aspect of the camp is one thing, but doing the little things when it comes to awareness is what goes the extra mile as a quarterback.
“Awareness is my biggest thing because you can come up to the line and it could be third down and without you not knowing that it’s third down could cost you a whole play. That’s like you not knowing you have to be at work at seven o’clock,” Reynolds said.
To start, Reynolds had every kid do warmup exercises with two weighted balls and different types of arm motions with varying speeds while walking up and down the field.
In addition to working on full-body balance, the boys worked on their footwork when stepping back to make throws in the pocket and quickly reacting to the direction Reynolds pointed to make the proper throw downfield.
Reynolds then had the quarterbacks grab a towel with their throwing hand and flick it in a throwing motion over again to simulate a quick release. He emphasized that these motions should be practiced thousands of times while at home so it becomes natural on the field.
Another drill of note that Reynolds had campers do was putting them right in front of the goal post and having them throw a ball downfield, enabling them to keep the throwing motion compact. Then he had the quarterbacks turn facing and taking steps away from the receivers before signaling them to turn around. This would teach quick reaction time and the ability to pick up where targets are downfield.
Footwork and dropping back in the pocket with the correct steps is very important. Reynolds then ran live action plays with receivers running different routes for the quarterbacks and knowing how to read defensive alignments before snapping the ball.
Reynolds also had his quarterbacks eventually throw while rolling out to different sides of the field to make a throw on the run with a quick release of the ball. Campers needed to maintain the footwork, keeping eyes downfield and throwing to the target.
At the end of the day, Reynolds wanted to reiterate with the kids that they should never be satisfied and continue to grind in life.
“Nothing is given to you. You have to earn it all,” Reynolds said. “It might not even be fair at first. In all levels, life is about perception. I want to show the kids that where I’ve been or where you may go is not the endpoint. Keep going. So whatever you’re told in that moment, don’t sit in it and let it stick with you.”
Reynolds was a great quarterback for Taylor who graduated in 2016. He has plenty of memories playing for the Ducks but the ones that stuck with him the most were being around his teammates over the years.
“Being with the guys. It’s about family,” Reynolds said. “It’s about the relationships and building bonds. They last the longest and to experience those moments with those types of guys is something you can’t forget.”
