The Pro Bowl has been marginalized to the point where it’s no longer a tackle football game, but players still care about being recognized as some of the best at their position.
To prove it, look no further than a touching video the Washington Commanders posted Wednesday after the announcement of the 2022-23 Pro Bowl roster. The video shows Rivera surprising each of the Commanders players with the news that they have received the honor.
Four commanders made it to the Pro Bowl: wide receiver Terry McLaurin, defenseman Jonathan Allen, punter Tress Way and safety/special teamer Jeremy Reaves. It was the latter player who made the video a tearjerker as he was clearly stunned and started tearing up before hugging Rivera.
To understand the emotion behind this video, one has to understand what Reaves did to make it to the Pro Bowl.
After four seasons in South Alabama, Reaves was unselected in the 2018 NFL Draft and ended up with the Philadelphia Eagles. He didn’t last long in Philly, was released before the start of the season, and eventually signed with the Commanders’ practice team. Then he waited most of the season for his NFL debut and was called to the active squad only in December.
The next two seasons were déjà vu; Reaves was fired before the season, quickly accepted into the practice squad, and saw sporadic playtime late in the season. There are dozens of such players in the NFL, and very few break out into significant roles after three years.
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Eventually, Reaves made the 53-man Commanders roster to open this season, his first time breaking camp on an active roster. To date, he’s been on the field for 86 percent of the team’s special teams snaps, which is a career high, and as his Pro Bowl selection shows, he’s managed to stand out from the crowd.
While all of this was happening, Reaves sadly lost his mother, Rose, in November 2021. As he told the Commanders website, this loss affected him on the football side:
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“My mom was my biggest fan,” Reaves said. “She always told me just be confident…don’t try to do too much, do what you’re capable of.” So I just took that approach. It’s a sense of calm. I’m not out there panicking, I’m not out there seeing too much.”
The sport’s lifelong association with his mother healed him last season.
“Honestly, it was probably for the best for me,” said the security guard. “I need something to keep me going and I know my mother would have wanted me to keep going. I just put my best foot forward every day. I’m trying to honor them as best as I can, so I’ve really managed to do it all.”
Of course, Reaves’ mother was the first person he thanked when the news broke.
So you can understand why most players were more excited when they heard Reaves made the cut than they were.
Jeremy Reaves’ Pro Bowl selection was a long time coming. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)