NFL Draft Blitz

Alex Khvatov:  What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?

Lucas Reed:  Height is 6’6”, weight is 250 and my last forty time was a 4.68.   
 

Alex Khvatov:  Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?

Lucas Reed:  I didn’t have a junior season, so I wasn’t really on the radar.  There were a couple of juco programs.  Arizona Western was another school that was interested.  New Mexico was actually my first offer.  I went there on the visit, and they offered me while I was there.  I accepted shortly after. 

Alex Khvatov:  How come you didn’t have a junior season of high school?  Were you injured?

Lucas Reed:  No, I just wasn’t that good.  I really didn’t find my footing while I was younger.  I played my freshman and sophomore season as a receiver.  But I didn’t see much play time.  My junior season came along and I still wasn’t really producing.  I wasn’t’ playing that much.  I put in a lot of extra work in between my junior and senior seasons.  I caught over 3,000 balls.  It helped me with my catching ability.  I grew about four inches.  I went from 6’2” to 6’6”.  It is good TE height.  They switched me to tight end the week before the start of senior season.  Things went as they went.  I did pretty good.  I got on the radar thanks to my dad and a couple of highlight tapes that we found.  Luckily I got an offer.                                                      
 

Alex Khvatov:  Are you happy that you chose New Mexico?   

Lucas Reed:  Yeah, I have done good here since it started. 

 

Alex Khvatov:  Describe your career at New Mexico as a whole.    

Lucas Reed:  I gained a little muscle mass during my freshman year when I redshirted.  I got to see my brother play against New Mexico during that year.  It was the last year that UA played New Mexico.  I was really skinny the following year.  I weighed about 210 pounds.  I caught my first pass against Texas A&M during the first game of the season.  They slowly started to gain trust in me.  I think that I caught about 17 passes and one touchdown.  My sophomore year was my highlight with 30 something catches and five touchdowns.  Even though it was an up and down season for the team, I had a productive season.  I wish my junior season would have gone better as a whole.  I didn’t catch any touchdowns, but I still caught a few more balls.  I weighed a little more that season at around 230. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  How disappointing was last year for you and the team (1-11 overall record)?

Lucas Reed:  It was pretty disappointing.  Plans going into the season were obviously different.  You just have to have the right mentality and stay positive.  Keep trying to work hard. 

Alex Khvatov:  How exciting is it to have Coach Bob Davie on board?

Lucas Reed:  Coach Davie, his staff and the whole team are all trying to work together, so we can pull out a better season.  There is a lot of optimism right now.  He is a good coach and a good guy.  He is a disciplinarian.  It is exciting having him around with all of his experience.                                                   
 

Alex Khvatov:  What are your early impressions about your team coming out of spring practice? 

Lucas Reed:  Coming out of spring practice, I think that there has been a lot more improvements in camaraderie and team chemistry.  We know each other very well.  It was a good experience.  We have a new offense going in.  It is pretty exciting.     

Alex Khvatov:  What are your expectations for your senior campaign from a team and individual standpoint?

Lucas Reed:  I really don’t want to expect or plan anything right now.  I will try to do my best.  I don’t want to set any high expectations.  I want to improve on last season.  My new weight gain will help me, and I will look more of the part of a tight end.  I just want to fulfill the role of a tight end this year.  I just want to help in the passing game, but also contribute more as a run blocker.  As a team, we want to improve and win more games than we did the last two years.  We want to go to a bowl game.  It is our goal.                    

Alex Khvatov:  What are your strengths?

Lucas Reed:  My catching ability and getting open.  I can hold my own as a blocker.  People don’t expect it, but I do a pretty good job especially with my weight gain.  I did hold my ground going against Texas Tech’s and TCU’s defensive ends in the previous couple of years.          

Alex Khvatov:  What areas of your game do you need to improve upon?

Lucas Reed:  Definitely my blocking and my catching.  I am working on both.    

Alex Khvatov:  What is the highlight of your career up to this point?

Lucas Reed:  It was definitely the Wyoming game my redshirt sophomore year.  It was one of the victories in 2010 season.  I was on ESPN’s top ten plays.  It was definitely exciting.  I made a one-handed grab for a TD. 

Alex Khvatov:  Who is the toughest player that you have faced during your career?

Lucas Reed:  There was a DE from TCU (Jerry Hughes).  He was one of the strongest guys that I have ever gone up against.  He was 250 pounds at that time.  He was definitely difficult to block.       

Alex Khvatov:  What is your favorite NFL team growing up in Arizona?

Lucas Reed:  I didn’t have a favorite team.  I played so much football.  My brother and my dad watched a lot of football on TV.  I didn’t watch that much TV.  But now that my older brother is on the Texans, I like to watch their games a lot.    

Alex Khvatov:  Who is your favorite NFL player not including your older brother Brooks?

Lucas Reed:  Rob Gronkowski.  I actually got a chance to meet him back in the day when I went to a couple of my brother’s practices at Arizona.       

Alex Khvatov:  Which underclassmen on your team are ready to have a breakout season?

Lucas Reed:  We have so many newcomers on our team this year.  Dillon Farrell is our center/offensive lineman.  He was nominated for the Outland Trophy.  He is ready for a breakout season.  WR Lamaar Thomas was out last season because of an injury.  He is coming back this season, but he is not an underclassmen.  He is a senior.  He was a transfer from another college (Ohio State).      

Alex Khvatov:  What do you enjoy most about playing college football? 

Lucas Reed:  Just getting to be out on the field during the game.  You get to know a lot of people.  The people that you play with become your family. 

Alex Khvatov:  How exciting is it for you to be nominated to the Preseason Mackey Award watch list?

Lucas Reed:  It is always a humbling experience.  I had it last year, but I didn’t have a great season.  For them to put me back on the award list again makes me want to work that much harder.  I want to prove myself out on the field.

Alex Khvatov:  What is your definition of a leader?

Lucas Reed:  Always have a positive attitude, be an extra hard worker, good communication skills and know how to motivate people when they are down.

Alex Khvatov:  What have you learned from your older brother Brooks (2^nd round pick of the Texans in the 2011 NFL Draft) through the years?

Lucas Reed:  He has pretty much done everything for me.  He has always kind of been in front of me.  He led the way.  He has been one step ahead of me.  I am hoping that I can catch up to him again.  He has an amazing work ethic.  It has rubbed off on me.  Hopefully I can have just as much success as he has had.  Hopefully I will have a good senior season.  He is definitely my role model for football and everything else. 

Alex Khvatov:  What has he told you about the NFL?

Lucas Reed:  He said that it is one of the hardest things that he has had to do.  Conditioning wise it is very tough.  He went to such a hot area.  Houston has the humidity aspect.  He told me the process of getting to the NFL and the training in Arizona.  It is definitely a challenging thing.                                                                

Alex Khvatov:  What are your hobbies?

Lucas Reed:  I am a pretty boring person.  I stay inside and play video games.  I hang out with friends.  I used to go to the pool everyday when I lived in an apartment.  I go to the gym and work out.  I am pretty busy.    

Alex Khvatov:  What do you plan to do after your football career is over? 

Lucas Reed:  I don’t have an answer to it.  I have some ideas.  Maybe I can go and work for a company that does computer graphics or maybe be a physical trainer.

Alex Khvatov:  You have had an amazing transformation.  How do you go from a 185 pound receiver in high school to a 250 pound tight end in college?

Lucas Reed:  The weight has always been a struggle for me.  I really didn’t know how tall I was going to be.  I came to New Mexico weighing 205 as a true freshman.  I played next year at 212 pounds.  The expectations of family and coaches are always there for you to gain the weight and perform well at your position.  It adds to the pressure of transforming yourself.  It is almost like a thought in your mind.               

Alex Khvatov:  Finish the sentence, Lucas Reed is….

Lucas Reed:  It is a hard question.  I am definitely kind-hearted and a hard worker.  I have a funny personality.  I like to relax a lot.