Emotional outpouring for Reid

Jim Stout covers the Northeast Region for D3football.com. He can be reached at jim@d3football.com 2001 columns

By Jim Stout
D3football.com (posted July 27)

DANBURY, Conn. — The pastor from the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn was devastated by the news, just as everyone connected with Western Connecticut State football had been the moment they heard late last week.

The Rev. Keith Pettus may have a congregation based in New York City, but his son played football at Brentwood High on Long Island with Dwaine Reid, the immensely popular Western Connecticut junior running back who was killed a week ago in a motorcycle accident.

Because of this kinship, because he would be delivering the eulogy at Reid’s funeral service — a Homegoing Celebration was the appointed term — the Rev. Pettus mentioned the tragedy last Sunday to one of his Brooklyn parishioners. The parishioner was so moved by the story, so taken by Reid’s extraordinary personality and accomplishments and love of life that he wrote a touching letter to Reid’s parents, Frances and Thomas.

Pettus read the letter on Tuesday at the Homegoing Celebration for Reid in Brentwood. The parishioner who wrote it was New York Jets running back Curtis Martin.

"It was quite a touching thing...everything about the service was,” said WestConn coach John Burrell.

"The whole emphasis was not that Dwaine was leaving here, but rather that he was going to a better place, that he was going to heaven and was going to be in a better place. It allowed a lot of people, Dwaine’s family and his teammates in particular, to feel some sense of relief.”

Of the 60-plus veteran players at WestConn, probably 40 or more were able to attend the service and celebration for their valued friend and all-Freedom Football Conference teammate. As soon as quarterback Mike Scipione heard about the accident, he immediately jumped in his car and drove to New York from his Virginia home. Cornerback Daron Reid (no relation) caught a train to Long Island from Maryland.

Burrell and defensive coordinator Rocky Kelsey spent the first day following Reid’s death counseling and comforting players who remained on campus for the summer. Burrell consulted with the University’s counseling center as to how to proceed with his role, both for now and for the first day of preseason camp on Aug. 21.

"I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before,” he said.

Players, coaches and friends poured into Reid home both before and after Tuesday’s service. Senior wide receiver Michael Forest, one of Reid’s closest friends on the team, recited several scriptural passages during the service. Forest wasn’t grieving, he said, because he was confident Reid was in a better place.

Former Western Connecticut head coach Bob Surace, now an assistant with the Cincinnati Bengals, couldn’t return East with NFL training camps opening this week, but talked to Frances Reid on the phone and spoke to others back in Connecticut.

"It’s just so hard to believe,” Surace said. "You ask yourself why, but there are no answers.”

Burrell, the former defensive coordinator who took over from Surace during the offseason, shared the relief that many felt following the spiritual and uplifting service in Brentwood. He returned to work late in the day, however, and discovered that putting it all behind him and the team won’t be quite that easy.

Closure is not an exact science.

"I walked into my office and found both of Dwaine’s No. 11 game jerseys,” Burrell said. "Then the next day I had to update the roster in the computer. That meant taking Dwaine off...

"I know things are going to continue to come up as we go along,” he added. "When we get together as a team on Aug. 21, I know it’s going to be difficult again because we’ll all be together for the first time without Dwaine here. I can see us probably having some kind of ceremony at the first home game (Sept. 21) and wearing black No. 11s on our helmet in his memory.”

Perhaps the player with the heaviest emotions to carry will be Jeff Wakefield-Ward, the sophomore running back from Gallaway, N.J. Reid was a big brother to the talented younger tailback, a role model, a player who taught the FFC offensive rookie of the year how to play and act in college football.

Not only will Wakefield-Ward want to live up to Reid’s legacy and spirit, he’ll have to replace him as the starting tailback.

"So far Jeff seems fine, he’s dealing with it,” Burrell said. "I’ll be keeping a close eye on him, though. I’ll be keeping a close eye on everyone, including myself. When you’ve never been through something like this, you can’t be too careful.”

Though no one will ever forget, everyone will release and let go at some point. Dwaine Reid would have wanted it that way.

Back to D3football.com