Times have changed for SaberCats' Jerry Reese
January 23, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Jan. 24, 2004) â The theme song from the 1970's television show âWelcome Back Kotter' might best describe the 2004 San Jose SaberCats. The team welcomes several veterans back after spending all or most of the 2003 season on the injured list. Leading the group that includes several key veterans is Jerry Reese, an original SaberCat who returns after playing just two games in 2003 before suffering a knee injury.
No player has seen more SaberCats' football than the 30-year-old Bay Area native. Except for a two-year stint with the NFL's Buffalo Bills and NFL Europe's Scottish Claymores, the wide receiver/defensive back has spent his entire career in San Jose, including the team's inaugural season in 1995. According to Reese, a lot has changed between the training camps of 1995 and 2004.
"The first thing is we don't have milk crates to sit on," said the seven-year SaberCats' veteran. "Now we have a true locker room. The facilities are much better."
Besides a better place to hang his clothes, Reese says he's seen plenty of other changes during his tenure in Arena Football.
"You can see now that people are taking this game much more seriously," Reese explained. "It's not such a fun league anymore. Games are now officially a business trip. It used to be âYeah we have a game, but what are we going to do afterwards?' It makes it more fun because it's a lot more competitive."
Reese has had plenty of good times playing for the SaberCats. The San Jose State alum is ranked second on the team's all-time list with 76 touchdown receptions and in receiving yards (3,455), third in receptions (240), total touchdowns (79) and career points scored (478), and is fourth in forced fumbles with five. Reese has accomplished all this despite missing 24 games over the past three seasons with injuries â an issue that has hurt his development physically, but has helped in other areas of his game.
"For the last couple years, it has been hard for me to get better because I've been dealing with injuries," Reese said. "One thing I do have going for me is I feel I'm a lot smarter. I know where to be in a given situation to get my body in position to make a successful play."
According to Reese, finding any edge on the football field has become more and more important given the AFL's growing competitiveness over the past decade.
"Now we have people trying to make it to the NFL, or who just came from the NFL," Reese said. "Before, you were just an arena player like me. Now you have people underneath you trying to make it to that next level and working constantly to get better everyday."
Reese enjoys the competition, but time and injuries have him looking toward the future.
"At first, I thought maybe this would be my last year," Reese admitted. "But my knee was starting to come along and I almost thought I had 2-3 years. The main concern is the knee. Next year I can hopefully be healthy, have a full off-season, then take it from there."
Whenever his career does come to an end, it will be the relationships with his fellow players that Reese will remember the most.
"Just my teammates and certain guys who were funny," Reese recollected. "Before it was Amod Field, now it's Wendell Davis. It makes it a real joy to come to work with a bunch of guys you love. It's great to be a part of it."
Reese and the rest of the SaberCats kickoff their 10th AFL season at Detroit on Thursday, February 5th. The home opener is set for Saturday, February 28th against the Grand Rapids Rampage at HP Pavilion. Single game tickets for all home games can be purchased at all Northern California TicketMaster outlets, on-line at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at the HP Pavilion box office. For season or group ticket information call the SaberCats at (408) 573-5577 or visit the team's official website at www.sanjosesabercats.com.
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