Jan. 2, 2004
Freshman year is a roller coaster experience for any college student. For Reggie Ball, that doesn’t begin to describe his first few months as a student-athlete at Georgia Tech.
“I can’t put in into a couple of sentences or paragraphs, I could write a book,” he laughed. “It’s just been one semester, but the whole experience has taught me a lot about life.”
Since the start of fall practice in August, life has been almost surreal for Ball. Just four days before the season opener, the true freshman was named starting quarterback, leapfrogging several experienced upperclassmen in the process.
Thrust into the spotlight, the Stone Mountain native thrived in victories over Auburn and Vanderbilt, as well as in a narrow loss to Florida State. His ability to both throw and run captured the imagination of the Tech faithful, and his play quickly drew comparisons to predecessors Shawn Jones and Joe Hamilton.
“Internally, I knew that when I got out there and did the things I can do, I would get compared to [Hamilton],” said Ball. “We’re similar in the way we play. Both of us can hurt the other team with our arm or feet.”
The team’s early success surpassed every expectation, and Ball found himself at the center of it all. The added pressure dogged the freshman at times, and his struggles were magnified, especially as the Jackets dropped three of their last four regular season games.
Ball admits that he had difficulty dealing with his sudden rise to fame, but he never let on that he was overmatched. “I think I hid it well,” he explained. “At times, it did get overwhelming, but I never let anyone see that. Right now, I’m at the point where I know what to expect. From now on, it will all be downhill.”
“He really bounces back,” observed senior flanker Jonathan Smith, who was Ball’s favorite receiving target. “He doesn’t let things bother him. Being 18, he’s just a kid. He’s starting as a freshman and leading a Division I team to a bowl game. Not many people can say they’ve done that.”
Ball has done a lot of things that no other freshman at Tech can claim. He has assembled a record-setting season, which concludes Saturday against Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl.
The 5-11, 192-pounder shattered school freshman marks for passing yards (1,980), completions (177) and total offense (2,372). He was also the team’s second-leading rusher with 392 yards.
The media covering the ACC anointed Ball the ACC Rookie of the Year after he garnered the weekly rookie citation five times. However, Ball shrugs off all the accolades.
“I’m not satisfied,” he stated. “I love the fan support. I’ve go to these banquets, and people are saying, ‘I loved watching you, great season.’ We were only 6-6. I’m telling people that this wasn’t a good year. I just want to see how excited people will be over the next few years when we win a lot of games.”
While the Humanitarian Bowl gives him another opportunity to impress national television viewers, Ball sees it as a chance to improve certain aspects of his game, specifically adjusting his arm angle and making better, quicker decisions in the passing game.
“Yes, there have been some highlights for me this year, things I’ll never forget like that Auburn game,” he said. “But all those things are in the past, so I’m focused on getting better with each game. There are a lot of things that I can do better.”
“I think he’s matured a lot from the first week,” added Smith. “He’s progressed week-by-week. This guy is going to be scary over the next few years. If he continues to listen and learn, the sky is the limit.”
