- Reggie Ball
Infobox NFLactive
name=Reggie Ball
width=200
caption=Reggie Ball rushing in a game vs. Clemson in 2006. Photo by [http://jmhphoto.net/ Jamie Howell]
currentteam=Detroit Lions
currentnumber=13
currentpositionplain=Wide receiver
birthdate=birth date and age|mf=yes|1984|10|6
birthplace=Stone Mountain, Georgia
heightft=5
heightin=11
weight=195
debutyear=
debutteam=
highlights=
* ACC Rookie of the Year (2003)
*Champs Sports Bowl MVP (2004)
college=Georgia Tech
undraftedyear=2007
pastteams=
* Detroit Lions (2007-present)*:*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
nfl=BAL581914Reginald Lewis Ball (born October 6, 1984 in
Stone Mountain, Georgia ) is anAmerican football wide receiver who is apractice squad player for theDetroit Lions of theNational Football League . He was originally signed by the Lions as anundrafted free agent in 2007. He playedcollege football at Georgia Tech.Early years
Ball played his high school football at Stephenson High in
Stone Mountain, Georgia . As a senior he passed for over 2000 yards with 19touchdown s and just two interceptions. He was named to the Super Southern 100 and Top 50 in Georgia by theAtlanta Journal-Constitution . Also, he was rated the number 133 player in Georgia byBorderWars.com and ranked among the nation's top 15 all-purpose quarterbacks byRivals.com .cite web|url=http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ball_reggie00.html|title=Georgia Tech profile|publisher=RamblinWreck.com|accessdate=2007-03-04]College career
Reggie Ball was the first
true freshman to start atquarterback for Georgia Tech since Stu Rogers in 1980. [cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/acc/2003-08-25-gatech-ball_x.htm|title=Freshman Quarterback To Start For Georgia Tech|work=USA Today |date=2003-08-25|accessdate=2007-03-04] Ball's first start was in the Yellow Jackets' opening game against BYU in 2003. Since then, Ball missed just one game and amassed 8,128 passing yards, 57 touchdown passes and 9,579 total yards of offense in his career, but also throw 55 interceptions. Ball's passing yards total is third on Georgia Tech's career list, behind Joe Hamilton andShawn Jones , and his touchdown pass and total offense totals are second behind Hamilton. Ball accumulated 11 rushingtouchdown s and also rushed for 1,451 yards in his career, good for 18th on the Yellow Jacket leaderboard and second among Tech quarterbacks in history (Hamilton). He wore jersey number 1.During his career, Ball was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 2003 [cite news|url=http://nique.net/issues/2004-09-10/sports/7|title=Faces in the Crowd: "Rookie of the Year"|work=
The Technique |date=2004-09-10 |accessdate=2007-05-17] and was named the MVP of theChamps Sports Bowl in 2004. [cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/bowls/2004-12-21-champs-bowl-ga-tech-syracuse_x.htm?csp=34| title=It's All Georgia Tech In Champs Sports Bowl|work=USA Today |date=2004-12-21|accessdate=2007-03-04]Reggie Ball began his senior season for the Yellow Jackets by leading the team to a sterling 9-2 record, but Ball's collegiate career ended on a negative note on December 2, 2006, with a feeble 9-6 loss in the
ACC Championship Game to Wake Forest, just one week after Ball's Georgia Tech team lost to in-state rival UGA for a sixth straight year. Ball completed less than 30% (15-51) of his passes in these last two games, threw four interceptions, and gave up a crucialfumble in the loss to Georgia.cite web| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=145781| title=Profile and Statistics|publisher=ESPN.com|accessdate=2007-03-04] Although Georgia Tech earned a spot to play West Virginia in theGator Bowl that year, Reggie Ball's controversial career abruptly ended when he was named academically ineligible, and backup quarterbackTaylor Bennett was named the starter. [cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls06/news/story?id=2704246|title=Georgia Tech's Ball, Scott ruled out of Gator Bowl|work=ESPN.com|date=2007-12-20|accessdate=2007-03-04] [cite news|url=http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/9883159|title=Jackets lose starting QB Ball, corner Scott for Gator Bowl|work=CBS SportsLine.com|date=2006-12-20 |accessdate=2007-05-22] He left Georgia Tech after this season having completed only 44% of his passes, the worst mark of his four-year career, and not receiving an academic degree.Legacy
Reggie Ball's college career will forever be marred with inconsistency. The teams he led "played to the level of the opponent," producing several impressive upsets while losing "easier" games. [cite news|first=Andy|last=Holt|url=http://nique.net/issues/2004-10-15/sports/6|title=Beyond the White and Gold: Too much talent? Dilemma of a quarterback controversy|work=
The Technique |date=2004-10-15 |accessdate=2007-05-17] Although he won several big games for the Jackets including two wins against rankedAuburn University teams and a win against #3University of Miami on the road in 2005, Ball-led Yellow Jacket teams were 0-4 against the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech's primary rival. Ball's play in these games (including, in 2004, a drive-ending intentional incomplete pass out of bounds on 4th down) will always be in question to Georgia Tech fans. Ball finished his career by losing to UGA, losing the ACC Championship game to Wake Forest, and being declared academically ineligible for the 2007 Gator Bowl, which would have been his final game. College football writer Pete Fiutak, contributor to the websiteCollegefootballnews.com , challenged readers to name a more ineffective four year college football starter than Ball. [cite web|first=Pete|last=Fiutak|url=http://cfn.scout.com/2/603148.html|title=ASK CFN - The Most Ineffective QB Ever?|work=College Football News|date=2006-12-21|accessdate=2007-03-04] Brett Jensen compared his career to that of theClemson Tigers 'Charlie Whitehurst ; both had impressive freshman seasons, but they were unable to live up to the expectations placed upon them. [cite news|first=Brett|last=Jensen|url=http://clemson.scout.com/2/581142.html|title=The Trials and Tribulations of Reggie Ball|work=CUTigers.com|date=2006-10-19 |accessdate=2007-05-22]Professional career
Detroit Lions
At the
NFL Combine Ball tried out as a wide receiver, attempting to follow former college quarterbacksAntwaan Randle El andReggie McNeal . He ran a 4.8 second 40-yard dash,cite web| url=http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/gamebygame.php?pyid=60&field=2004%20Game%20Analysis| title=Reggie Ball 2007 NFL Draft Scout Profile|publisher=NFLDraftScout.com|accessdate=2007-03-04] and had somewhat inconsistent pass coverage.cite news|first=D. Orlando|last=Ledbetter|url=http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/printedition/2007/02/26/sptcombinenot0226a.html|title=NFL COMBINE NOTEBOOK: Tech's Ball shows stuff as a receiver|work=Atlanta Journal Constitution |date=2007-02-26|accessdate=2007-03-04] Ball was not selected during the2007 NFL Draft , but was signed by theDetroit Lions , auditioning for a role as a wide receiver/kick returner. [cite news|first=Matt|last=Winkeljohn|url=http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/gatech/stories/2007/04/29/0430techdraft.html|title=Ball to work out for Lions as receiver|work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=2007-04-30|accessdate=2007-04-30] He did not make the team. [cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/teams/detroitlions/roster?team=DET|title=Detroit Lions Roster|publisher=NFL.com|accessdate=2007-11-13]On December 5, he was re-signed to the
practice squad whendefensive back LaMarcus Hicks was placed on injured reserve and wide receiverBrandon Middleton was promoted to the active roster.Fact|date=August 2008 On July 27, 2008 he was placed on injured reserve.Fact|date=August 2008ee also
*
List of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Starting Quarterbacks
*Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets References
External links
* [http://www.detroitlions.com/bio.cfm?bio_id=474&season=9 Detroit Lions bio]
* [http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ball_reggie00.html Georgia Tech bio]
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