One of the most fascinating high school football players in the country is not a five-star recruit. He’s not a four-star recruit, either, or even a guy who has seen any action in a game this season. He’s actually an undersized 4-foot-5, 95-pound running back who plays for one of the best high school teams in the country.
Adam Reed plays for American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) High School, which is considered one of the top 20 programs in the country. The Miami Herald published a feature on Reed, who at 4-foot-5, is believed to be the shortest varsity football player to see game action when that does happen.
Reed, a 17-year-old senior, has been playing football at American Heritage since sixth grade. He started off on middle school teams and then played junior varsity the past three years. But as he entered his senior year, he was out of options because he was too old and experienced to play on JV again.
“It was just like anybody else, trying to come up and do my part,” Reed said of his time on JV.
With limited options, American Heritage’s coaches, who are former NFL players, decided to put Reed on varsity. Head coach Mike Rumph wants him to get in a game even though he didn’t play in the team’s first two contests.
“Whether or not he gets playing time as a senior, it remains a mystery,” Rumph told The Miami Herald. “But I have some plans and ideas to get him involved because he sacrificed the way everybody else sacrificed.”
“He does everything we do and has an even bigger heart. His size doesn’t matter. He’s like one of us,” teammate Kyshaun Bryan said of Reed via The Herald.
Reed was adopted very young and not much is known about his family’s health history. The best answer he’s been given regarding his size is that his body doesn’t know what to do with growth hormone.
Even though his size has caused him grief at times, Reed is playing with a purpose.
“Showing that anybody can do whatever they want. If you’re small, it don’t matter. Come out, play football and have a good time,” he says.
— Adam Reed (@AdamRawDoe) July 25, 2014
A cowfish probably my best catch out of 12 but still.. pic.twitter.com/aKcf9OlHRr
— Adam Reed (@AdamRawDoe) June 5, 2015
Helmet smack to MaxPreps
