A couple years after his brother, Matt, signed to play football for Baldwin-Wallace University, Josh Reid also chose to make that step.
The Highland senior officially signed to play football for B-W, where he will major in education, while minoring in German and athletic coaching.
“It definitely plays a role in it,” said Reid of having a family member also at Baldwin-Wallace. “Matt played a huge part. Having him there makes me familiar with their football program. It’s such a big deal, coming from my religious faith. Family always comes first. If I didn’t have a strong family unit, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
He added that family played a role in his choice of majors, too, as his father, Mike, being a history teacher was an inspiration for him wanting to get into education.
At Baldwin-Wallace, Reid knows he’ll be playing on the line, but wasn’t sure whether that will be the offensive or defensive line when he signed. While he always figured he’d wind up at Baldwin-Wallace, he said that the recruiting process took a while.
“It was a weird journey,” he said. “Deep in my heart, I thought I’d go to Baldwin-Wallace, but wasn’t too sure. I had some Division II looks and Division I FCS with Valparaiso. I figured I’d be going to Baldwin-Wallace, but you never know.”
Reid was lucky in that he did make his final decision before the COVID-19 pandemic made showcasing himself to colleges more difficult.
“COVID did affect things a little bit,” he said. “I wasn’t able to go to many camps, but I verbally committed before COVID was a big deal.”
For Reid, playing football is something that’s been an integral part of his life, so he’s very happy to be able to continue playing the sport.
“Growing up, I always came home from my JV games and turned on the TV to watch the Buckeyes,” he said. “I’m so excited going to college football. I can’t envision my life without football, so I wanted it to last.”
He will miss the camaraderie of the Highland locker room, though, saying that there’s something special about the bonds he’s acquired with his teammates over the past few years.
“My brother Matt told me it’s football, but nothing like high school football,” he said of the college game. “Here, it’s a brotherhood and you suffer so much with those guys. I’ve known them since second grade and they’ve been with me through this ride.”
