Nothing But Love For Reed

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published July 31, 2025, 11:41 PM

CANTON, Ohio – On a night when NFL legends strolled across the field at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, their gold jackets gleaming under the lights, a rookie from Oregon undrafted and unshaken stole a little of that spotlight for himself.

Nikko Reed, wearing an NFL uniform for the very first time, played like a young man chasing history. And for a moment, under the glow of football’s birthplace, he caught it.

Early in the first quarter of the Chargers’ preseason opener against the Lions, Reed made the kind of play that can flip a game and maybe a career. With instinct and confidence, he jumped a route and picked off Kyle Allen, racing 60 yards before being brought down at the Lions’ 6-yard line.

“Just a feel thing, you know?” Reed said postgame. “Just knowing football, trusting what I see and going to make a play.”

Minutes later, as the Chargers kicked off following a touchdown spurred by his interception, there he was again this time as the first man downfield to make the tackle. Another special teams stop came later in the night, proving Reed’s presence wasn’t a one-play wonder.

“First game as an NFL rookie, interception almost to the crib. It’s a great feeling,” he said, still catching his breath in the locker room afterward.

Undrafted players live in the margins during NFL training camps. They fight for every snap, every tackle, every sliver of attention. In front of Hall of Fame greats, on a field soaked in legacy, Reed earned more than just attention he earned respect.

As he made his way back to the sideline after nearly securing a second interception, he was greeted with high-fives and, perhaps most notably, a helmet tap from head coach Jim Harbaugh.

“I feel good. I got my confidence up after this game, for sure,” Reed said, flashing a smile that hinted at belief without bravado.

But the rookie from Oakland, California (via Oregon), knows this is just the beginning.

“I mean, still, really haven’t done nothing,” he said. “Everything that just happened in this game is in the past. Got to do it again next week.”

There’s a hunger there the kind that can’t be coached, only carried. Reed brought it with him from the West Coast on a red-eye flight to Ohio. Now, he’ll bring it right back, along with a night he won’t soon forget.

And to have his debut happen in Canton?

“It’s a blessing, man,” Reed said. “Just special to be playing here, first game in the birthplace of football. You don’t forget that.”

Earlier in the day, Reed toured the Pro Football Hall of Fame, soaking in the history, marveling at the evolution of the game.

“The old equipment? Zero protection,” he said, laughing. “They were really out there playing. It’s wild how much the technology has changed.”

For Nikko Reed, everything is changing, too. But on this night, it all slowed down. One interception, two tackles, and a long list of firsts all wrapped in the shadows of greatness.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com