Holy Cross safety Walter Reynolds has blossomed into a special leader for Crusaders
WORCESTER — After football practice at University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, Walter Reynolds, Holy Cross’ senior starting free safety, and his dad and defensive backs coach, Walter, would pack up the car and, on the ride home, talk about the last two hours on the field, what went right and what Reynolds needed to work on.
They would eat dinner with Reynolds’ mom, Veronica, then father and son would watch and break down film of the week’s opponent.
“I’ve benefited from being able to go home and not ‘take off the helmet’ so to speak,” Reynolds said following Tuesday’s HC practice, “just because I’m able to go through things with my dad and really talk about the game at any time from a very high level.”
The older Walter coached his son since he was a 6-year-old playing flag football and throughout high school. Reynolds was an Associated Press first-team All-State selection his senior year at U of D Jesuit.
“From the very beginning,” Reynolds said, “just being around the game has been a very crucial part of the growth I made in high school and here at Holy Cross. My dad taught me early to be a student of the game. Preparation is key. Being prepared and being ready is something we always did. We took the time to go through what teams were doing and make sure I was in the best position possible always.”
As Reynolds, who has started every game the last three years, embarks on his fifth season at Holy Cross, nothing has changed between him and his dad, who continues to mentor and motivate.
“I talk to my dad every day,” Reynolds said, “morning, night, before class, before practice, after practice. He’s always checking in, and just listening and taking in whatever I need to let him know, talking through things and helping me understand why a play might not have gone right. It’s never criticism; it’s teaching, coming from a place of love, and it’s much appreciated.”
The three-time defending Patriot League champion Crusaders open the 2022 season Friday night at Merrimack. The Warriors beat HC, 35-21, in HC’s 2021 home opener.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am and the team is,” Reynolds said. “We have a bad taste in our mouths from the way things happened last year. We’re ready to show how excited and ready we are to make an impact this year.”
The 6-foot, 193-pound, hard-hitting Reynolds, who recorded 55 tackles, 3 interceptions and 4 pass breakups during HC’s historic 2021 season, earned the Crusaders’ Unsung Hero Award last year, but, certainly, everyone in the program recognizes Reynolds value to the defense and the team.
“He’s one of those guys,” fifth-year senior center Nick Olsofka said, “you know when he’s out there, he makes a difference.”
Reynolds had four tackles and an interception in last year’s win at UConn, and the game-sealing pick in the triumph at Yale. Reynolds totaled seven tackles and a pass breakup in HC’s second-round Football Championship Subdivision playoff game at Villanova.
For the first time in his Holy Cross career, Reynolds is a team captain.
“He’s been a leader since day one,” Holy Cross coach Bob Chesney said. “He grew up in the game and he is very aware of schematic football and situational football, and he does such a good job of helping our younger guys understand it and getting everyone on the same page. He studies film as much as anybody on this team, and he really understands the opponent and understands our strengths and weaknesses within our system. He’s like a coach on the field, and that’s exciting.”
This summer, Reynolds led some positional meetings, and, since the preseason began, he has regular one-on-one sessions with defensive coordinator Scott James. Outside of the team meeting room, he gets guys together for additional film work.
“Like I said,” Reynolds said, “preparation is just so important, and making sure we’re all on the same page makes Saturdays, or in this case, Friday, easier.”
On campus, Reynolds is co-president of MOCA (Men of Color Athletes)/WOCA (Women of Color Athletes). Former HC athletes Marcellis Perkins (basketball), Martin Dorsey (football) and Andre Chevalier (football) founded the student group in 2016.
“When I took it over as a sophomore,” Reynolds said, “I think that’s when I began to learn to lead at the college. (MOCA/WOCA) is an opportunity for athletes of color to come together and be in a space where they can talk about what’s going in in their lives, and an opportunity for us to give back to the Holy Cross and Worcester communities.”
Among the group’s volunteer efforts is assembling and presenting Thanksgiving food baskets at Veterans Inc.
Reynolds is a budding photographer. A couple years ago, a teammate gifted him a Nikon DSLR camera.
“I picked up photography as a hobby,” Reynolds said, “and it’s a passion now. I’m so blessed to be able to create art.”
Reynolds specializes in portraits, and he has taken several of his teammates to proudly display on their social media pages.
Reynolds is majoring in sociology with a gender, sexuality and women studies concentration.
“I definitely have a passion to go to the next level and play as long as possible,” Reynolds said, “but Coach James hinted at, ‘If you’re not certain what you want to do after (college), maybe you should be a coach.’”
Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTolandTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Holy Cross safety Walter Reynolds makes mark for Crusaders
