Some players have a very clear and concise career trajectory to the CFL.
Greg Reid is not one of those players.
Reid was the No. 1 prospect in the state of Georgia coming out of Lowndes High School. The two-way player rushed for 1,200 yards, scored 18 touchdowns and made nine interceptions, earning a five-star rating from Scouts Media and Rivals.com.
The native of Valdosta, Ga. committed to Florida State where he played for three seasons (2009-2011), recording 120 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and seven interceptions.
Reid’s tenure was marked with off-field incidents that made it difficult for the Seminoles to keep him on the roster.
He had two drug infractions at Florida State, having twice been caught possessing or consuming marijuana. Then, in July 2012, Reid was pulled over by police who found less than an ounce of cannabis in his vehicle.
It was a misdemeanor charge, but was still enough to trigger Florida State’s three-strike policy. As a result, he was dismissed from the team.
Reid told the Montreal Gazette in 2019 that he didn’t always make the right choices as a young college football star.
“I was just living too high. It kind of hung with me a lot,” said Reid. “The level of play I was having and the people I had around me. That definitely affected me, making wrong and bad decisions.”
Reid joined Valdosta State following his dismissal from Florida State, but suffered a torn ACL before the start of the regular season. He never dressed for the team.
His professional career began in 2014 and included stops with the Los Angeles Rams (NFL), New Orleans VooDoo (AFL), Jacksonville Sharks (AFL), Tampa Bay Storm (AFL), Monterrey Steel (NAL), and Washington Valor (AFL).
It was during this time that Reid suffered a personal tragedy when his brother, Travis, was shot and killed during a drug-related robbery in June 2015.
Reid signed with the Montreal Alouettes in 2018 and appeared in three games as a CFL rookie, making 16 tackles and an interception. The long and winding road that made up his football career was beginning to smooth out as he grew into a key player on an exciting, young football team.
The 30-year-old hit his stride in 2019, a season in which he made 18 starts at boundary halfback. Reid recorded 74 total tackles, four interceptions, two sacks, and one forced fumble.
He was named a CFL all-star at halfback, which is a big deal. Boundary halfback is where players often have to cover the opposition’s most talented receiver — think Bryan Burnham, Reggie Begelton, Greg Ellingson or S.J. Green.
Reid is slated to become a free agent in February 2021 and should be one of the best defensive backs available if he reaches free agency.
3DownNation is unveiling its list of the top 100 active CFL players, a project that will run through December 31, 2020. To read the criteria for player eligibility, click here. The list to date can be found below.
58. DL Mike Moore, Edmonton Football Team
59. OL Ryker Mathews, B.C. Lions
60. DB Tunde Adeleke, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
61. LB Jameer Thurman, Free Agent
62. QB Matt Nichols, Toronto Argonauts
63. DB Jamar Wall, Calgary Stampeders
64. DB Loucheiz Purifoy, Saskatchewan Roughriders
65. REC Lemar Durant, B.C. Lions
66. OL Brendon LaBatte, Saskatchewan Roughriders
67. OL SirVincent Rogers, Ottawa Redblacks
68. QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Free Agent
69. DB/RET Frankie Williams, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
70. DB T.J. Lee, B.C. Lions
71. QB Zach Collaros, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
72. SAM Anthony Cioffi, Free Agent
73. DB Shaquille Richardson, Toronto Argonauts
74. REC Kamar Jorden, Calgary Stampeders
75. OL Darius Ciraco, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
76. REC Jalen Saunders, Free Agent
77. QB Dane Evans, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
78. REC Brad Sinopoli, Ottawa Redblacks
79. RET Janarion Grant, Free Agent
80. DE Avery Ellis, Ottawa Redblacks
81. DE Cordarro Law, Calgary Stampeders
82. DB Brandon Alexander, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
83. OL Jermarcus Hardrick, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
84. DB Branden Dozier, Free Agent
85. SAM Otha Foster, Saskatchewan Roughriders
86. DB Antoine Pruneau, Ottawa Redblacks
87. RB John White, B.C. Lions
88. LB Avery Williams, Ottawa Redblacks
89. LB Jovan Santos-Knox, Free Agent
90. DB Richard Leonard, Calgary Stampeders
91. REC Armanti Edwards, Edmonton Football Team
92. RB C.J. Gable, Free Agent
93. DT Mike Rose, Calgary Stampeders
94. REC S.J. Green, Free Agent
95. DB Mike Edem, Saskatchewan Roughriders
96. DE John Bowman, Montreal Alouettes
97. DB Taylor Loffler, Montreal Alouettes
98. QB Nick Arbuckle, Ottawa Redblacks
99. ST Mike Miller, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
100. DE Chris Casher, B.C. Lions