HARD LUCK TEXAS TECH PLAYER INJURED DURING PRO DAY

It hasn’t been an easy road for Texas Tech offensive lineman Rylan Reed. As a two-sport high school star, Reed had to chose between football scholarships from perennial powers and a promising career as a flame-throwing pitcher. He chose baseball, mostly because of the career stability.After signing for $550,000 dollars and beginning his promising career, nothing went as hoped. In 2003, a variety of stomach ailments brough a startling discovery, he had cancer. After more than three months of chemotherapy, and only two days after telling the White Sox he was recovered from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, he answered the family front door and heard the news that his father died in a car accident.After losing his hair, over 30 pounds from the chemo, and his father, Rylan walked away from baseball and back to football. He spent his freshman year at Texas Tech playing tight end before moving to the offensive line. After finally winning a starting job in 2008, he played a solid game against All-American Chris Long, limiting him to only three tackles and no sacks. And then he broke his ankle late in the Gator Bowl.This season went according to plan, and Reed was named All-American after helping to protect Graham Harrell and the prolific Red Raider offense. After inexplicably being left out of the NFL Scouting Combine, Reed put up the 225 pound bench press 44 times - a staggering amount and more reps than anyone did in Indianapolis. Yet as Reed crossed the finish line during his 40-yard dash, he tripped, falling to the turf and landing on his left knee. He spent an hour on the turf before being taken to the hospital for what looked to be a dislocated kneecap.Here’s hoping that a team in the draft takes a chance on a 27-year-old that has battled more than his share of adversity, and that luck turns around for him.