The NFL released the rosters for the Pro Bowl Games, which will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 5. There were plenty of no-brainers, some snubs, and of course, some heart-warming stories of perseverance.
But there might not be a player on the roster this season more deserving of a first-time Pro Bowl nod than Washington Commanders’ special teamer Jeremy Reaves.
You can see in the video below the emotion that Reaves felt when he found out that his hard work paid off as Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera delivers the news to him and theis other Pro Bowlers. And you can get a feel for what type of teammate Reaves is based on the reactions of the others that learned that he made the roster.
This one will pull at your heart strings:
Reaves began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent out of South Alabama in 2018 and has spent the last four seasons in Washington, most of which as a player waived multiple times and assigned to the practice squad for the bulk of his career.
Until this season, that is. This season, the hard-working Reaves has carved out a full-time role on the Washington special teams’ unit and has played in 14 games after never registering double-digit games in his previous three seasons.
Watching Reaves find out that he was going and watching the genuine happiness that his teammates had that he was getting recognized for his hard work was really cool. This season, the players on the winning team will receive $84,000, and players on the losing team in the new flag football game will receive $42,000 for their efforts. Reaves made a base salary of $43,333, spending most of the 2021 season on the practice squad, per Spotrac.
Never give up on your dreams, kids!