Receiver Reaves hopes to follow father Willard, brother Ryan in pro ranks

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This article was published 11/04/2015 (4192 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He’s a bit taller than his Hall of Fame father, Willard, and bit lankier than his NHL brother, Ryan.

All of which is to say that Jordan Reaves looks every bit like a guy who could be a receiver in the CFL.

But looks and pedigree are one thing and actually proving it on the field are quite another.

And that’s even more so when, like Reaves, what you’re trying to prove is that you can play football professionally despite not having actually played the sport at any level for a decade.

“The last time I played football I was 15,” Reaves, 25, told reporters at Investors Group Field Friday morning as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers unveiled their newest signee.

“I played for the Crescentwood Grizzlies. I was a running back, just like my dad, growing up.”

Reaves’ father, of course, is in the Bombers Hall of Fame, while his brother is a forward for the St. Louis Blues.

Jordan Reaves chose a third path in basketball, abandoning football and the Crescentwood community club for a standout five-year career with the Brandon University Bobcats that wrapped up last year.

Reaves spent the rest of 2014 trying to land a pro basketball contract in Europe but when that failed, his thoughts this winter turned to the possibility of resurrecting a football career with the Bombers.

“It just felt like a natural fit,” said Reaves, “because the basketball wasn’t working overseas. Sports is a big part of my life and always has been, and while I’m young I’d like to keep playing.

“Football was my first love, so coming back to it was a nice switch for me.”

Reaves — 6-4, 220 — worked out as a receiver once for the Bombers this winter and then again at the CFL regional combine in Edmonton last month and impressed enough with his raw athletic ability the Bombers signed him to a contract this week.

Reaves says he’s talked to his father about making the transition to pro football, but he is also fiercely determined to find his own path lest someone think he is trying to coast on the family name.

“It’s nice to finally leave their shadows, because I’ve been growing up under my brother. He’s a successful NHL player. My dad’s a successful football player. So it’s nice to finally make a name for myself and come from the shadows of both of them…

“I really want to show people I did this on my own and not just because of my name.”

Reaves says he’d like to wear No. 10 — his basketball number — with the Bombers, rather than the No. 38 that belonged to his father, who Reaves never saw play because he wasn’t born until a year after his father retired from football.

Reaves says he remains very close with his brother.

“Best friends — we talk every day,” said Reaves. “He tells me to stay humble and that I deserve what I’ve worked for. He knows how hard I’ve worked for this. He gives me advice every day… He’s my biggest idol, he’s my biggest role model. I look up to him for any advice.

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“Seeing how hard he’s worked and how far he’s made it, it just gives me the motivation to keep on pushing.”

Reaves will take part in the Bombers’ mini-training camp in Florida, which begins a week Sunday, and is hopeful he can show the club’s management enough this spring to at least earn a spot on the Bombers practice roster for the coming season.

“My expectations are just to make the practice roster and try to make the game roster and just show everyone the abilities I have and the skill set I bring to the program.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek