University of Toledo senior tight end Reggie Gilliam has a simple recipe for his special teams success. The first step is to value and recognize the importance of special teams play, and the next is to get to the ball at all costs.
“My plan for each time out there is to just go,” Gilliam said. “I think a lot of teams don’t take that play very seriously. They have the potential to get the blocked kicks but they don’t have the guys that are just wanting do it. With me, I’m thinking I have to get that ball. That’s a momentum shift and we can win the game just off that blocked punt.”
Last year, Gilliam set a school record with four blocked kicks, and his six career blocked kicks is also a program record.
He has earned the reputation of someone willing to do the dirty work and at 6-foot-1 and 255 pounds, his physicality and toughness show on the field.
“He is probably physically the toughest person I’ve been around,” Toledo special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Robby Discher said. “He’s a great kid and all that, but the physical toughness, that shows up on film a lot. I think that is what makes him such a good player.”
On the punt block and punt return teams, Gilliam’s drive to get a hand on the ball simply takes over.
“Those are just effort plays,” Discher said. “His role a lot of times is to just put some pressure on the punter when we are trying to set up a return and make the punter uncomfortable. And every now and then he just gives extra effort and gets a hand on one. That’s just all him. He really made a difference for us on special teams last year.”
Discher says the blocked kicks show up to the average fan, but what they might not see is when Gilliam is the tight end on field goal attempts, a position in which Discher describes as “you pinch back and get run over slowly.” Gilliam also served as the lead blocker on kickoff returns or “at least on ones that went far” according to Discher.
Whatever Gilliam does, he does with pride, something that has endeared himself to his teammates throughout his time with Toledo.
“That’s a guy that you want in your locker room,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said. “When that guy speaks, which is very rare, the room is silent and he has everyone’s attention. That’s because his investment level is so high. It’s what you want when you see a player who doesn’t play a position where there is a lot of glory at that spot. He’s a blocking guy and an edge-setting guy most of the time. He’s made his mark on his special teams, and you see a guy like that carrying the flag for the special teams it’s a rallying cry for the team, for sure.”
Aside from all his work on special teams, Gilliam is the starting tight end where his physicality is used to set the tone in the run game. Last season, he caught six passes for 71 yards, but three of those went for touchdowns. Despite his limited role in the passing game, Gilliam was honored as a second team All-Mid-American Conference tight end.
With wide receivers Cody Thompson, Diontae Johnson, and Jon’Vea Johnson all graduated, there would appear to be an expanded role in the passing game available for Gilliam this season.
Toledo also has pass-catching tight ends in Drew Rosi and Jamal Turner who could get some of that extra work in the passing game.
“I think my passing game will be expanded a lot this year,” Gilliam said. “A lot of our big receivers like Cody and Jon’Vea and Diontae are gone, so we need someone else to step up and I think I can fill that role.”
Discher added: “Last year you had three NFL receivers on the same team, so those guys are going to be first priority. Now you don’t have that, so you are going to cater to who your players are. I think you’ll see a lot more of [the tight ends] in the passing game.”
Discher said he gets the best of both worlds coaching Gilliam as a tight end and on special teams.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Discher said. “He is about as good of a person as I’ve been around. He always has a good attitude. He always has good effort and always has good body language. Good players make coaches look good. He makes us look good on offense and special teams. He just comes to work every day, blue-collar and does exactly what you ask him to do and never complains. He can go five straight games without a catch and as long as we win he’s happy. A lot of people say that, but he lives that.”
First Published August 7, 2019, 6:00 p.m.
