Sports
Linebacker Dylan Reda Heads to Southern Miss
Award-winning athlete was a standout at San Clemente High and Santa Ana College.
Dylan Reda of San Juan Capistrano, a standout linebacker at San Clemente High before playing two seasons at Santa Ana College, is headed to the University of Southern Mississippi football program.
Reda was impressed by the school's Hattiesburg campus during a visit over the Thanksgiving break.
"There was great community support with the school," Reda told Patch. "I loved the way they treated the players. It was a great environment that I wanted to be a part of."
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Originally tapped by Ohio University, Reda spent the last two years at Santa Ana College, playing for Geoff Jones, where he posted 174 career tackles to go along with 10 sacks, as well as a fumble recovery that he returned 77 yards for a touchdown.
He was an All-East Conference selection twice and was his team’s defensive most valuable player.
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Reda did redshirt for Ohio after graduating in 2009. He said he did not enjoy his experience there.
"I wasn't really a fan of Athens," he said. "It wasn't my scene. It was a party school. So he returned home and played at the junior college level.
As a linebacker for Coach Eric Patton at San Clemente, Reda tallied 130 career tackles with 10 sacks, earning three varsity letters. He was an all-county and all-conference selection his senior campaign.
While he was immediately attracted to Southern Miss, Reda said he delayed making a final decision because he had heard head coach Larry Fedora was probably leaving the team. Fedora led Southern Mississippi to an 11-2 record and the Conference USA championship.
But when he heard defensive strategist Ellis Johnson was Fedora's replacement, Reda climbed aboard.
Just last week, Johnson signed a four-year contract to become the university’s 19th head football coach. Fedora is moving into the head coaching position for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
OC Varsity named Reda the strongest player on the Tritons his senior year. He has already added Southern Miss to his Facebook page. Reda is majoring in communications and wants to be a sports broadcaster.