Windsor grad Reed at 49ers pro day

SANTA CLARA - Brandyn Reed did everything he was asked to do at the 49ers' local pro day Wednesday, running, cutting and catching the ball as he has been trained. Now he must hope he gets noticed among the approximately 50 players who worked out on one of the team's practice fields.

"It's a little nerve-racking because you see all these competitive athletes trying to do the same thing, and there's thousands upon thousands of athletes that are trying to get drafted, trying to get picked up, trying to go to camps, trying to get signed," said Reed, who played at Windsor High and Santa Rosa Junior College before finishing at Sacramento State. "I just got to stay humble and just let God take care of it."

Niners coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff got their first crack at coaching this spring, leading the local players through their paces. Stanford tight end Coby Fleener and wide receiver Chris Owusu were here, but they didn't work out. The guys on the field were more obscure, many hailing from small colleges like Missouri Western State, New Mexico Highlands and Ferris State. It was a field full of long shots.

Reporters unofficially timed Reed in 4.53/4.54 seconds over 40 yards, not bad for a player who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 190 pounds. But Reed knows he won't make an NFL roster based solely on his measurables.

At Wednesday's pro day, he stood out as the guy who constantly encouraged other players - ostensibly his competition - with upbeat words and hand slaps.

"My main skill set? I'd have to say what you saw out here: my personality," Reed said. "It speaks volumes. If you can have that kind of personality and that kind of relationship with coaches and players, that'll speak for itself on the field. And as a receiver, I'd have to say I have really good hands and really good routes, and I have length."

Reed was a three-time all-Sonoma County League selection at Windsor, and he blew up at SRJC. The JC Athletic Bureau named him to the all-Region 1 first team after he caught 61 passes for 1,195 yards and 16 touchdowns as a Bear Cubs sophomore.

Those numbers landed Reed a spot at Sacramento State, and he had a highly promising first season for the Hornets, with 46 receptions for 731 yards and seven scores. But he landed wrong on his ankle during camp the next year, tried to rush back for a big game against Montana, and reinjured the joint. He ended up redshirting after undergoing surgery.

Reed bounced back to catch 26 passes for 542 yards and six touchdowns as a senior, missing three games with a shoulder injury.

Now he's hoping to extend his football career. Having graduated with a degree in mass media, Reed started training with Tom Ruelas of Results Physical Therapy and Training in Sacramento at the start of the year.

And what's next for the former Jaguar?

"Take a couple days off and get back to hard work," he said. "Hard work, wait for the draft, watch the draft and hopefully the phone rings."

You can reach Staff Writer Phil Barber at 521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com.