By Ty Pimienta, reporting intern
Reed senior defensive tackle Nick Gregg is a big man.
Standing two inches above six feet, and weighing five pounds shy of 300, opposing offensive lineman would vouch for that.
And he’s been that way for a long time. In seventh and eighth grade, Gregg weighed 190 pounds when he first started playing football.
Now he’s continuing a tradition of Reed linemen continuing their careers at Nevada.
“There’s a lot of good guys in the program,” Gregg said. “My freshman year, there was three guys that they all play up at UNR. They are starting now and it was kind of an inspiration actually not so much of a barrier as to be like those guys, and get to the next level.”
There are two main reasons why Gregg chose to play for the Wolf Pack.
“I always thought that it would be pretty nice to stay home and play football,” Gregg said.
“But other than that, it’s the coaches over there: Coach Bradeson, Coach Polian, Coach Teerlinck … They’re all great guys. Coach Thomas, they’re just tremendous guys, they made me feel at home and they’ve really welcomed me into the program.”
In his his time as a lineman at Reed, Gregg has learned many things that has helped shape him as a player.
“I learned how to defeat blocks, take on blocks, how to fight adversity and how to be humble when you’re winning and how to take a loss like a man,” Gregg said.
Nick Gregg’s mentality as a defensive lineman is to be there for his team in every way possible.
In tight end Parker Houston’s eyes, Gregg is one of the hardest working players on the team.
“I’ve only known Nick Gregg for four years,” Houston said. “But man, over these four years he’s become one of my best friends. He’s a great kid and I know he works hard on and off the field.”
In his final season as a Raider, Gregg recorded 62 tackles (13 of which went for a loss) and a team-high eight sacks, staggering numbers for a defensive tackle.
Nick’s work ethic is Reed’s is assistant coach Jack Buice’s favorite quality.
“Nick’s pretty blessed physically,” Buice said. “But he works as hard as anybody, you know, that I’ve ever coached in our program.”
“So between the weight room and the track, and the practice field, that guy he sets the tone, you know, with his work ethic and his effort level all the time. So that’s kind of what I’d say sets him apart.”
“Going back and reviewing the film, and really seeing how well he was able to not just hold his own, but, beat guys and make plays in that game was kind of an eye opener.”
Last year, Gregg had 90 tackles and seven sacks, and was named the DI North’s Defensive Player of the Year.
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