Catching up with Jamie Reader

[Captain Kangaroo]

Monessen's Reader still an Eagle at heart

By Brian Herman

VALLEY INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday, February 5, 2005

Monessen's Jamie Reader knows how the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans feel on the eve of Super Bowl XXXIX.

It was only three years ago that Reader was Philadelphia's backup fullback when the Eagles were a win away from going to the Super Bowl. The Eagles lost 29-24 to the St. Louis Rams in the NFC title game.

Reader's playing days, however, ended some eight months later when he was let go on the final cut before the 2002 season.

These days Reader is being kept busy. He's the fitness professional at the Rostraver Center for Fitness and Health, runs the weightlifting program for the Monessen High football team where he's in his third year as a Greyhound assistant and is a new father taking care of his four-month-old daughter Farrah full time two days a week when his wife, Misty, is working.

Now 30, Reader saw the handwriting on the wall in Philadelphia.

"With Donovan McNabb they were pass first and then run." he claimed. "They wanted to go more with the pass and only keep one fullback on the roster. They ended up getting Jon Ritchie from San Francisco and cut me and Cecil (Martin)."

According to Reader, an injury to fullback Correll Buckhalter -- now on the Eagles' injured reserve list as is Ritchie -- led to his departure.

"I told Correll, he was the reason I got cut," he grinned. "We were a backfield combination together and it messed up the rotation when he went out."

Reader had brief stints with three other NFL teams -- Arizona, Miami and the New York Jets -- before catching on with Philadelphia where he spent three seasons.

"My job was blocking for Duce (Staley) and protecting Donovan (McNabb)," he recalled.

Reader is glad to be back at his alma mater after going to the University of Akron, where he was a starting fullback four years.

"I enjoy coaching and working with kids," he said. "I wanted to go to Pitt, but they were going through a coaching change so I went to Akron, which had three other Monessen players: Jaison and Bryan Coles and Keith Davis."

Monessen football coach Andy Pacak was happy to have Reader on his first staff the past season.

"He's a great influence on the kids and goes a step beyond being an assistant," he said. "He cares about them off the field and has a good rapport with the kids. They listen to him because they know he made it to the NFL."

Ironically, the guy who recruited Reader to the Ohio school was Bob Junko, who's now at Pitt and helped land the Greyhounds' Mick Williams the past week.

"I talked with Bob a lot last week," said Reader. "They wanted Mick real bad and I think it's a good fit for him."

Who does Reader think will win the Super Bowl?

"It's a tough one to call because there are two good defenses," he answered. "I'd like to see the Eagles win but I think it will come down to the wire."

[Z-P]

Good picup Cap'n