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THE RESURGENCE OF REID DONAHUE, PART III: CURSES & CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Josephine Lawrence
ESPN contributing writer

CLEMSON, SC — As the regular season comes to an end in the world of college football, teams and players are forced into a bit of self-reflection. Where are you at? How do you feel? Have you left it all on the field? Have you done all that you can to put yourself in a position to succeed? Do you have one more game in you? One more win?

These were some of the questions I asked Reid in our final sit-down together at a coffee shop on Lake Hartwell. Even in the south it's cold now, and Reid pulls the beanie he's wearing down over his ears, his hair haphazardly sticking out underneath it. He told me he's not cutting his hair for the playoffs, like hockey players do.

Of course, to get to the College Football Playoffs, Clemson first has to beat the University of North Carolina in the ACC championship game this coming weekend. A win all but guarantees them a spot in the playoffs, checking off several of the most important criteria the committee uses to select the four best teams for the playoffs - one loss or less, strength of wins (and value of losses), and a conference championship title.

Clemson is on an 11 game winning streak, having not lost a game since their first one against the unanimous #1, Georgia, and they're currently 15-point favorites in the ACC championship game against a UNC team that has struggled defensively all year. A loss would not only be deemed a massive upset, but would put them in a very precarious position. However, there's virtually no stress or worry permeating the air at Clemson's football complex. It's no longer David vs. Goliath, because Reid Donahue has become Goliath.

Reid has been lethally accurate as the Archer all season, boasting an impressive 76% pass completion with over 3500 yards, as well as a 45 to 5 touchdown to interception ratio - having also redeemed himself by setting the elusive ACC single-season scoring record he was gunning for the season he got injured. All of this has gotten him an official Heisman trophy nomination, and is currently the favorite to win it with some Goliath odds: -250.

"It's a little surreal," he admits after he entertains a few younger boys for a picture. Our table has been approached no less than six times already, by a variation of fans congratulating Reid on his season and his Heisman nomination. Reid grins and displays manners beholden to the southern gentleman he is, with a whole lot of yes sirs and thank you ma'ams.

He's also learned to take the attention a bit more in stride now, much different from the beginning of the season during our first sit-down where we'd gone to a place to actively avoid it. Reid has an understanding now that he's not only earned it, but deserves it.

Reid has also elevated the play of several of his key teammates - Jaylen 'JJ' Jameson is a finalist for the Biletnikoff award for the best receiver in college football, and right guard Beckett Stern is a finalist for the Outland award for the best interior lineman.

I have one more question for him, as cliche as it might be, because as we've watched this season unfold, we have watched Reid Donahue become something again. Not what he used to be, but something entirely different. "How do you think you've changed? Not just as a football player, but as a person."

"I don't know," he shrugs, scrunching his face up like he's already unsatisfied with the answer he's given me. He pauses for a moment to reassess, and smoke materializes in the air as he blows out a cold breath. Then he sits up tall, and I realize this is the version of Reid that steps onto the football field each game.

"Okay, it's like this - ever since the injury, I used to think I was cursed or something. I couldn't even talk about it without feeling like I was jinxing myself. Every game, every play, no matter how good me or the team was doing, it was there in the back of my mind. Like I was waiting for something terrible to happen. Even that first half of the final South Carolina game last week, I just thought to myself coming off of the field at halftime, my god it's happening again. I can't escape it. It's in my head. And it really took the entire season, up until the second half of the South Carolina game, for me to figure this out."

He smirks to himself as a few little kids run along the rocky shore of the lake tossing a football back and forth, and then quotes his favorite football movie, Friday Night Lights.

"Our only real curses are the ones that are self-imposed."

I lied. I have one more question. "Is that what you would tell your past self? Before the injury?"

He smiles and shakes his head. "No. I wouldn't tell him anything. Because I think if I hadn't gone through all that, I wouldn't be the player or the person I am now. It all happens for a reason, doesn't it?"

So to quote Coach Gary Gaines one more time: ain't no such thing as curses.