New Duck Nikko Reed escapes a fiasco in Colorado

Ever drive by or think about an old job and say to yourself, "Thank God I escaped that shit show"?

Maybe you don't use language like that, but if Nikko Reed ever returns to Folsom Field at the University of Colorado, you couldn't blame him for at least thinking it.

On April 15 Reed became one of two dozen players to leave Deion Sanders' new program, a weird science experiment that's either going to take college football by storm or be a gigantic disaster. When Sanders took over last December he flatly told the holdovers from Karl Dorrell's 1-11 program, "I'm bringing my luggage with me, and it's Louis (Vuitton, an expensive brand of suitcases and handbags)." He also said, "It's my job to force you out."

He and his staff made things generally inhospitable for most of the old players as they brought in 50 transfers. In reports out of spring practice kids were telling reporters that they were hardly being coached at all, that there were two standards in place, an enthusiastic welcome for the new arrivals, which included Sanders' son Shedeur at quarterback, abject indifference to anyone from the Dorrell roster.

That may have been exaggerated, but some of the video from meetings and workouts seems just plain weird.

Sanders watches practice from a golf cart wearing a cowboy hat, mirror frame dark glasses and a vest. The camera is always on. Everything is about him. The players look small. There's a lot of sloganeering and chest bumping, not much that looks like organization and efficiency.

The former Florida State, Dallas Cowboy and 49er star succeeded in running off a lot of players, several of whom will be working on other PAC-12 teams this fall. However, Reed wasn't one he wanted to lose. The 5-10, 185-pound junior was one of the best holdovers on the Colorado roster. 

Last season he led the team with two interceptions while also contributing 34 total tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, one tackle for zero, four third down stops, one fumble recovery, and seven pass break ups.

Reed entered the spring transfer portal on April 15th, the first day it opened. A month later he signed with the Ducks, reunited with his old position coach Demetrice Martin. Opening up on his decision, he told Greg Biggins of 247Sports:

"There were a lot of reasons why I chose Oregon. One of the biggest factors of course was being back with my old coach (Oregon cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator Demetrice Martin), but I also loved how family oriented the school is. Coach Meat is my guy and I can't wait to work with him again.

All the coaches love the athletes there and really care for them, you can see that. There's a strong connection there between coaches and athletes, you can really see it in so many ways and that's what I was looking for."

Man, those are great dudes that come from winning backgrounds — so they know what they’re talking about on and off the field," Reed said. "This was my first-ever visit to Oregon, but they made me feel like family already.

It was my first time meeting them and they’re very genuine people who don’t just to tell what you want to hear but what you need to hear so I was very comfortable with the whole staff there."

Talk about a new lease on life.