As I walked up to the weight facility at Farragut High School in the summer of 2005, there were a handful of players leftover from an early morning workout. Senior Nick Reveiz was one of them.
After watching Reveiz take some extra reps on the bench press, the determination was evident – this guy was for real. He was putting the work in to become a winner and the only way he knew to do it was to work hard.
During that season, Reveiz stood out in nearly every game. Making tackles, breaking up passes - the guy was all over the field. After the season, he was Class 5A All-State and Mr. Football finalist at lineman position. He was All-PrepXtra linebacker by Knoxville News Sentinel and All-Knoxville Interscholastic League after tallying more than 130 tackles throughout the year. He made a name for himself. However, being barely 5’9”, he was overlooked by many colleges. He didn’t care; he wanted to play for the Vols.
Still without an offer from the University of Tennessee after the season, Reveiz didn’t care – he was going to play for the Vols. His father Fuad Reveiz starred for the Vols as a kicker in the early 80’s. Nick grew up his entire life wanting to play for the Vols, and he was determined to do so. He was invited to walk-on at the University of Tennessee.
After standing out in camp, the weight room and on the practice field, Reveiz was hard to be ignored. It was going to be hard for this guy not to be on the field. He was redshirted in 2006, but Reveiz saw that as an opportunity to improve. He got stronger, smarter and in 2007, Reveiz began to see game time action as a special teamer as a redshirt freshman. He appeared in 14 games and recorded 15 tackles, 10 solo. In 2008, he continued to standout on special teams and recorded his first start against Northern Illinois, where he recorded four tackles. His hard work was beginning to pay off. But going into his junior season and having to impress an entirely new coaching staff, Reveiz had his work cut out for him yet again.
Reveiz continued to shine and impressed new head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff. He earned the starting middle linebacker job in the spring and carried it into this season. Reveiz became a captain and at middle linebacker became a very respected part of the Vols defense.
Reveiz started the first four games of the season for the Vols, before suffering a season ending knee injury against Ohio. Reveiz was devastated and so were the Vols. The linebacker finished the shortened season with 27 total tackles, but his impact goes beyond that. Reveiz was a leader both on and off the field.
The junior is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair his injured knee later this week. He wanted to have his surgery in Knoxville to remain as close to his team as possible. Even though Reveiz is not on the field with the Vols, he is still a very integral part of the team. Pre-game speeches, mentoring now starting middle linebacker Savion Frasier has become his mission. He wants the best for the Vols always, so if he is unable to be on the field, he is definitely going to be on the sidelines doing whatever he can to improve the team. He is one of a kind and his attitude is infectious.
Before the Vols game last week against Georgia, Reveiz stood before his team and spoke. His words helped inspire the Vols to play their best game of the year and dominate Georgia en route to a 45-19 win. It’s not often that a former walk-on has this much impact on a team, but Reveiz is anything but ordinary. Yet again, he faces another challenge after his surgery this week. And again, he will work his ass off to get back onto the playing field. When he makes it back next year, his senior season, he will continue to be heard. In the meantime he will continue to represent the University of Tennessee to the best of his ability. On or off the field, Nick Reveiz exemplifies what it means to be a Tennessee Volunteer.
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