Reese gets his chance with Bucs

Former Clemson backup quarterback gets one last shot with Charleston Southern

CLEMSON — Tribble Reese's final shot at college football will come at Charleston Southern.

Reese, a former backup quarterback at Clemson who graduated last month, learned Tuesday that the NCAA approved a waiver that allowed for his transfer to CSU.

Had the NCAA balked, he would have hung up his cleats and begun looking for a job. He has one year of college eligibility.

The 6-4, 210-pound Reese earned a degree in marketing from Clemson. He's seeking his MBA at CSU and has been taking classes at the school since late May.

"(Tuesday) was the finishing stamp," he said. "Now I can put everything forward knowing I have nothing else to worry about. I'm just ready to get a good grasp on this offense."

A native of Mountain Brook, Ala., Reese signed with Clemson in 2004 and ended up attempting 11 career passes in mop-up roles behind Will Proctor and Cullen Harper.

CSU's quarterback position is wide open in 2008. Eli Byrd and Sidney Bryant alternated at the spot last season, but both players left the program with eligibility remaining.

Junior-college transfer A.J. Toscano and redshirt freshman Gabe Gilmour combined to throw for 438 yards on 31 completions in the spring game.

Buccaneers coach Jay Mills said he thinks Reese is a good fit. Mills is a longtime friend of Clemson offensive coordinator Rob Spence, and the two employ similar philosophies.

"We're very excited about the prospect of having him as a member of our program," Mills said. "First and foremost because he's as fine of a person as you'd ever hope to have as a teammate and as a student-athlete. I've been very impressed with the character he possesses and his leadership qualities. It doesn't take long to see that the intangibles and leadership qualities he has can definitely add to our program."

Last fall, Reese decided the 2007 season would be his last at Clemson. With Harper returning for his senior season and redshirt freshman Willy Korn entrenched as the backup, Reese knew his chances at getting on the field weren't good.

Reese began to seriously consider seeking a transfer in January, and Tigers receivers coach Dabo Swinney told him to write down some prospective destinations. Charleston Southern figured prominently on the list.

"I love the city of Charleston," Reese said. "It's one of my favorite places on Earth. With (Charleston Southern) needing a quarterback, everything kind of fell into place. It's kind of a perfect fit."

CSU's opening opponent on Aug. 28 will be a familiar foe for Reese; the Bucs travel to Miami to play a team Reese saw twice at Clemson.

The Tigers faced the Hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, and Reese didn't see the field in either game. This time could be different.

"I'm ready," he said. "I feel confident. It's just going to be getting the guys around me to believe we can go out and shock the world."

Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com and check out the Clemson blog at charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks/

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