Reed finds a creative way to give back

Former Georgia safety J.R. Reed will never forget the impact Camp Sunshine made on his life during his first visit four years ago, when he visited with the rest of the Georgia Bulldogs. Now, he wants to help give back.

Reed has built an idea around the upcoming NFL Combine, in which he will be participating. Before the bench press portion of the competition, he'll accept financial pledges based on the number of reps he completes.

“I wanted to give back to a charity that’s near and dear to my heart,” Reed said by phone from his hometown in Frisco, Texas., where he’s training for the event. “I’ve always loved Camp Sunshine.”

A camp for youngsters who are dealing and have dealt with cancer, Camp Sunshine has been an annual destination for the Bulldogs, who typically send two groups of players to the site every June.

There on his first visit, Reed met a new friend. He connected with a young camper named Michaela. The two have been close ever since.

“I’d go back and always see her,” Reed said. “I had some extra tickets to a game, so I gave them to her and her mom. She ended up coming and was able to get on the field after the game. We still keep in contact to this day, and I keep up with her to see how she’s doing. She’s actually playing basketball right now, and swimming is starting up. So I keep up with her all the time.”

Reed said Michaela and the other campers continue to serve as constant motivation, inspiration he’ll no doubt try to harness at the upcoming Combine.

“It’s not just what they’re going through, but remember, they’re kids, too,” Reed said. “They’re no different than me and you. We could be in the same spot, one of our family members could be in the same spot. So I try to treat them just how I would like to be treated when I was a kid, and just go there and have fun.”

So, how many does repetitions of the 225-pound bar does Reed believe he can complete?

“We’ve got the goal at 12, but we’re going to shoot a lot higher than that. I don’t want to make any crazy, lofty predictions, go out there and not hit them,” Reed said. “We’ve got the bar set, but I’m definitely going to get more than that, I’ll put it like that.”