On the biggest night of his life, Arvell Reese shouted out his entire family after being drafted fifth overall, but he didn’t forget to mention the person who saved him. And it was none other than Ted Ginn Sr., his high school coach. The Ohio State standout was visibly emotional after receiving a message from his former coach, who stepped in when things were looking really bleak during his teenage years.
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“Arvell, congratulations on the success that you had by being drafted,” Ted Ginn Sr. started his post-draft message to Arvell. “I also want to thank you for being the example of hope for young people that is looking at you, that want to be like you. And I appreciate the fact that you allow me to come into your life, ever at your teenage years, when you was at your lowest point.
“Just remember, stay on guard, because you know, you’ve got to keep your head on a swivel, because you and your position, somebody’s gonna come down on you. Be strong. God bless you.”
To understand why Arvell was so emotional, you have to look at where he started.
Back in his junior year at Glenville High, Arvell had a 0.4 GPA. He literally had zero college offers and no clear path to a future. He’s been very open about how he was “in a bad spot” and lacked any kind of direction. Ted Ginn Sr. told Arvell that nobody was coming to save him and that he had to take control of his own life if he wanted to make it.
"I credit Coach Ginn with changing my whole life around." Arvell Reese could not have been more grateful to receive a message from Ted Ginn Sr. 🫶 @arvxll | @giants | @OhiostateFB
And Arvell Reese gave due credit for it all to his coach.
“I credit Coach Tedd for changing my whole life around. One of the biggest reasons I’m even in this position right now. I want to say thank you, man, because you know me coming in there, scrawny little dude, no offers. GPA, terrible. Can’t even get into school. I feel like you really took a chance,” said the 20-year-old.
Arvell told reporters that Ginn Sr. had “seen it before I even saw it.” He credited the coach for forcing him into credit recovery, which meant doing double time with day and night classes to fix his grades. He also took Reese on college tours to help him visualize a future beyond his immediate struggles.
Fast forward 4 years, and Reese was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree with a 3.7 GPA. Name a better comeback than that one. He wanted everyone to know that without that push in the classroom, he never would have been standing on that draft stage in the first place.
The Glenville legacy that shines
Reese is now the highest draft pick ever to come out of Glenville High School. According to 247Sports, Ginn Sr. has mentored over 300 college athletes and 22 NFL players, but he proudly says Reese’s academic turnaround is one of his proudest achievements.
Reese mentioned that growing up in the Glenville neighborhood and seeing legends like Marshon Lattimore and Ted Ginn Jr. succeed was his primary motivation.
By the end of draft night, Arvell had a message for all the kids currently at the Ginn Academy: “Trust the process.”
He told them that Coach Ginn is never going to lie to them and always has their back. It’s pretty cool to see a guy reach the absolute top of his game and immediately point back to the person who helped him when he was at his lowest. Now, Arvell heads to the Big Apple and hopes to take the Giants back to their glory days.
