“He looked dazed, and he just kind of went out of it. It was scary,” Matt Quarells said as he recounted what it was like when Lobo wide receiver Patrick Reed started to pass out while standing outside a restaurant.
The two were close — being roommates and teammates at the time — and thankfully Quarells was there to catch him.
Charlotte Hope, Reed’s mother, said every parent wants their kids to have positive friends around them, and although Quarells has since transferred to Iowa, she couldn’t have asked for a better person to be at her son’s side.
“Matt is great — I just love Matt,” Hope said. “(He) is a great positive in Patrick’s life. Those are the type of people that help people achieve.”
The initial thought was that Reed was just dehydrated, but that was not the case. He said when he was active, things weren’t an issue. It wasn’t until he was relaxed that he felt short of breath.
Reed said he didn’t know what to make of the situation, because all the tests were coming back good, but he knew something wasn’t right.
Then, doctors discovered an issue with Reed’s heart.
Head coach Bob Davie said that even though the prognosis was that the condition was manageable, he remembered it being a frightening time once he connected the words.
“You say the words, ‘heart’ and ‘surgery,’ together...and you’re like, ‘Whoa,’” Davie said. “But as young guys are, he is so resilient. I think I was much more concerned about those two words than he ever was.”
Hope, who resides in Sillsby, Texas, had to deal with the situation from a long distance while also taking care of Reed’s brother and sister. She said it was ironic that her son’s maturity was what helped ease the stress.
“Every time I talked to Patrick, he made me feel better, even though it was supposed to be the other way around,” she said. “He’d tell me, ‘Momma, don’t worry. It’ll be alright.’”
She said she remembered how difficult it was for her son to come to New Mexico in the first place to attend college.
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“Initially it was hard for me, but I wanted what he was getting more than I wanted him to be home,” Hope said. “I knew how important this was for him.”
Hope said her son had always been well-rounded and never had a hard time making a lot of friends. She said the transition to college life at UNM was no different, and his football teammates became his brothers.
In December 2015, Reed couldn’t be on the field with his brothers — he missed the Gildan New Mexico Bowl as he underwent a procedure on his heart.
Hope said one of the issues with the heart was extra electrical current going through it. The side of the heart that is supposed to be smaller was larger and vice versa.
That abnormality couldn’t be corrected, but she said doctors also found a hairline opening in his heart and had to perform a cardiac ablation. In other words, Reed had a small tear, or a hole, in his heart.
In the end, Reed was able to recover and, after being medically cleared, focused on getting back out on the football field with his team. The 6-2 wide receiver found his way back and played in all 12 games of the 2016 season.
Hope said she was happy her son didn’t have to give up the game that he loves. Reed had already sacrificed playing the position he played in high school. She said he has a big heart that way and always wants to bring out the best in people, including himself.
Reed was initially recruited to UNM as a quarterback, but things changed and he agreed to work out at the wide receiver position.
He has always appeared to put the needs of the team ahead of his own, and took the role knowing that a team that is as run-oriented as the Lobos have been might mean fewer opportunities.
“Honestly I just try to do whatever it takes to get the team a win,” Reed said. “When the opportunities come, you’ve got to make the most of it.”
But wide receivers are an important part of the equation as well, and Reed’s downfield blocking ability helped spring several big plays for the running backs.
He hauled in 14 catches for 237 yards and a touchdown last season, which culminated in a 23-20 victory over UTSA in the 2016 Gildan New Mexico Bowl — and this time, he was on the field for the game.
The junior wide out may be poised to have a big year as one of the leaders among the receivers. As he comes off the practice field, Reed is usually flashing what seems to be the world’s biggest smile.
Maybe he just had a really good practice; maybe he just shared a joke with one of his teammates — or perhaps he’s just happy to have a second chance that wasn’t guaranteed.
Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers basketball, football and tennis. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
