Not only was Keenan Reynolds the star of Saturday's practice at his old stomping grounds; he was also the team tour guide.
The former Midshipman showed the team around the Naval Academy campus, then walked them around Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium talking about the history on display detailing the different naval battles in the country's history.
"There was stuff that I didn't even know," Reynolds said with a laugh.
Reynolds saved the best for last. In front of 10,321 Ravens fans,* *he had his most impressive practice of training camp – and probably his young NFL career – on the field where he once became a record-setting college legend.
"It was only right," Reynolds said. "I had a little extra juice coming out."
"He had a big night," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "I saw his confidence shift to another gear here and I guess I can see why. He's pretty comfortable here."
Reynolds said he had to calm down while he was warming up. He didn't want to get worn out before practice even started.
During his four years as Navy's triple-option quarterback, Reynolds set the NCAA record for career touchdowns (88).
He was the Armed Forces Bowl MVP in 2013, Poinsettia Bowl Offensive MVP in 2014 and Military Bowl MVP in 2015. His 32 career wins are the most in Navy history, and perhaps most importantly in Annapolis, he was the first quarterback in the history of the Army-Navy game to post a 4-0 mark.
Now a converted wide receiver, Reynolds showed how far he's come with several impressive plays Saturday night. He zipped around the edge on a jet sweep. He hauled in a pass a little too far out in front of him by tipping it to himself with one hand and hanging on. He made a diving catch in traffic across the middle.
His biggest ovation came after scoring a touchdown down the seam in one-on-one battles, which he punctuated with a Steve Smith Sr.-like ball spin in the end zone.
"It was cool to make a play," Reynolds said. "Steve Smith told me my rookie year that if you make a play a day, they'll keep you around. I've carried that with me since he left. That's what I try to strive for each day."
Reynolds wasn't the only player who had a good day. Here are more notes from practice:
- Cornerback Jimmy Smith sat out practice. Harbaugh said he had a little tweak and expects him to return to practice Monday. First-round pick Marlon Humphrey was running under the watch of a team trainer, but sat out practice for a third straight day.
- Some veterans such as outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, safety Eric Weddle, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin got the day off. Wide receiver Breshad Perriman (hamstring) was still out, along with wide receiver Chris Matthews (undisclosed), guard Alex Lewis (undisclosed), wide receiver Kenny Bell (hamstring) and cornerback Sheldon Price (undisclosed). Tight end Larry Donnell (hand/finger) returned to the field.
- Newly-signed offensive tackle Austin Howard was not at practice. He had to fly back home to take care of some things before moving to Baltimore for the season.
- Undrafted rookie wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo continued to make plays. He has shown a knack for hauling in deep passes along the sideline, and caught several of them Saturday night. With Maclin and Perriman out, Adeboyejo and fellow undrafted rookie wideout Tim White ran with the first-team offense and still had good days.
- Quarterback Ryan Mallett made some more good throws. His best may be the deep ball to the sideline. He often drops that in a bucket for the wide receiver.
- Safety Tony Jefferson came up with an interception on a ball that went**off Mike Wallace's hands, and safety/cornerback Lardarius Webb showed he's still got the quickness needed to play slot when he cut underneath a wide receiver to make a pick. Much to the delight of fans, Webb threw the ball into the stands.
- Undrafted cornerback Jaylen Hill continues to play well. For a player who was originally brought in just on a tryout basis, Hill has emerged as a possible nickel option with his strong play. He came up with an interception on a 50/50 pass and ran step for step with White on* *a one-on-one rep.
- Defensive tackle Willie Henry is playing with a lot of confidence right now, a result of winning his fair share of battles. Henry flexed on the Ravens offensive line several times after blowing through them. Harbaugh said all the team's young defensive linemen are playing very well in camp.
- Running back Terrance West ended practice with a perfect wheel route and catch against inside linebacker C.J. Mosley. Mosley hung pretty well, but West got just enough separation and Mallett put the ball in the perfect spot.
