Sharks' Reid named AFL Rookie Of The Year

STOCKTON, Calif. – The Arena Football League announced Thursday that Jacksonville defensive back Greg Reid has been named the 2015 AFL Rookie of the Year. Reid was presented with the honor at the AFL Awards Ceremony, held Thursday evening at Stockton Arena.

The 24-year-old Reid (5'9", 185) made an immediate impact once he joined the Sharks partway through the 2015 season. In his Week 7 AFL debut against the Cleveland Gladiators, Reid snared an interception on the third defensive snap of the game, and went on to record another interception later in the game. Reid went on to lead the Sharks with nine interceptions and 21 pass breakups while also recording 70.5 total tackles, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. A dangerous playmaker with the ball in his hands, Reid led all AFL players with 150 interception return yards.

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Some of Reid's biggest plays came at critical times. Against the Los Angeles KISS in Week 10, Reid made an interception in the end zone as time expired to preserve a six-point victory. In a Week 17 matchup against the Philadelphia Soul, Reid snared interceptions on back-to-back defensive snaps, returning the first of those the length of the field for a game-tying touchdown. And in the postseason, Reid made an off-the-wall interception in the Sharks' first round matchup against the Orlando Predators, and his pass deflection led to the game-ending interception in the American Conference Championship.

Among all AFL defensive backs, Reid ranked fourth with his nine interceptions. But his season is even more impressive when considering that he only appeared in the final two thirds of the regular season. Reid ranked second in the League in interceptions per game, trailing only Arizona's Jeremy Kellem in that category. He also ranked third among all AFL players in passes defended per game (2.50), showing his consistent ability to break up passes.

In addition to receiving Rookie of the Year, Reid's outstanding performance led to him earning a spot on the First Team All-Arena defense.