The Packers’ first season is Reed’s latest opportunity to live up to expectations as a native of Naperville.

Jayden Reed’s first NFL memory dates back to the moments immediately following Super Bowl XLI’s start in Miami.

Devin Hester of the Bears took the opening kickoff from the 8-yard line, and little 6-year-old Jayden, who would go on to become a brilliant wide receiver at Naperville Central and is currently a rookie wide receiver for Green Bay, watched with great anticipation.

After Hester dashed into the end zone in fourteen seconds, Jayden was ecstatic and was practically bouncing off the walls.

Reed remarked, “Man, I was just jumping around the house.” “My parents were in the living room together. My mom was on the phone when I started screaming and yelling, and I almost got in trouble for it.

When the Packers selected Reed with the 50th overall pick of the April draft, Reed, whose support for the Bears had faded over time, reacted similarly.

“It was truly a dream come true,” Reed remarked following practice on Thursday, as Green Bay got ready to play San Francisco, the top-seeded team in the playoff divisional round, on Saturday. “After all the work I had done and all the support I had received, I just couldn’t believe it. Man. It seemed unreal.

The route to achievement

Over dinner with high school wide receivers coach Kofi Hughes, Reed’s career as an elite NFL receiver got underway. Hughes, an Indiana wide receiver and two-time captain, enquired about Reed’s plans for his first year at Western Michigan.

A handful of touchdowns and a spot start on special teams were among Reed’s minor accomplishments.

Hughes said no. You’re far too low on yourself.

Hughes remarked, “He said that because he’s so humble.” Not because he doubts his ability to play. He just doesn’t put himself out there in that way because he is so humble.

The two then got back together and pointed skyward. The updated list stated:

↏ Set team records for catches and yards.

∏ Launch each game.

↏ Get ‘X’ touchdowns in the end.

∏ Put on weight and keep your GPA high.

Guess what, though? Leading the Broncos with 56 receptions for 797 yards and 8 touchdowns, Reed completed every attempt.

Hughes, who currently owns and operates his own sports performance and personal training business, claimed that “that was the turning point in his life and his career.” “Oh my God, someone believed in me before I even realized it and trusted them, so I followed through on my promise to do what I had said I would do.”

Reed contacted Hughes after the season to ask more questions, saying, “Do you think I can play in the Big Ten?”

Hughes said without hesitation: “Yes.”

After missing a year of action, Reed transferred to Michigan State, where over the course of three seasons, he caught 147 receptions for 2,069 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Without a doubt, the main factor in Reed’s achievement may have been Hughes’ impact on him. Despite playing for three NFL teams—Washington, Houston, and the Bears—Husband was unable to fulfill his full potential due to a substance addiction issue. He was signed by the Bears in August 2014, but his tenure was brief.