CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Former Clarksville High football player and wrestling standout Bruno Reagan was drafted by the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks during the second day of the 2019 XFL Draft Wednesday, Oct. 16.
Reagan shared how his chance to play professionally with the newly rebooted organization came about.
“I knew the XFL was a possibility while I was at minicamps,” Reagan said. “I texted my agent after both of those opportunities didn’t work out and he said it was definitely something that could be an option. I went for a workout down in Tampa for the summer and got drafted.”
The game of football wasn’t Reagan’s first love and the former all-state lineman didn’t start playing the sport until his sophomore year at Clarksville High.
“I was a wrestler first and foremost,” Reagan said. “I grew up all my life doing judo competitively and then I transitioned that into wrestling after school. I told one of my best friends on the football team, Ian, that I would go out for football if he wrestled. We both eventually did and the rest is history. I kind of grew into my body and knew I had a shot at playing college football on the O-line.”
During his time on the mats as a Wildcat, Reagan compiled an impressive streak of 101 consecutive wins.
At the age of 15, Reagan captured the under-21 judo junior national championship in his individual weight class. In 2012, he won the gold medal at the judo Junior Olympics.
“From a physical standpoint its things like balance, leverage, strength and other functional movements,” Reagan said of the similarities between martial arts and football. “My upbringing in martial arts has carried me so far in life. It’s taught me how to deal with loss and adversity, to treat people with respect and how to be a leader. It’s these things in martial arts that I think have carried me throughout all of my athletic endeavors. That’s why I’m trying to give back in Clarksville with martial arts.”
The recruiting process took a turn for Reagan during his senior year in high school, after receiving a phone call that would change his life in more ways than one.
“Two weeks before signing day, Vanderbilt University offered me a scholarship,” Reagan said. “It’s funny how things work out sometimes. I wasn’t very highly recruited, but I knew I could play at the highest level. My first offer was Austin Peay, then eventually after that went to Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Connecticut. I had a good relationship with the coaching staff at South Florida and committed there to secure my spot. I was committed there for nine months and then they fired the O-line coach that I worked with the whole time.
“When Derek Mason came in at Vandy, he had to kind of scramble for recruits. I was a local guy and a state champ wrestler. I wasn’t very good at football at the time, but I was a good enough athlete that programs were willing to take me on as a project. He took a shot on me and liked what I was about. Coach Mason was tough, but he eventually molded me into a guy that I’m proud to be. He turned me into a leader, a team captain and a four year-starter. He pushed me really hard, but I owe everything to that guy.”
After graduation, Reagan received multiple invitations from NFL teams to come to minicamp. Reagan believed he fared well during his time with the Chiefs and Chargers, but that the opportunity simply didn’t pan out this time around.
“It was definitely a goal of mine,” Reagan said of playing in the NFL. “That’s what I was working up towards. It was still a blessing. I made it a lot farther than a lot of other guys. I was able to put on the uniform and play against some of the best.”
Bruno’s father was also a collegiate football player and spent his time at both MTSU and Austin Peay. His mother was an exceptional volleyball player who won the 1991 Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball Player of the Year and tournament MVP while at Austin Peay.
Genetics have certainly played a role in Reagan’s success as an athlete, but he says it’s what his parents have done for him since he was born that have allowed him to flourish on and off the field.
“They were just super supportive,” Reagan said. “I tell everyone that I come from a privileged background because I did. Whatever I wanted to do they allowed me to do. I played baseball, soccer and they were just 100 percent behind me the whole time. They always treated me like an adult even though I was kind of a kid. There was only one rule and that was to never quit. They weren’t helicopter parents or anything, even though they both performed at a high level in their own rights.”
When he’s not teaching at Reagan Martial Arts in Clarksville, or working on his game as a football player, Reagan hosts a podcast called “Grappler on the Gridiron”.
“I just wanted a place to publish my thoughts throughout the journeys that I’ve been on,” Reagan said. “It’s a unique situation you know. Not a lot of guys get to play SEC football as much as I have and get a shot at the NFL. I was never a guy that was supposed to be in these situations. I just wanted a place to maybe voice what helped me get there and discuss those type of things.”
Reagan and the St. Louis BattleHawks will face off against the Dallas Renegades Sunday, February 9, 2020 at Globe Life Park. The game will be televised at 4 p.m. on ESPN.