Keenan Reynolds’ Drive for Five

Keenan Reynolds scored an NCAA-record 88 touchdowns during his career as quarterback at the Naval Academy. He kept the footballs from only four of them, and he knows exactly which ones they are.

The first was No. 38, which he toted across the goal line against Army as a sophomore to set a new NCAA single-season mark for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. It’s also the only ball he kept from a game against Navy’s rival ­– Reynolds is proud to say he went 4-0 against the Black Knights, the only Midshipmen QB to ever do so. “I don’t like to talk about the records, but that’s definitely one of my favorites,” he says. “No one can ever take that one; they can only tie it. That’s pretty awesome.”

The second ball was No. 50, and he didn’t keep it just because it was a nice, round number. It broke the Navy record for touchdowns in a career held by another former QB, Ricky Dobbs. It was the first of three touchdowns Reynolds scored in a 41-31 victory over San Jose State on October 25, 2014, midway through his junior season.

The third ball was No. 78, and it was the one that gave him the NCAA touchdown record that had previously belonged to Wisconsin’s Montee Ball. It came on November 14, 2015, on the first drive against SMU. Another victory.

The fourth ball was No. 88, his final touchdown in his final game for the Midshipmen. It capped Navy’s 44-28 victory over Pittsburgh in the Military Bowl, a game in which Reynolds went out in style. He led the Middies in passing yards (126), rushing yards (144) and receiving yards (47), ran for three touchdowns and passed for a fourth.

The four footballs reside in Reynolds’ parents’ house in Antioch, Tennessee. His father, Donny, a former college football player, is having the balls encased in glass, so his son can one day display them in a house of his own. But before he does that, Keenan wants to add one more ball to the collection – his first NFL touchdown.

“Yeah, for sure I’ll keep that one,” he says. “It would definitely be a dream come true to have that happen.”