Gary Reasons

Reasons was born in 1962 in Chicago. He grew up in Texas and attended Crowley High School in Crowley, Texas.{{cite web|title=Gary Reasons|publisher=Pro Football Archives|accessdate=August 22, 2023|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerr/reas00200.html}} He played at linebacker and tight end for the Crowley football team and played other sports as well, earning a total of 13 varsity letters from 1976 to 1980.{{cite web|title=Gary Reasons Returns Home to Crowley High School|publisher=Crowley School District|accessdate=August 22, 2023|url=https://www.crowleyisdtx.org/domain/740}}

Reasons attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He played college football as a linebacker for the Northwestern State Demons football team from 1980 to 1983. He set Northwestern State records for most tackles in a game (24), a season (172) and in a career (394). He was the first player to be named three times to the Division I-AA All-America team selected by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). As a senior, he was selected as a third-team All-American by Gannett News Service, an honor that typically only goes to Division I-A players.{{cite news|first=Joel S.|last=Buchsbaum|title=Young, not Rozier deserves trophy|date=November 29, 1983|newspaper=The Pensacola Journal|page=3B|agency=Gannett News Service|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72113382/|access-date=February 26, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Open access}}

Reasons was selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round (105th overall pick) of the 1984 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=1984 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1984/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He played for the Giants for eight years from 1984 to 1991, appearing in 122 games, including 80 as a starter. In December 1989, Reasons made a diving tackle against Bobby Humphrey of the Denver Broncos in the snow at Mile High Stadium in Denver. Reasons stopped Humphrey short of the goal-line, and the Giants won the game, helping them advance to the playoffs.{{Cite web |last=Litsky |first=Frank |date=1989-12-11 |title=Giants Plow Past Broncos in Snow, 14-7 - The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/11/sports/giants-plow-past-broncos-in-snow-14-7.html |access-date=2018-09-20 |website=The New York Times}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/21/sports/fantastic-finish-puts-giants-in-super-bowl-vs-bills.html?scp=2&sq=january%2021,%201991%20giants&st=cse |title=Fantastic Finish Puts Giants in Super Bowl vs. Bills - The New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=1991-01-21 |access-date=2018-09-20}} Three years later, The New York Times published an article about the hit, writing,

Reasons, a Giant linebacker, tackled a man with his head. In fact, his head tackled the other guy's head in midair. It was such a spectacular collision that, Reasons said, people still exclaim about it.{{cite news|title=Gary Reasons' Head|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 6, 1990|page=45|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/06/sports/sports-of-the-times-gary-reasons-head.html}}

Reasons also made a notable play during the 1991 NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers, running for 30 yards on a fourth-quarter fake punt play, which helped the Giants win 15-13 and advance to Super Bowl XXV.

In early 1992, the Giants did not include Reasons on their 37-man Plan B protected list.{{cite news|title=Giants planning to be different|newspaper=The Sunday Record|date=February 2, 1992|page=S12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-giants-planning-to-be-differe/130527377/|via=Newspapers.com}} He returned to the Giants but injured his knee during training camp and was released on injury settlement. He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in September 1992.{{cite news|title=Reasons fills void from Bentley injury|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|date=September 16, 1992|page=E3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer-reasons-fills-vo/130527966/|via=Newspapers.com}} He appeared in 12 games for the Bengals, nine as a starter, in 1992.

Reasons played in the NFL for nine seasons, appeared in 134 games, and totaled 10 interceptions, 137 interception return yards, nine fumble recoveries, and three-and-a-half sacks.

Reasons has received multiple honors for his football career, including the following:

• In 1984, Northwestern State retired his No. 34 jersey, one of only three to have been retired by the school.{{cite news|title=Reasons a good Hall of Famer|newspaper=The Town Talk|date=May 18, 1996|page=B7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-town-talk-reasons-a-good-hall-of-fam/130536021/|via=Newspapers.com}}
• On April 5, 1991, Reasons was honored by the Northwestern State and city of Natchitoches with the celebration of "Gary Reasons Day". As part of the celebration, he was enshrined in the Natchitoches "Walk of Honor".{{cite news|title=NSU, Natchitoches declare 'Gary Reasons Day'|newspaper=The Town Talk|date=March 24, 1991|page=B6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-town-talk-gary-reasons-day/130505134/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Reasons Day: Natchitoches honors NFL and former Demon star|newspaper=Alexandria Daily Town Talk|date=April 6, 1991|pages=B1, B4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-town-talk-reasons-day-natchitoches/130535757/|via=Newspapers.com}}
• Reasons was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.{{cite web|title=Gary Reasons|publisher=National Football Foundation|accessdate=August 22, 2023|url=https://footballfoundation.org/honors/hall-of-fame/gary-reasons/2028}} He was inducted as part of the first group of players from smaller schools.
• He was also inducted into Northwestern State's N-Club Hall of Fame in 1996.{{cite web|title=Gary Reasons|publisher=Northwestern State Demons|accessdate=August 22, 2023|url=https://nsudemons.com/honors/n-club-hall-of-fame/gary-reasons/141}}
• In 1997, he was also inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite news|title=Overcoming obstacles: Lack of interest didn't keep Reasons from big career|newspaper=The Times|date=July 11, 1997|page=6C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-overcoming-obstacles-lack-of/130536418/|via=Newspapers.com}}

Reasons married Terri Matthews, and they had three children: Nicholas, Randi, and Lacy. He owned and operated a company that supplied amusement machines to restaurants, clubs, and arcades in the Houston ara.

Reasons was also the owner and president of the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of the AF2 arena football league. He also served as the team's head coach in 2004 and again in 2008.{{cite news|title=In Focus: Yard Dawgz coach Gary Reasons; One man, many hats|newspaper=The Daily Oklahoman|date=December 13, 2007|pages=1C, 6C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-in-focus-yard-dawgz/130529659/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Ex-Giant will coach new Arena 2 team|newspaper=The Daily Oklahoman|date=January 8, 2004|page=C1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-ex-giant-will-coach/130537105/|via=Newspapers.com}}

Reasons also worked for more than 20 years as a college football game analyst, color commentator, and sideline reporter for ABC/ESPN and Fox Sports Southwest.{{cite news|title=Special assignment: Reasons will handle on-field TV analyst role for TCU-OU game|newspaper=The Daily Oklahoman|date=September 26, 2008|page=2C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-special-assignment/130536956/|via=Newspapers.com}}

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Category:1962 births

Category:Living people

Category:American football linebackers

Category:Cincinnati Bengals players

Category:New York Giants players

Category:Northwestern State Demons football players

Category:Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz coaches

Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees

Category:Crowley High School (Texas) alumni

Category:People from Crowley, Texas

Category:Players of American football from Texas

Category:Players of American football from Chicago