Most high school athletic programs have at least one person that is that go-to in any situation type.
Rob Reed fit that category at Northern Bedford. His warm personality also made him a favorite throughout the Black Panthers’ profile in local sports.
Reed, who unexpectedly passed away last week, has been fondly remembered over the past several days.
I didn’t know Rob too well, but it was always nice to chat with him for a few minutes. Most of our interactions took place on the football sidelines, where Reed served as an assistant coach.
He would usually ask me about other games that particular night. At NBC, cell phone service is spotty at best, so I didn’t always have the score or any information, but I would do my best to seek it out. I do remember that Rob would often ask about Bedford or Chestnut Ridge, more so than Northern’s local rivals in the Inter-County Conference.
One other thing I’ll remember about Reed was his willingness to help out the younger or more inexperienced players on the Panther sidelines. This was mentioned by Northern Bedford head coach Garry Black in a piece for the Altoona Mirror, and also stated on the team’s Facebook page in announcing his passing. I saw that aspect of his teaching/coaching ability first hand on many occasions.
Also on the Facebook page, it was noted that Reed wore blue pants on at least a couple of game nights, which gave me a laugh. I also own some blue pants and have worn them quite often, including I’m sure at Panther Community Stadium at some point or another. Rob wore them for a game with Williamsburg, whose colors are blue and white. He said he was color blind. I’m not, as of yet and I try to only wear them at a game when both teams have blue or neither team does, but it gave me a smile and a chuckle to have something in common, at least a little bit.
If and when I get to Northern Bedford for an athletic event again, I’ll miss the friendly face that Rob Reed was. My condolences go to his family and friends.
