"But with the will of God, and my family, I sat down and thought things over," he said. "I talked to my family and friends and they were telling me, 'Michael, you don't quit. Transferring is like quitting on your teammates.' I thought about that and I stuck it out. I feel like I've benefited the best from staying out here and showing that I can overcome any obstacle. My time here's been good."

In the Cougar offense, junior receiver Austin Collie receives most of the attention, both on and off the field. That's fine with Reed.

"I've always been the underdog," he said. "I like it when other teams focus their attention on somebody else because they'll lose focus on me and I'll come to bite them at the end. They can overlook me all they want to. I'll just come out and prove them wrong."

Reed, Collie said, is a key part of the offense.

"Mike has gotten a lot more aggressive, coming to the ball and going to the ball," Collie said. "It's going to help him this year. He's a great athlete and a great receiver. He and I are a great combo. I help him and he helps me."

Collie was sidelined during fall camp with a stress fracture, and Reed quietly went about his business, consistently catching passes and serving as an example to younger teammates.

"There might be other players who receive more attention, but when you look at the championships we have won and the role Mike has played, you have to look strongly at him, being in the nucleus of what's happened," Mendenhall said. "Mike's consistency has been remarkable."

Because of his beliefs and his experiences, Reed is looking to help others, including freshman wide receiver O'Neill Chambers, who is also black and non-LDS. He and linebacker Terrance Hooks volunteered to be a mentor to Chambers and assist him in the process of becoming acclimated to BYU. Reed, after all, knows what it's like to jump into an LDS environment.

"At first, when I came here, it was kind of weird because I'm not LDS," he said. "It doesn't bug me. I go to church every Sunday to Pastor Scott's church. The people out here haven't treated me no differently because I'm not LDS. I like that. They're not judgmental about me and I'm not judgmental about other people. It's worked out."

What has Reed enjoyed most about his BYU experience?

"Just the surroundings," he said. "The people out here are first-class. The fans, the church members, everybody in general. The living environment out here in Provo is great. The people are great to be around. There was one day when I was a young kid here and I called my house and said, 'Man, everybody here is just so happy every day.' That's a good thing to see people happy because they bring happiness to you. I've enjoyed everything."