To most people who have followed the career of Don Reid, it was the most memorable moment they can think of. For Don Reid himself, it was a night he ended with a sore right arm. On Feb. 19, 1966, Reid poured in a Flint-area single-game record 61 points to lead Flint St. Mary to an 84-69 victory over Sacred Heart. While the record that Reid eclipsed stood for only four days, his is a mark that still stands today.
The previous week, Larry Smith of Holy Redeemer had scored 47 points. Reid’s teammates got together and decided he could do better. The result was an amazing night. Reid hit 24 field goals and was 13-for-17 from the free-throw line. “I was lucky to score 61 points in my final home game as a senior,” Reid said. “That was just the case of my teammates joining together and feeding me the ball. My arm was pretty tired by the second half.”
Despite being a unanimous all-state selection for two years in basketball, Reid was hardly a one-sport wonder. He starred for four years in football, basketball and baseball and was named All-Flint Area Parochial Conference 12 times. He was also named Class D All-State three times in both football and basketball. In addition to holding the single-game scoring record, Reid is second in area career scoring with 2,121 points.
“In general, the best memories I have from St. Mary was the opportunity to be able to play all the sports,” Reid said. “There was one spring I don’t think I ever went to practice. I played baseball, golf, track. It was a lot of fun. And we had some outstanding games with St. Matt’s, they were our archrival. To get a win against them in any sport was big for us.”
After his stellar prep career, the college offers poured in. But there was only one place he wanted to go: Notre Dame. “I guess you can call it a dream come true,” Reid said. “I know that’s how I described it when I accepted my scholarship. I guess it’s something every Catholic boy dreams about.” Reid entered Notre Dame in 1966 as a quarterback after being recruited by the legendary Ara Parseghian. But there were two standout quarterbacks ahead of him – Terry Hanratty and Coley O’Brien – and Reid knew his chances to play were at another position. Reid moved to defensive back where he was good enough to make the traveling squad as a sophomore (freshmen were ineligible at the time).
The highlight for Reid’s career at Notre Dame came during his junior season when the Irish played Southern Cal and Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simpson. “It was O.J.’s last collegiate game and we held him to 58 yards,” Reid told The Flint Journal in 1982. “It was the only time in his college career he didn’t get 100 or more yards.”
The capper on Reid’s career came when he started in the 1970 Cotton Bowl. “In the mid-60’s Notre Dame was just coming back into national power with Parseghian as the coach,” Reid remembers. “I ended up playing three years there.”
It wasn’t just athletics that made Reid’s time in South Bend, Ind., memorable. He met his wife, Bev, in South Bend. She was a student at St. Mary’s College. They were married at Sacred Heart Church in South Bend a week before graduation. Reid’s daughter, Meredith, continued the family tradition by graduating from Notre Dame in 1993. His son,Connor, graduated last year from Michigan State.
“The whole family still follows Notre Dame,” he said. “There are still a lot of people from Notre Dame that we see.” At age 53, Reid spends most of his time these days on the golf course. He retired from Delphi Automotive in June after 30 years and nine months.
With everything he’s accomplished in his athletic career, Reid is still humbled by his selection into the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame. “Seeing all of the people who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, some of my peers included. I consider it an outstanding honor.”
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