REGGIE DURDEN ONCE PATROLLED THE SECONDARY AT SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL IN HOUSTON BACK IN THE LATE 1990s BEFORE TAKING HIS TALENTS TO FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE STARRED FOR TWO SEASONS. THE HISD LEGEND IS NOW THE HEAD TRACK AND FIELD COACH AT EISENHOWER ALONG WITH BEING A FOOTBALL ASSISTANT UNDER COACH ODELL JAMES.
Fast forward a generation and Eisenhower is led by another star defensive back and track and field specialist... Reginald “Reggie” Durden.
“It’s great to have that one-on-one coaching in both sports by my Dad,” Durden said. “It’s really special, but what he stands on is that we separate our personal life and business... him being Dad and coach.”
Upon graduation, Durden will take his talents to Tallahassee to Florida A&M, where he will run track and play football.
“We still have a lot of connections to Tallahassee since when my Dad played there, so it was an easy choice,” he said. “I love it there and I’m excited for that ‘college experience’. I’m going to be really busy playing both sports, but I’m ready to make some noise. I have some goals I’m ready to achieve.”
As Durden heads for the final curve of his high school career, he also has goals he wants to achieve with Swoop Nation on the track.
“I’ve run a 38 in the 300 hurdles and that was the goal. Now, I’m trying to go lower,” he said. “I also run the 100 hurdles, but I love the 4 x 400 relay. That’s my favorite. It’s the last race of the meet and all eyes are on you. I love to be in that position.”
He hopes that all eyes will be on him as he embarks on a career in broadcast journalism at FAMU.
“I’d love to be a sports analyst on television,” he said. “I feel like I have the knowledge of the game and the personality to do something like that.”
His other business passion is opening a funeral home.
“I also want to get my mortician’s license,” he said. “My grandmother passed away during COVID and I was up close and personal to the process. They showed so much love and hospitality and I knew that was something I wanted to do in the future. People die every day and I want to help them find their home.”
For now, his home will be Tallahassee and all eyes will be on him as he embarks on his interesting path to future success.
