Rey begins rookie mini-camp on Friday. (Duke Photography)
Vinny Rey’s commute from Far Rockaway to Bayside HS was long and winding. It included an hour apiece on the J train and Q31 bus.
To keep from boredom, he day-dreamed about his future as a football player and talked to friends about one day making it big in the NFL.
“All you used to talk about was football,” his former teammates have told him.
Now they know why.
Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals signed Rey, the former Bayside all-city middle linebacker and Duke University standout, to a free-agent contract.
“It’s exciting,” the 6-foot, 240-pounder said. “I’m closer than I’ve ever been.”
Those close to him aren’t surprised. Duke coach David Cutcliffe lauded Rey for his leadership skills, improved anticipation and tackling ability. A scholar-athlete, two-time captain and second team All-ACC selection as a senior, he led the Blue Devils with 98 tackles and finished his career with 330 stops, 28 tackles for a loss and three interceptions.
At Bayside, he was a stellar four-year player, the linchpin to one of the city’s best defenses. He guided the Commodores to the quarterfinals his senior year.
“If he would’ve played in the deep south or Texas, he would’ve had multiple Division I offers, he had that kind of ability,” former Bayside coach and current athletic director Joe Capuana said. “If I could have one Vinny Rey every year, maybe I’d still be coaching.”
Rey, indeed, had limited offers following his senior year at Bayside. Duke got involved late, but had run out of scholarships. Hofstra was interested, but Rey wanted to prove he could compete at the highest level, so he went to prep school for a year at Mercersburg Academy, although he had the grades and the physical gifts to be at a Division I school that year.
He leaves Duke in far better shape than when he got there — the Blue Devils were 1-10 the year before his arrival, had four wins last season and five this fall.
Both coaches expect him to be successful at the next level because of his ability, but also the intangibles the affable Rey brings. He has a high football IQ, not to mention the sociology major has a 3.26 GPA. Cutcliffe talked about what a pleasure it was to be around Rey for two years, how his presence alone would brighten up a room.
“As good of a leader I’ve been around,” Cutcliffe said.
Capuana had similarly effusive praise. Once Rey’s name was brought up, the former coach spoke uninterrupted for close to a minute. Rey is still talked about around the Bayside football program, even by players who never crossed pathes with him, that know him only by reputation.
“He’s gonna make players around him better, he’s gonna make people around him better,” Capuana said. “He’s the kind of person you want to be around. The NFL has faster players, bigger players, but they’re not gonna find players that have his heart and desire. He’s gonna make it, no doubt in my mind.”
Cutcliffe was disappointed Rey wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, particularly after he posted eye-popping numbers at Duke’s Pro Day. The coach thinks NFL scouts dropped the ball on Rey, that they dismissed him and it was too late in the process for someone to select him.
“I really believe he’ll make their squad,” he said of the Bengals.
Rey said he doesn’t mind, albeit with a hint of disappointment in his voice. After all, he flies to Cincinnati on Thursday and begins rookie mini-camp Friday. The next stage of his life begins, an opportunity he always wanted.
“When it comes down to it, I’m glad I have a shot,” he said. “A lot of people don’t have a shot. … I’m gonna try to be the best I can be on every snap, every rep I get in practice. Whether it’s working on pass coverage, stopping the run, special teams, whatever I have to do I’m gonna work on to get on the field.”