LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville senior running back Reggie Bonnafon has played many positions and accomplished quite a bit on the football field as one of the hometown heroes.
The Louisville, Ky., native has thrown, rushed, and caught touchdowns during his career, but the 6-foot-3 senior added something to his resume last weekend versus Boston College – a 100-yard rushing game. Bonnafon carried 12 times for a career-best 107 yards, including a 64-yard run for a touchdown in the second quarter that put the Cardinals ahead 21-7.
“It was just a matter of getting into the flow of the game,” Bonnafon said of his outstanding performance. “I had a good week of practice. Coach (Bobby) Petrino had called some plays that I could perform well in, and we were able to execute. Going into the game I had confidence, so I just wanted to go out and show everyone what I could do.”
Coming in as a quarterback, Bonnafon excelled as a true freshman, guiding the Cardinals to a 9-4 record that included significant road wins over Boston College and Notre Dame. In a 30-27 win over the Fighting Irish, he accounted for two touchdowns in the first visit to face the tradition-rich program, while rushing for 76 yards in a victory over the Eagles.
In his first year as the starting quarterback, Bonnafon, who posted a 4-1 record as the starter, passed for 864 yards and five touchdowns after playing one year as the signal caller at Trinity High, one of the top programs in the nation.
From there, Bonnafon's career has taken him all over the field, playing wide receiver in 2016, and now the team's top running back.
“As my senior season is coming to a close, I'm starting to reminisce a little bit of my journey,” Bonnafon said. “It's pretty amazing. Sometimes I don't believe all that I've done and it's truly a blessing to have the God-given ability to do the things that I've been able to accomplish.”
His first season was full of ups and downs, which is truly expected from a freshman playing the quarterback position at the Division I level, but Bonnafon was grateful for the opportunity.
“I learned a lot that season,” Bonnafon said. “It was a blessing to have that opportunity. I went through so much that year, but over the four years it's been amazing just all that I learned and the experiences I've had during my time here.”
While it's fun for Bonnafon to look back at his tenure with the Cardinals, he knows his time is coming to a close, and he must prepare for a big game Saturday versus another program the caliber of Florida State, which is 2-3 overall, 2-2 in the ACC.
“Florida State always has a good defense,” Bonnafon said. “They have guys on the front end, and guys in the secondary. Our focus is that we just want to go out and execute. We want to put together a whole game with all 11 guys doing what we are coached to do, and let the rest take care of itself.”