Former Stony Brook football player Dominick Reyes opposes light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in the UFC 247 main event in Houston on Feb. 8. As that fight looms, longtime Stony Brook Athletics voice Curt Hylton reminisces about Reyes' unexpected path from Seawolf to an Ultimate Fighting Championship title fight.

My initial impression upon learning about the changing career path of Dominick Reyes to MMA fighter?

Surprise. Perhaps even skepticism.

Picture the reaction as the single-arched eyebrow of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
 
In my mind's eye, the lanky former Stony Brook football free safety, captain and record-holder for solo tackles was quite an unlikely candidate for great success as a UFC combatant.

He projected the appearance of an unassuming, mild-mannered and soft-spoken young man.

However, on Feb. 8 he could become the UFC's new light heavyweight champion. 
 
Reyes hails from Hesperia, Calif., and currently fights out of Cobra Kai gym in nearby Victorville. He also sports an unblemished record, with 12 victories and no defeats — highlighted by seven knockouts. The most recent came in a startling win over Chris Weidman.

Not heavily recruited out of high school, Reyes initially joined the Stony Brook football program in 2008 as one of head coach Chuck Priore's few remaining scholarship players for that year's recruiting class.
 
Watch this highlight film of Dominick Reyes with the Stony Brook football team.

His interest in MMA was piqued by offseason training sessions with his brother Alex "The Executioner" Reyes, who is an MMA fighter in the welterweight ranks. What was once simply a method of staying in top shape and honing a competitive edge has yielded a brilliant and meteoric ascent through the violently contested ranks of the UFC. 
 
The success of his fight career should not be met with surprise. In speaking with various coaches about his football career, the comments were strikingly similar: They all cited Reyes' physicality as a player, and the fact that he relished contact and knew how to make that contact explosively matter.

All agree he was a consistently hard-hitting safety. That sentiment was echoed by many of his former teammates, who noted he would "bring the wood!"
 
Lest you think he was all brawn and no brains, his IQ repeatedly was cited as well.

Reyes "was always a tactician and very intelligent," says Mike Derice, a former Stony Brook assistant coach and current NFL scout with the Indianapolis Colts. "He always had a knack for making a big play just when we needed it." 
 
None was bigger than Reyes' dramatic, game-sealing interception in the 2011 FBS playoffs. The devastating blow to Albany secured the Seawolves' 31-28 victory and allowed Stony Brook to advance to the second round. 
 
Now, after excelling within the framework of arguably the ultimate team sport, Reyes plies his trade alone. In stark contrast to running out of the tunnel with teammates to take the field, he instead climbs into the octagon to face a formidable and singular opponent — Jones, arguably the greatest ever in the weight class.
 
A self-described "adaptive fighter," Reyes is a fearsome southpaw striker who looks to decode each opponent on the move. He uses the same intelligence that served him so well throughout his football career and as a standout high school baseball player. In the latter sport, Reyes was skilled enough to excel both as a pitcher and cleanup hitter. 
 
Jones has made numerous attempts to troll Reyes via social media. Thus far, Reyes has declined to take the bait, preferring to make any necessary statements in the octagon.

Staying true to the  lessons learned from Priore, Houston is merely a destination for a business trip. He maintains his low-key persona as his outward demeanor.
 
The way he carried himself as a player in the past is the he way he acts now. He has done a remarkable job of staying true to himself and keeping singularly focused on his goal.
 
When you tune in Feb. 8, be prepared to witness his punishing striking power and a confidence borne via his successful UFC fights.

Dominick Reyes will continue to acquit himself as he always has and continue to thrill and inspire Stony Brook fans as always.