#52

 

ED REED

In many ways, Ed Reed was more like an NBA player who just happened to play football.

In the NBA, teams often get their offense going by playing spectacularly on the defensive end. A steal, a blocked shot, and a deflected pass are all tools that can jumpstart an NBA offense.

Reed often used all of those tools and more to get the Baltimore Ravens going when he was in the heyday of his career. Reed combined top-level athleticism, excellent instincts, and a notion for physical play with maximum leadership ability.

Together, with middle linebacker Ray Lewis, he helped the Ravens play formidable defense on an every-week basis.

Reed was drafted in the first round (24th pick overall) out of Miami in 2002. He immediately became a starter on the Ravens defense, fitting right in at strong safety. Reed would also play many years at the more-instinctive free safety position, but he was such a hard and aggressive hitter that he was also a natural fit at the strong safety position.

Reed became a big-time player in his first season, and he immediately showed a knack for making game-changing plays. He had five interceptions in that first season, and he also had 12 pass deflections to go along with 85 tackles. More than the numbers, Reed showed the tendency to be in the right place at the right time.

His instincts gave him a good feel to understand what the opposing quarterback and offensive coordinator wanted to do next, and he was regularly able to put himself in a position to make a game-changing play.

He served notice the following year that he was going to become one of the top defensive backs in the game. Reed made the Pro Bowl for the first time, as he had seven interceptions that he returned for 154 yards and a touchdown, 15 passes defensed, 73 tackles and one forced fumble. During the 2003 season, the ever-alert Reed showed his remarkable ability to flash to the ball, make a spectacular catch, and then turn defense into offense with a long return.

Reed was productive as a rookie and elite as a second-year player. However, he came into his own during the 2004 season when he was named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year. Reed did everything that head coach Brian Billick asked of him, and then a little bit more. Reed was a ball hawk on the field, as it seemed like he had a chance to come away with the interception on nearly every pass that was thrown in the Ravens’ secondary.

Reed had nine interceptions that he returned for 358 yards and a touchdown, and he also had 17 passes defensed. Reed’s hard hitting also became a huge factor, as he forced three fumbles, recovered two more, and returned one of them for a touchdown. He registered 76 tackles that season.

The highlight was Reed’s a 106-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns that clinched that Week Nine victory. The Ravens were leading the Browns 20-13 in the late stages of the fourth quarter, when the Browns attempted to tie the score behind veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia. The former 49er tried to squeeze in a game-tying touchdown pass, but the instant he released the ball, Reed drove on the football, intercepted it deep in the end zone, and sped away on a remarkable run that decided the game in the Ravens’ favor.

From that point on his career, Reed became known for his ability as a remarkable open-field runner. When he got his hands on the ball as a result of an interception, fumble recovery, blocked punt, or taking a lateral from a teammate, Reed knew how to make things happen.

“When Ed had the ball it was always exciting,” Billick said. “He didn’t always go all the way, but if he had the ball in his hands, you knew he was capable of scoring. Some guys think the play is over after they intercept the ball. They want to head out of bounds or get down on the ground without fumbling. With Ed Reed, the play was just starting when he intercepted the ball.”

The Ravens tried to compete for years by playing hard-hitting and nasty defense with Lewis and Reed providing the leadership. While cameras and the media often focused on the remarkable linebacker for his speeches and trademark pregame dance, Reed was often the team’s rallying point.

His ability to come up with huge plays was perhaps his signature during his 11-year run with the Ravens from 2002 through 2012. He led the NFL in interceptions three times, and he scored seven touchdowns while returning those interceptions. He also had two more touchdown returns while bringing back fumble recoveries.

As good as he was during the regular season, he was even more valuable during the playoffs. Reed holds the NFL record with nine postseason interceptions.

Reed also became one of the most valuable special-teams players in the game’s history. He was perhaps its best punt blocker, as he returned three blocked punts for touchdowns in his career. Reed is the only player in NFL history to return an interception, a punt, a fumble, and a blocked punt for touchdowns.

Reed’s awareness on the field gave the team the presence of a coach. However, no coach could ever sprint or break tackles the way Reed could when he had the ball under his arm.

“I have always enjoyed studying film,” Reed said. “It helps me to get to know who I’m playing against and what they like to do on the field. But I wasn’t just looking at film for something to do. I was doing it so I could plan my next move and figure out how to attack.”

Few players ever did more when it came to creating offense from defense. He is one of the most instinctive players to man both the strong and free safety positions, and his game-changing talents made him one of the NFL’s most important players.