This Ed Reed story proves the Hall of Famer was an alien
By Erik Lambert
Nobody could say they were surprised when Ed Reed made the Hall of Fame on his first try. He was the best safety of his generation.
A former Defensive Player of the Year, nine-time Pro Bowlers, and Super Bowl champion. Reed was in a class by himself. Nobody had ever seen such a combination of toughness and ball skills in the same body before. Every time a quarterback got a little too greedy trying to go down the field, he was there to make them pay for it with an interception. Sometimes taking it back for a touchdown.
People thought it was mostly because of the natural athletic ability that he was so great. They rarely appreciated the insane amounts of preparation he went through every year to become like that. It’s been difficult for fans to understand the depths he went to during his peak years in Baltimore. At last, with his place in Canton secure, one story has surfaced that defies all logic. Proving again that truth is stranger than fiction.
It comes courtesy of Kevin Van Valkenburg of ESPN.
Favorite Ed Reed on-field anecdote: He intentionally played a certain coverage wrong multiple times early in the season because he knew Peyton Manning would watch it on tape. 10 weeks later, Manning ran a play, threw deep, and Reed sprinted across the field and picked it off.
— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) February 2, 2019
Manning was baffled. Reed’s teammates were amazed. It looked, to a laymen, like a dumb throw by Peyton but later in the year, Belichick called it one of the greatest plays he’d ever seen a defender make. I asked some Ravens why. Found out it was a 10-week rope-a-dope by ER20.
— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) February 2, 2019
Ed Reed did literally whatever it took to get one up on QBs
This is a real thing. Think about it. Reed literally hatched a plan that took two and a half months to come to fruition just to get a chance to intercept Peyton Manning. How many defensive backs do you think would be willing to take that sort of in-depth approach just for an opportunity. Let alone a guarantee. That’s what separates Reed from other mortal humans. If anything it proves he’s from another planet.
Well-deserving of that instant seat in Canton. It’s quite possible there will never be somebody quite like him again. Truly one-of-a-kind. Here’s hoping he doesn’t stay away from the game for too long.