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"It's a lot to think about," Reed said of his
Gold Jacket moment to come on Saturday, when many anticipate the
influential leader will use the stage to discuss football
memories and the social issues that drive his post-football
passion.
Reed, tight end Tony Gonzalez, cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Ty
Law, center Kevin Mawae, and contributors Gil Brandt and Pat
Bowlen will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, at the Hall of Fame
induction ceremony. Safety Johnny Robinson is also part of the
class, selected as a senior candidate.
A nine-time Pro Bowl pick and the 2004 Defensive Player of the
Year, Reed had 64 interceptions, returning seven of them for
scores. He forced 11 fumbles, recovered 13 and returned two for
touchdowns.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said this week he considers Reed
elite even among Hall of Fame defensive backs.
"You go into the Hall of Fame, you're a legendary football
player. But in my mind, there are levels in the Hall of Fame
too," Harbaugh said. "And I think Ed Reed, it would be hard to
argue that he's not the greatest safety in the history of
football, right? He's one of the top 10 players maybe in the
history of the game, in my mind."
Gonzalez ranks as the all-time leader in receptions (1,325) and
receiving yards (15,127) among tight ends. He played 12 seasons
with the Kansas City Chiefs and five with the Atlanta Falcons,
and was a 14-time Pro Bowl selection and six-time All-Pro.
Law won three Super Bowls as the top cornerback of the New
England Patriots. Bailey was considered a shutdown corner with
the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins, and Mawae a standout
center for the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans.
Law played 15 seasons, 10 of them in New England, where he set a
team record with six Pick-6s.
"There was really no weaknesses in Ty's game," Patriots head
coach Bill Belichick said. "He was good in coverage, good on the
jam, good against the run and he could change the game with his
ball skills."
Bailey is the first Broncos defensive player in the Hall of
Fame. He retired with an NFL record for defensive backs by being
selected to 12 Pro Bowls, and also finished with 52 career
interceptions. In part, he credits his place in Canton to the
tutelage of Darrell Green and Deion Sanders with the Redskins.
"I think I would have been great without Deion and Darrell,"
Bailey said. "Would I have been Hall of Fame good? I don't know.
But they actually get a lot of credit for getting me there
because I don't know if I would have been as great as I was if I
didn't have those nuggets that they gave me early in my career."
--Field Level Media
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