Best safety of 2000s? Ed Reed always there to make the play

By its name, the football position of safety implies a last line of defense. But in the past decade, players such as Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins and Darren Sharper have brought an attacking, big-play style to the role.
Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens, voted by USA TODAY as the No. 1 player at the position in the 2000s, is the embodiment of all those aggressive qualities.

So, Ed, how about an acceptance speech for being selected the top man in an impressive field?

"It's a hell of an honor to be among so many elite players year in and year out," says Reed, who joined the Ravens as a first-round draft pick (24th overall) out of Miami in 2002. "There are so many players in this league that do so many great things. It's really hard to pick out something like that. It's just a great honor."

Reed has earned his status. This season, he was selected to his sixth Pro Bowl even though he was sidelined for four games by a groin injury. His list of career accomplishments is long:

•His 46 interceptions rank first in the NFL since his he entered the league in 2002. His 1,255 interceptions return yards are also No. 1 in that span.

•His 27.3-yard interception return average is tops in NFL history among players with at least 30 interceptions.

•He has scored 13 career touchdowns: seven on interceptions returns, two on fumble returns, three on blocked punt returns and one on a punt return.

Opponents sing his praise.

"He's a rare, rare player at that position, as good as any I've ever seen," New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in October before his team played Baltimore. " … He's always around the ball, and that's usually bad for the offense when he is. He's a great football player."

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, whose team missed playing Reed in a Week 16 matchup, said the Ravens safety is a "game-changer."

"He's a defensive guy that's capable of ringing up the scoreboard or getting the ball in his hands," said Tomlin.

Tomlin praised Reed's abilities to hide his intentions, play a "cat and mouse" game with quarterbacks and see pass routes.

"He has the physical talent that enables him to cover a lot of grass, but you don't want to underestimate the mental capacity of a gentleman like that because that's required to cover the amount of grass that he covers as well," says Tomlin.

Ozzie Newsome, general manager of the Ravens, says his team saw all those qualities in Reed before drafting him. But he adds that it took some extra scrutiny because Reed played on Miami teams with so many stars.

"With Ed, you had to watch a lot of tape because he played on a team that probably had eight or nine guys that came on to play in the National Football League," Newsome says.

"But anytime a play needed to be made to make a difference in the ball game, Ed Reed made that play. … In a critical point, whether it was a third-down play or fourth-down play, some play that Miami needed to seal the ballgame, Ed Reed made that play."

*****
A glance at the other safeties voted in the top five of the 2000s by USA TODAY:

•Brian Dawkins: Though he signed this season with the Denver Broncos, Dawkins made his mark in the past decade as a hard-hitting playmaker and emotional leader of the Philadelphia Eagles. Thirty-three of his 36 career interceptions came in a Philadelphia uniform. He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round out of Clemson in 1996 and became a starter his rookie year. With the Broncos this season, he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the eighth time. Seven of those selections came in the past decade.

•Troy Polamalu: Sidelined most of this season by knee injuries, his absence was a dramatic illustration of his value to the Steelers. Without him roaming the field with his long hair flowing, the Steelers have struggled. His ability to cover deep and stuff the run is a pivotal element in Pittsburgh's zone blitz, 3-4 defense (aka the "hair-four" in Polamalu's shampoo commercials). A first-round draft pick by Pittsburgh in 2003 out of Southern California, he's been a five-time Pro Bowler in the past decade. He has 20 career interceptions.

•Darren Sharper: Though he turned 34 in November, Sharper was a huge addition to the New Orleans Saints this season. He returned nine interceptions for 376 yards (an NFL record for interception return yards in a season) and three touchdowns, including a 99-yarder. Sharper's 376 interception return yards broke the previous mark of 358 by Baltimore's Ed Reed in 2004. Sharper joined the Saints as a free agent after four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and eight with the Green Bay Packers. Drafted by Green Bay in the second round out of William & Mary in 1997, he's been a five-time Pro Bowler in the past decade, including this season. He has returned 11 of his 62 career interceptions for TDs — one shy of Rod Woodson's NFL record.

•John Lynch: Since retiring before the 2008 season, Lynch has been in the Fox broadcast booth. He made his mark in the 2000s with seven of his nine career Pro Bowl appearances as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993-2003) and the Denver Broncos (2004-2007). He was drafted by Tampa Bay in the third round in 1993 out of Stanford. He had 26 career interceptions, but as a 6-2, 220-pound strong safety his trademark was his strong tackling. He was ranked No. 10 in an NFL Films feature production of the Top 10 Most Feared Tacklers in NFL history.

Click here to order Ed Reed’s proCane Rookie Card.



(usatoday.com)