Per Ed Reed....

[Dee Dub]

I read his interview in the newest ESPN the Magazine and he was asked.....

Who are the toughest QBs to read?

His answer----Brady. Peyton. Brees. Rivers. Palmer.

The easiest?

His answer-----Younger guys -- and most of the QBs in Cleveland.

[ColumbusSteelerFan]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

[url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7299321/nfl-baltimore-raven-ed-reed-being-elite-safety"]http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/72993 ... ite-safety[/url]

Reed: "When I feel it, I'll yell 'It's time!'"
After seven Pro Bowl seasons, the Ravens free safety knows a thing or two about playing defense

By Seth Wickersham
ESPN The Magazine
Archive

Reed is the NFL's active career leader with 1,463 INT return yards.

This article appears in ESPN The Magazine's Dec. 12, 2011 "Interview Issue."

WICKERSHAM: Where do you think you rank all-time among safeties?

REED: Ah, man. I don't know. I guess up there with the greats.

The play tha put you on the map came in 2001, your senior year at Miami. Fourth quarter, you're up 12-7 and Boston College has the ball first and goal. Brian St. Pierre throws a slant, which is intercepted by defensive tackle Matt Walters. But as he's tackled, you strip the ball and return it for a TD. So you intercepted an interception? Let's make this right for the record. I didn't take it. Matt looked up, last moment, and gave me the ball. BC robbed us the year before, so we had to cover the spread.

Who are the toughest QBs to read? Brady. Peyton. Brees. Rivers. Palmer.

The easiest? Younger guys -- and most of the QBs in Cleveland.

What are the keys to reading a QB's eyes? You can't. It's a misconception. If he looks a certain way, you might think about going that way, but until he commits, you can't move. My first DB coach with the Ravens, Donnie Henderson, said, "If you break on the ball, you're never wrong." I can't say I always do it perfectly, but it all comes back to being disciplined.

You use the word "disciplined," but on many of your best plays you seem to be freelancing. Are you? I'm never truly freelancing. Most safeties just try to cover ground; I try to make a play and cover ground. To do that, you gotta know where your help is. That comes with practice, games and confidence.

Bill Belichick complimented you in 2009 on an out route that you jumped in a wild-card win over the Dolphins the previous season. You didn't break on the ball; you broke before it was thrown. How was that disciplined? They ran an out route in the first quarter, but the QB [Chad Pennington] didn't throw that route. Everything in football is about running one play to set up another, so in the third quarter, I was in the middle of the field, saw the play and ran to the sideline for the interception. It was a disciplined play within the defense.

What's the biggest difference between playing corner and safety? Corner isn't as mental. We have to get people lined up, make checks and adjustments. Corners are at their best playing brain-dead.

Sluggers often say they can feel a home run as the ball arrives at their bat. Do you feel that way about interceptions? Before the snap, when I'm feeling it and they've thrown a couple of times to a certain receiver, I'll yell, "It's time!"

As you age and your physical gifts decrease, how do you compensate? In the off-season, a few other guys and I work with Dr. Clayton Gibson and his antiaging program in Miami every day for four hours. We do acupuncture, chiropractic work, foot detoxes ...

A foot detox? We put our feet in a bucket of hot water and salt for 30 minutes to nourish our muscles. I was born to do this. This is the talent that the Lord has blessed me with, and I want to take care of myself because football will be only a small part of my life.

Seth Wickersham is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. He conducted this interview on Oct. 28, 2011. Follow The Mag on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.

[jj28west]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

I remember Ed baiting QB's since his Miami days. I also read how he & Lewis are film study junkies looking for an edge or a tendency.

They are like having player coaches on the field.

[aggiebones]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

Not for long. Both are going to be out of the NFL in a couple years.

[Shoe]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

Ray (killer) is toast. Turf toe is a career ender at this point. He'll probably come back onto the field, but that's the beginning of the end. Reed's got a couple of years maybe. Coincidentally, it seems like Troy's getting near the end of his line too.

[flippy]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

Reed is great. But just like Lewis, he's overhyped.

Ngata is Baltimore's defense.

Ngata is the beast in Baltimore.

Without Ngata, the Ravens would be about as good as the Browns.

[phillyesq]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

Reed is great. But just like Lewis, he's overhyped.

Ngata is Baltimore's defense.

Ngata is the beast in Baltimore.

Without Ngata, the Ravens would be about as good as the Browns.

I hate the Ravens as much as the next guy, but Ed Reed is really, really good.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

Reed is great. But just like Lewis, he's overhyped.

Ngata is Baltimore's defense.

Ngata is the beast in Baltimore.

Without Ngata, the Ravens would be about as good as the Browns.

I hate the Ravens as much as the next guy, but Ed Reed is really, really good.

I'd take Reed in a heartbeat, and line him up back there with Troy...

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

The play tha put you on the map came in 2001, your senior year at Miami. Fourth quarter, you're up 12-7 and Boston College has the ball first and goal. Brian St. Pierre throws a slant, which is intercepted by defensive tackle Matt Walters. But as he's tackled, you strip the ball and return it for a TD. So you intercepted an interception? Let's make this right for the record. I didn't take it. Matt looked up, last moment, and gave me the ball. BC robbed us the year before, so we had to cover the spread.

Talking about covering the spread in a game against Boston College (a college infamous for a point shaving scandal in basketball in the 70's)? That's not something that you want to voluntarily bring up in an interview.

Also, you might not want to bring up your antiaging doctors. Those are the doctors who have legal access to HGH for use with elderly patients.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

I hate the Ravens as much as the next guy, but Ed Reed is really, really good.

and as much as it hurts me to admit something like this about a Ravens' player, Ed Reed really is really, really good.

[feltdizz]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

Reed is great. But just like Lewis, he's overhyped.

Ngata is Baltimore's defense.

Ngata is the beast in Baltimore.

Without Ngata, the Ravens would be about as good as the Browns.

WTF are you talking about? I couls see if you said Suggs but even then your overhyped statement is laughable Flip.

Whoever said Ray and Reed won't be there in a few years... Well that's true but they have been there for a long time and there knowledge is being passed down to the younger guys.

[steelblood]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

Ray (killer) is toast. Turf toe is a career ender at this point. He'll probably come back onto the field, but that's the beginning of the end. Reed's got a couple of years maybe. Coincidentally, it seems like Troy's getting near the end of his line too.

Folks on this board have been predicting Ray Lewis' demise for years. Plenty of players have played on after turf toe.

[feltdizz]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

A lot of injuries that sidelined players in the 80's are no longer career killers. The medical field is much better than it was back in Lamberts day.

[ikestops85]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

I don't see how anyone could consider Reed as being over-hyped. He is one of the all time great Free Safeties that ever played the game. The same goes for Lewis.

As much as I hate those guys I admire them. Lewis took Reed under his wing and they supposedly spend hours each day studying film. It shows up in how they have played the game for their entire career.

[feltdizz]

Re: Per Ed Reed....

I don't see how anyone could consider Reed as being over-hyped. He is one of the all time great Free Safeties that ever played the game. The same goes for Lewis.

As much as I hate those guys I admire them. Lewis took Reed under his wing and they supposedly spend hours each day studying film. It shows up in how they have played the game for their entire career.