Andre Reed
Encyclopedia
Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football
player. He played wide receiver
in the National Football League
for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills
(1985–1999) and one with the Washington Redskins
(2000).
Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions
with 951.
, where he played quarterback
and competed in the East Penn Conference (now known as the Lehigh Valley Conference
), which is known for producing top collegiate and NFL football talent. In his senior year (1981–1982), Reed helped lead Dieruff to an EPC tri-championship, tying for the championship with Emmaus High School
and Whitehall High School
.
Reed then attended Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
, where he moved to the wide receiver
position and quickly drew the attention of the NFL for his speed and durability at the receiver position.
In the 1985 NFL Draft
, Reed was drafted
by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round with the 86th overall selection. He played for the Bills for 15 consecutive seasons, from 1985 through 1999, during which he played in four Super Bowl
s for the Bills. In 2000, Reed signed a two year contract with the Denver Broncos
in June but was buried on the depth chart behind Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey
, Robert Brooks
and Travis McGriff
. Reed eventually asked for his release from the Broncos after then Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan
informed Reed that he would be inactive for their 2000 season opener and wanted to make a more immediate contribution. He eventually joined the Washington Redskins
and retired after the 2000 season.
, Cris Carter
, Tim Brown, Isaac Bruce
, Tony Gonzalez, Terrell Owens
, and Marvin Harrison
), ninth in NFL history in total career receiving yards with 13,198. Reed is also eleventh in NFL history in total career touchdown receptions with 87.
He also rushed for 500 yards and a touchdown on 75 carries. With the Bills, Reed played in four consecutive Super Bowl
s (1991–1994) and was selected to the Pro Bowl
in seven consecutive seasons (1988–1994).
Reed set season career highs with 90 receptions in 1994, ten touchdowns in 1991, and 1,312 receiving yards in 1989.
A tribute to his incredible physical durability, Reed played in 234 NFL games between 1985 and 2000, the 59th most games played by any player in NFL history, including players in less physically demanding positions, such as kickers and punters.
's 364).
, a game that has come to be known simply as "The Comeback."
In the game, which Houston led decisively 35-3 during the third quarter, Reed caught three touchdowns in the second half to lead the Bills to the largest comeback in NFL history. Contributing substantially to "The Comeback," Reed finished the game with eight receptions for 136 yards and three touchdowns. The game has been enshrined in NFL history as one of the greatest games ever played. It also is recognized as one of the largest comebacks by any team in the history of all of American professional sports.
Following the Bills' victory against the Oilers, Reed went on to catch eight passes for 152 yards in the Bills' 52-17 Super Bowl XXVII
loss, on January 31, 1993, to the Dallas Cowboys
.
, Michael Irvin
, and Cris Carter
. Although Irvin and Monk are now enshrined as of 2007 and 2008 respectively, Carter has not and the logjam became worse than ever for Reed as he was once again overlooked in 2009, and 2010 saw wide receiver candidates Jerry Rice
and Tim Brown both eligible for the first time. Rice has long been considered one of the greatest players in league history and was almost assured of being a first ballot Hall of Famer, making 2010 a long shot for Reed. As expected, Rice was inducted, which may clear some of the logjam going forward for Reed and his chances of being inducted.
In 2006, Reed was voted into the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame, joining a number of other players from Bills history whose names are enshrined in the field-encircling cement of Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium
.
The 2009 induction ceremony was overwhelmingly pro-Buffalo Bills because former teammate Bruce Smith and owner Ralph Wilson were both inducted. Through the night, Reed was referred to multiple times as "future Hall of Famer" with various speeches voicing their ringing endorsement for Reed as a candidate.
On January 9, 2011, Reed was announced to be one of the 15 finalists to be considered for the Hall of Fame Class of 2011. He, Cris Carter, and Tim Brown were once again passed over.
show, First Take, and appears periodically as a football analyst on NFL on Fox
. He has also appeared on the Spike TV sports series Pros vs. Joes in the show's second season.
as one of several NFL wide receivers with lucrative contracts, as a fictional wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals
, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.
, tells his agent, played by Tom Cruise
, that his contract warrants high pay.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He played wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1985–1999) and one with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(2000).
Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
with 951.
Football career
Reed was born in Allentown and began his football career at Allentown's Dieruff High SchoolLouis E. Dieruff High School
Louis E. Dieruff High School is a public high school located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school is named after Louis E. Dieruff, a noted educator in the Allentown School District....
, where he played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and competed in the East Penn Conference (now known as the Lehigh Valley Conference
Lehigh Valley Conference
The Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 12 large high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
), which is known for producing top collegiate and NFL football talent. In his senior year (1981–1982), Reed helped lead Dieruff to an EPC tri-championship, tying for the championship with Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School is a public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school serves grades 9 through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
and Whitehall High School
Whitehall High School (Pennsylvania)
Whitehall High School is a public high school, based in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley region, in the United States. It is the only high school in the Whitehall-Coplay School District. As of the 2006-2007 academic school year, 1,393 students attend the...
.
Reed then attended Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania , is an American public university located in rural Kutztown, Berks County, Pennsylvania and is one of fourteen schools that comprise the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary...
, where he moved to the wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
position and quickly drew the attention of the NFL for his speed and durability at the receiver position.
In the 1985 NFL Draft
1985 NFL Draft
The 1985 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 30 and May 1, 1985...
, Reed was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round with the 86th overall selection. He played for the Bills for 15 consecutive seasons, from 1985 through 1999, during which he played in four Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s for the Bills. In 2000, Reed signed a two year contract with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in June but was buried on the depth chart behind Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey
Ed McCaffrey
Edward Thomas McCaffrey is a former American football wide receiver who played for the New York Giants , San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
, Robert Brooks
Robert Brooks
Robert Darren Brooks is a former American football wide receiver who attended University of South Carolina and played for the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos.-Early life:...
and Travis McGriff
Travis McGriff
William Travis McGriff is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in two different professional football leagues...
. Reed eventually asked for his release from the Broncos after then Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
informed Reed that he would be inactive for their 2000 season opener and wanted to make a more immediate contribution. He eventually joined the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and retired after the 2000 season.
NFL records
Reed ranks near the top in nearly all NFL career statistical receiving categories. He went over 1000 yards four times in a 16 year career, is eighth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951 (behind only Jerry RiceJerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
, Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
, Tim Brown, Isaac Bruce
Isaac Bruce
Isaac Isidore Bruce is a retired American football wide receiver. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Memphis....
, Tony Gonzalez, Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
, and Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
), ninth in NFL history in total career receiving yards with 13,198. Reed is also eleventh in NFL history in total career touchdown receptions with 87.
He also rushed for 500 yards and a touchdown on 75 carries. With the Bills, Reed played in four consecutive Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s (1991–1994) and was selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in seven consecutive seasons (1988–1994).
Reed set season career highs with 90 receptions in 1994, ten touchdowns in 1991, and 1,312 receiving yards in 1989.
A tribute to his incredible physical durability, Reed played in 234 NFL games between 1985 and 2000, the 59th most games played by any player in NFL history, including players in less physically demanding positions, such as kickers and punters.
Super Bowl records
In his four Super Bowls, Reed recorded 27 receptions, the second most total career Super Bowl receptions in NFL history (behind Rice's 33). His 323 total Super Bowl receiving yards are the third most in Super Bowl history (behind only Rice's 604 yards and Lynn SwannLynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
's 364).
"The Comeback"
In addition to the important role he played in taking the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls, Reed is remembered particularly for his contributions to the Bills' extraordinary January 3, 1993 playoff victory over the Houston OilersTennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, a game that has come to be known simply as "The Comeback."
The Comeback (American football)
The Comeback was a NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers played January 3, 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit to win in overtime, and it remains the largest comeback in NFL history...
In the game, which Houston led decisively 35-3 during the third quarter, Reed caught three touchdowns in the second half to lead the Bills to the largest comeback in NFL history. Contributing substantially to "The Comeback," Reed finished the game with eight receptions for 136 yards and three touchdowns. The game has been enshrined in NFL history as one of the greatest games ever played. It also is recognized as one of the largest comebacks by any team in the history of all of American professional sports.
Following the Bills' victory against the Oilers, Reed went on to catch eight passes for 152 yards in the Bills' 52-17 Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII was a football game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1992 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football Conference champion...
loss, on January 31, 1993, to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
NFL Hall of Fame candidacy
Reed became eligible for induction into the NFL's Pro Football Hall of Fame, the highest honor afforded a former NFL player, in 2006. However, he was not selected for induction in either of his first four years of eligibility, due in part to the logjam of accomplished wide receiver candidates, including Art MonkArt Monk
James Arthur "Art" Monk is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, New York Jets, and the Philadelphia Eagles...
, Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
, and Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
. Although Irvin and Monk are now enshrined as of 2007 and 2008 respectively, Carter has not and the logjam became worse than ever for Reed as he was once again overlooked in 2009, and 2010 saw wide receiver candidates Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
and Tim Brown both eligible for the first time. Rice has long been considered one of the greatest players in league history and was almost assured of being a first ballot Hall of Famer, making 2010 a long shot for Reed. As expected, Rice was inducted, which may clear some of the logjam going forward for Reed and his chances of being inducted.
In 2006, Reed was voted into the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame, joining a number of other players from Bills history whose names are enshrined in the field-encircling cement of Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
.
The 2009 induction ceremony was overwhelmingly pro-Buffalo Bills because former teammate Bruce Smith and owner Ralph Wilson were both inducted. Through the night, Reed was referred to multiple times as "future Hall of Famer" with various speeches voicing their ringing endorsement for Reed as a candidate.
On January 9, 2011, Reed was announced to be one of the 15 finalists to be considered for the Hall of Fame Class of 2011. He, Cris Carter, and Tim Brown were once again passed over.
Television career
Since his NFL retirement in 2000, Reed has provided football commentary on the ESPN2ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
show, First Take, and appears periodically as a football analyst on NFL on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
. He has also appeared on the Spike TV sports series Pros vs. Joes in the show's second season.
Popular culture
Reed is mentioned in the 1996 film Jerry MaguireJerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was written, co-produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe...
as one of several NFL wide receivers with lucrative contracts, as a fictional wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Cuba M. Gooding, Jr. is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of Rod Tidwell in Cameron Crowe's 1996 film Jerry Maguire, and his critically acclaimed performance as Tré Styles in John Singleton's 1991 film Boyz n the Hood.-Early life:Gooding was born...
, tells his agent, played by Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, that his contract warrants high pay.