Mike Reid (football)
Encyclopedia
Michael Barry "Mike" Reid (born May 24, 1947) is a retired professional American football
defensive lineman, as well as a country music
artist and composer
. After several years playing for the Cincinnati Bengals
, Reid retired from football and began his musical career, co-writing several hit singles for country music artists, including Ronnie Milsap
's "Stranger in My House
", which won a Grammy Award for Best Country Song
in 1984. Reid later began a solo recording career, releasing two studio albums for Columbia Records
. He charted seven singles on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts as a singer, including the Number One hit "Walk on Faith
."
and was a unanimous All-America
choice and All-East selection. He also finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy
balloting.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts
in music from Penn State in 1969. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1987 and received the Walter Camp “Alumnus of the Year”
award in 1987. In 1995, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award.
Reid also wrestled
at Penn State and in 1967 he won the Eastern heavyweight wrestling title. Reid is a member of the Penn State Athletic Hall of Fame.
in the 1970 NFL Draft
. In the team's third season, it won the AFC Central Division and made the playoffs. In 1971, Reid established himself as one of the NFL's best pass rushers by recording 12 sack
s, a figure he repeated in 1972. In 1971 Reid was a consensus All-AFC selection and the following year he was consensus All-Pro
as well as being voted consensus All-AFC again.
In 1973 he topped those marks by recording 13 sacks. He was named All-Pro by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) and was second-team All-Pro according to the Associated Press
and Pro Football Writers Association
. For the third consecutive season Reid was consensus All-AFC.
In 1974, due primarily to injuries, he recorded only seven sacks, bringing his career total to 49. In his final season Reid was again an All-AFC selection by Pro Football Weekly
. Although sacks were an unofficial statistic, the Bengals kept track of them and Reid retired as the leading sacker in the team's short history.
He made two trips to the Pro Bowl
(1972 and 1973) before his retirement following the 1974 season
due to knee and hand injuries and his desire to focus on a music career. In 1996 he received the NFL Alumni
Career Achievement Award for his success in his post-NFL career.
for the Utah Symphony Orchestra
, Dallas Symphony Orchestra
, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
. During this time, he met Larry Gatlin
, who helped Reid start his songwriting career. In 1984, he won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song with "Stranger in My House
", which was recorded by Ronnie Milsap. Reid would also work with Marie Osmond
, Tanya Tucker
, Collin Raye
, Alabama
and Conway Twitty
. In the 1980s and 1990s, Reid wrote twelve number one hits. He was also featured as a guest vocalist on Milsap's "Old Folks", a #2 hit from early 1988. He also co-wrote, with Allen Shamblin, Bonnie Raitt
's pop standard "I Can't Make You Love Me
".
In 1990, Reid signed to Columbia Records
as a recording artist. His debut album Turning for Home produced a Number One country hit in its lead-off single "Walk on Faith
", although the album's other singles were not as successful. His second and final album, 1992's Twilight Town, produced two singles which both missed the Top 40, and he was dropped from Columbia soon afterward.
By 1991, Reid composed the music for the Civil War
musical A House Divided. After that he wrote six more musicals/operas, including Quilts, Different Fields, Eye of the Blackbird, Tales of Appalachia, In This House, and The Ballad of Little Jo, a Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater winner.
Reid was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
in 2005.
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...
defensive lineman, as well as a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. After several years playing for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, Reid retired from football and began his musical career, co-writing several hit singles for country music artists, including Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...
's "Stranger in My House
Stranger in My House (Ronnie Milsap song)
"Stranger in My House" is a hit song from 1983, recorded by country music artist Ronnie Milsap. The song tells of a man who suspects his wife is fantasizing about being with a secret lover.-Success & Reception:...
", which won a Grammy Award for Best Country Song
Grammy Award for Best Country Song
The Grammy Award for Best Country Song has been awarded since 1965. The award is given to the writer of the song.There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:...
in 1984. Reid later began a solo recording career, releasing two studio albums for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. He charted seven singles on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts as a singer, including the Number One hit "Walk on Faith
Walk on Faith
"Walk on Faith" is the title of a country music song co-written and recorded by former American football player Mike Reid. His first solo single release, it was also the first single from his Columbia Records album Turning for Home...
."
College career
In his senior year (1969), the tackle spearheaded Penn State on defense with 89 tacklesTackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
and was a unanimous All-America
1969 College Football All-America Team
The 1969 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Central Press Association, Football Writers...
choice and All-East selection. He also finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
balloting.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in music from Penn State in 1969. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1987 and received the Walter Camp “Alumnus of the Year”
Walter Camp Alumni of the Year
The Walter Camp “Alumni of the Year” award is bestowed by the Walter Camp Football Foundation on a worthy individual who has distinguished himself in the pursuit of excellence as an athlete, in his personal career and in doing good works for others. He must be an individual who has exhibited...
award in 1987. In 1995, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award.
Reid also wrestled
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
at Penn State and in 1967 he won the Eastern heavyweight wrestling title. Reid is a member of the Penn State Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional football career
Reid was the first-round selection (#7 pick overall) of the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in the 1970 NFL Draft
1970 NFL Draft
The 1970 National Football League Draft was held on January 27–28, 1970.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. In the team's third season, it won the AFC Central Division and made the playoffs. In 1971, Reid established himself as one of the NFL's best pass rushers by recording 12 sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s, a figure he repeated in 1972. In 1971 Reid was a consensus All-AFC selection and the following year he was consensus All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
as well as being voted consensus All-AFC again.
In 1973 he topped those marks by recording 13 sacks. He was named All-Pro by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) and was second-team All-Pro according to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and Pro Football Writers Association
Pro Football Writers Association
Technically known as the Pro Football Writers of America, this organization purports to be "The official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public." Goals of the organization include improving access to practices and locker rooms,...
. For the third consecutive season Reid was consensus All-AFC.
In 1974, due primarily to injuries, he recorded only seven sacks, bringing his career total to 49. In his final season Reid was again an All-AFC selection by Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
. Although sacks were an unofficial statistic, the Bengals kept track of them and Reid retired as the leading sacker in the team's short history.
He made two trips 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...
(1972 and 1973) before his retirement following the 1974 season
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
due to knee and hand injuries and his desire to focus on a music career. In 1996 he received the NFL Alumni
National Football League Alumni
The NFL Alumni is a 501 charity that is composed of former NFL players and associate members who work voluntarily to raise funds for youth-oriented causes and engage in hands-on service to foster the development of "youth through sports and sports through youth." The NFL Alumni advances its motto...
Career Achievement Award for his success in his post-NFL career.
Professional music career
Between football seasons, Reid would perform as a pianistPianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
for the Utah Symphony Orchestra
Utah Symphony Orchestra
-History:The first attempt to create a symphony group in the Utah area occurred in 1892, before Utah was a state. The Salt Lake Symphony was created and presented just one concert before disbanding. In 1902 the Salt Lake Symphony Orchestra was formed, and it remained in existence until 1911...
, Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra. It performs its concerts in the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States....
, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
As the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours...
. During this time, he met Larry Gatlin
Larry Gatlin
Larry Wayne Gatlin is an American country music singer/songwriter. He is perhaps best known for teaming up with his brothers Steve and Rudy in the late 1970s, becoming one of country music's most successful acts of the 1970s and 1980s. Gatlin has had a total of 33 Top 40 singles...
, who helped Reid start his songwriting career. In 1984, he won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song with "Stranger in My House
Stranger in My House (Ronnie Milsap song)
"Stranger in My House" is a hit song from 1983, recorded by country music artist Ronnie Milsap. The song tells of a man who suspects his wife is fantasizing about being with a secret lover.-Success & Reception:...
", which was recorded by Ronnie Milsap. Reid would also work with Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond
Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s...
, Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
, Collin Raye
Collin Raye
Floyd Collin Wray Floyd Collin Wray Floyd Collin Wray (born August 22, 1959 or 1960,Although multiple online sources all indicate Raye's date of birth as 1959, Raye's MySpace lists his date of birth as 1960. Furthermore, the 2004 Deseret News article cited in this article indicates the singer as...
, Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
and Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
. In the 1980s and 1990s, Reid wrote twelve number one hits. He was also featured as a guest vocalist on Milsap's "Old Folks", a #2 hit from early 1988. He also co-wrote, with Allen Shamblin, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
's pop standard "I Can't Make You Love Me
I Can't Make You Love Me
"I Can't Make You Love Me" is a 1991 popular song, written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin and recorded by Bonnie Raitt on her Luck of the Draw album from that year. In August 2000, Mojo magazine voted "I Can't Make You Love Me" #8 on its The 100 Greatest Songs Of All Time list...
".
In 1990, Reid signed to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as a recording artist. His debut album Turning for Home produced a Number One country hit in its lead-off single "Walk on Faith
Walk on Faith
"Walk on Faith" is the title of a country music song co-written and recorded by former American football player Mike Reid. His first solo single release, it was also the first single from his Columbia Records album Turning for Home...
", although the album's other singles were not as successful. His second and final album, 1992's Twilight Town, produced two singles which both missed the Top 40, and he was dropped from Columbia soon afterward.
By 1991, Reid composed the music for the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
musical A House Divided. After that he wrote six more musicals/operas, including Quilts, Different Fields, Eye of the Blackbird, Tales of Appalachia, In This House, and The Ballad of Little Jo, a Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater winner.
Reid was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
Nashville Songwriters Foundation
The Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization foundation for the Nashville music community. Songwriters are inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame each year and the foundation's purpose is to "educate, archive, and celebrate the contributions of the members...
in 2005.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country |
||
| Turning for Home Turning for Home Turning for Home is the 1991 debut album by country music artist and American football player Mike Reid. It was released in February 1991 by Columbia Records. It produced the number-one single "Walk on Faith", as well as four more singles which all fell outside the country Top Ten... |
|
22 |
| Twilight Town Twilight Town Twilight Town is the second and final album by American country music singer and former American football player Mike Reid. It was released in 1992 via Columbia Records. It includes the singles "Keep On Walkin'" and "Call Home", which respectively reached #45 and #43 on the U.S... |
|
59 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN Country RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
|||
| 1990 | "Walk on Faith Walk on Faith "Walk on Faith" is the title of a country music song co-written and recorded by former American football player Mike Reid. His first solo single release, it was also the first single from his Columbia Records album Turning for Home... " |
1 | 1 | Turning for Home |
| 1991 | "Till You Were Gone Till You Were Gone "Till You Were Gone" is the title of song co-written and recorded by former American football player Mike Reid. It was released in March 1991 as the second single from his album Turning for Home. It peaked at #17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and at #8 on the Canadian RPM... " |
17 | 8 | |
| "As Simple as That" | 14 | 11 | ||
| 1992 | "I'll Stop Loving You" | 23 | 11 | |
| "I Got a Life" | 54 | 81 | ||
| "Keep On Walkin'" | 45 | 52 | Twilight Town | |
| 1993 | "Call Home" | 43 | 42 | |
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN Country RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
||||
| 1988 | "Old Folks Old Folks "Old Folks" is a single by American country music artists Ronnie Milsap and Mike Reid. Released in 1988, it was the third single from the album Heart & Soul... " |
Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s... |
2 | 12 | Heart & Soul Heart & Soul (Ronnie Milsap album) Heart & Soul was the eighteenth studio album of Country music artist Ronnie Milsap. It was released in 1987 under the RCA Records label. The album produced four singles, three of which claimed the top spot on the Billboard country singles chart" "Snap Your Fingers"; "Make No Mistake, She's Mine," a... |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Walk on Faith" | Deaton-Flanigen Productions Deaton-Flanigen Productions Deaton-Flanigen Productions is a music video directing duo composed of Robert Deaton III and George Flanigen IV. The two have directed multiple music videos, primarily in the field of country music... |
| 1992 | "I'll Stop Loving You" | |
| "Keep On Walkin'" | Phil Tuckett | |
| 1993 | "Call Home" | Deaton-Flanigen Productions |