It’s normal when you’re young to wistfully consider the possibilities ahead and what paths your career could dart down. Ed Reed did that one day long ago.
He was still a student-athlete at the University of Miami. Of course, Reed wasn’t your standard student or your standard athlete. He was named an All-American during his final two collegiate seasons, the last of which ended with a national championship (2001).
He recorded 21 interceptions over four seasons in Miami and was cruising toward becoming a first-round pick. But as passionate as Reed was on the field, he already found himself looking ahead to a role that suited his high level of football intelligence and natural leadership abilities.