Poe the Raven
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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Ed Reed arrived onto the Pro Football Hall of Fame stage with his trademark hat, sunglasses and a cigar.
He then won the night with an entertaining 36-minute, 2-second speech.
Reed, who played 11 of his 12 seasons with the Ravens, said he wrote his speech while he was waiting through four other speeches.
He named even his barbers but quipped, “I know I’ve probably forgotten a lot of people” when finally ending.
Reed remembered the victims and survivors of Saturday’s shooting in El Paso, Texas, as well as those in Gilroy, California, on July 28.
“You know mental illness is one of the biggest problems in our world,” Reed said. “It really kills. So I’ve got to say prayers to the families that have experienced the mass shootings the last couple of days. Just in general across this country, it’s something we really need to address.”
Reed grew up in a “crime-infested” neighborhood with drugs. He said it made him mature quickly.
Reed, who was born in St. Rose, Louisiana, and went to Destrehan high school, credited a police officer with being one of the first to believe in him. The unnamed officer told Reed one night that he was driving him home.
“I was like, ‘Oh, my God, don’t do that,'” Reed said. “Take me to jail because my mamma is home. I remember him saying, ‘Son, I know you. I see you around here playing sports. You don’t need to be hanging with those other kids and those other guys because you have something.’
“I would say to the point of what we have going on in our society, don’t aggravate, or should I say push an officer to have to do something they shouldn’t have to do.”
Reed ended his speech by encouraging everyone to encourage everyone else.
“I’ll leave you with this: Because I never compared myself to any other player, I won’t start doing that now. And you shouldn’t compare yourself to anybody else,” Reed said. “And you doggone right shouldn’t worry about people who don’t like you. Everyone has their own greatness and reaching your greatness depends on your environment and your structure — the company you keep — and your attitude. There will be good and bad, right and wrong. Your reaction, your choice, good or bad, has consequences that affects you and those around you. No matter what encourage those around you and yourself. I stayed encouraged. That guy there, no matter what, was focused. He stayed encouraged. There were some hard times. There were a lot of tears. Even now. I tell you, each one of you, stay encouraged. Encourage each other. Help somebody. We should. We’re supposed to. That’s what being a human is about, leaving this place better than when we got here. That’s all it’s about y’all.”
Reed made nine Pro Bowls and six times was voted All-Pro. He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer.