Darin McCann’s favorite moment:
Trying to pin down a favorite Ed Reed moment is like trying to… you know what? It’s not like anything else. There’s only one Ed Reed.
As we watch Reed soak in the praise of the football world this weekend with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I think back of watching that purple blur streaking across the field, snatching a pick without breaking stride and taking it to the house. I remember the laterals, the head games with opposing quarterbacks and the jaw-dropping blocks on special teams during his early years.
But, strangely, it was a regular season game in 2008 that sticks in my head as the moment I realized in my heart just how unique and dominant he was.
The Dallas Cowboys were closing out the legendary Texas Stadium with a Dec. 20 game against the Ravens. Coming from the mind of a typical “the-entire-NFL-hates-the- Ravens” fan, it seemed like the Cowboys and national media was treating this like a rock star’s party, where the Ravens were being served up as the ceremonial meal for Jerry Jones and his almighty “America’s Team.”
The Ravens won that game 33-24, by the way, and made it to the AFC Championship game that season.
For many, the strongest memories for Ravens fans concerning this game were three runs — a 9-yard run by punter Sam Koch on a fake punt, a 77-yarder by Willis McGahee and an 82-yard “scamper” by LeRon McClain. But there were two first-half plays involving Reed that cemented him as a future Hall-of-Famer to me. For whatever that’s worth.
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo launched a deep pass that floated high into the sky, and all I could think was, “Ed’s going to pick that.” He did.
Later in the half, Romo tried another deep, floating pass downfield, to the opposite side. Once it left his hand, I stood up and said, “Ed Reed.” Reed picked that one, too.
When you know one man owns a certain part of the field, against the greatest players on the face of the earth, you know that one man is special. You know he’s a Hall-of-Famer.
That’s Ed Reed.