Reed Fence

To follow up the previous post Ed Reed is arguably the best safety in the game to day. But were you aware that he has a good chance to become one of the best safeties statistically of all time, and very quickly. I'm just gonna throw out some stat categories with the NFL record maybe what the 10th best is and then where Ed Reed ranks.

Most years leading the league in interceptions
Record-----3-Everson Walls, Dallas, '81 '82 & '85
T-2nd-----2- Ed Reed '04 & '08

Interceptions in a Career
Record-----81-Paul Krause
10th-------57- Mel Blount
43-Ed Reed

Oh, and assuming Ty Law retires like he was until the Jets desperately signed him mid year Reed will be tied for 2nd with Champ Bailey among active players.

And here is where he might be the best ever.

Interception return yards in a career
Record----- 1483- Rod Woodson
5th-------- 1185- Paul Krause
6th-------- 1144-ED REED

Interception Return yards in a season
Record-----358-ED REED

Interception Return yards in a game
Record-----177-Charlie McNeil
150-Ed Reed

Longest Interception return
Record-----107- ED REED
2nd--------106- ED REED
T-3rd------ 103- Two Players

Yards per Interception Return (Min 50 Ints)
Record-----25.1- Deion Sanders
2nd-------- 19.2-Lem Barney

With 43 Ints Reed currently sits at 26.6 YPR. If you assume he gets 7 more INTs but gets 0 yards on returns his average would be 22.9 good enough for second place all time.

Career Non-Offensive Touchdowns
Record-----19- Deion Sanders
2nd--------17-Rod Woodson
3rd--------13-Two Players
T-11th-----11-Ed Reed

Punt Blocks returned for touchdowns
Record-----3- Ed Reed

Oh and he is the only player ever to score Touchdowns in all of the following ways
Interception Return
Fumble return
Punt Return
Punt Block return

Here is a video someone made of a bunch of Ed Reed Clips. If you fast forward to the 1:10 mark you will see why I added this. You will see Ed Reed intercept a pass about 6 yards deep in his own end zone. There is nothing to suggest he should make any attempt to return this pick. He does and returns it for a touchdown. You will also notice toward the end of the play a Ravens player (I believe Will Demps) is not paying attention to a Jet he could block pretty easily. He will later illegally block him costing Reed the touchdown. That's right if Will Demps pays slightly more attention on that play Ed Reed would have the 3 longest interceptions returned for touchdowns in the history of the league.

So next time you hear someone debating the best safety in the league make sure the words "Ed Reed" and "Ball hawk" make there way into that conversation.