Interesting Reed
1/3/2011
What a tremendous 2010 season by Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed. Not only did he lead the National Football League in interceptions for the third time in his career, but he did so while playing only 10 games. Amazingly, the injury which forced him to miss a large chunk of the season (a nagging hip that required surgery leading into the season) had Reed contemplating retirement at the Super Bowl last year.
Oh, and by the way, Reed's league-leading total just tied him with long-time Dallas Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls for most seasons leading the league in interceptions. Also, his interception return yardage for the 2010 season (183) gave him a career total of 1,438 yards which is now second in NFL annals. Reed now trails only Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, who holds the record with 1,483 career return yards, by only 45 yards.
How spectacular was the 32-year-old's season? Let's take a look.
Here is a chart of NFL interception leaders since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 and the number of games played.
| Year | Player | Team | INTs | Games | Avg/GM |
| 1970 | Johnny Robinson | Kansas City | 10 | 14 | 0.71 |
| 1971 | Bill Bradley | Philadelphia | 11 | 14 | 0.79 |
| 1972 | Bill Bradley | Philadelphia | 9 | 14 | 0.64 |
| 1973 | Dick Anderson | Miami | 8 | 14 | 0.57 |
| Mike Wagner | Pittsburgh | 8 | 14 | 0.57 | |
| 1974 | Emmitt Thomas | Kansas City | 12 | 14 | 0.86 |
| 1975 | Mel Blount | Pittsburgh | 11 | 14 | 0.79 |
| 1976 | Monte Jackson | Los Angeles | 10 | 14 | 0.71 |
| 1977 | Lyle Blackwood | Baltimore | 10 | 14 | 0.71 |
| 1978 | Thom Darden | Cleveland | 10 | 16 | 0.63 |
| 1979 | Mike Reinfeldt | Houston | 12 | 16 | 0.75 |
| 1980 | Lester Hayes | Oakland | 13 | 16 | 0.81 |
| 1981 | Everson Walls | Dallas | 11 | 16 | 0.69 |
| 1982 | Everson Walls | Dallas | 7 | 9 | 0.78 |
| 1983 | Mark Murphy | Washington | 9 | 15 | 0.60 |
| 1984 | Ken Easley | Seattle | 10 | 16 | 0.63 |
| 1985 | Everson Walls | Dallas | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| 1986 | Ronnie Lott | San Francisco | 10 | 14 | 0.71 |
| 1987 | Barry Wilburn | Washington | 9 | 12 | 0.75 |
| 1988 | Scott Case | Atlanta | 10 | 16 | 0.63 |
| 1989 | Felix Wright | Cleveland | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| 1990 | Mark Carrier | Chicago | 10 | 16 | 0.63 |
| 1991 | Ronnie Lott | L.A. Raiders | 8 | 16 | 0.50 |
| 1992 | Henry Jones | Buffalo | 8 | 16 | 0.50 |
| Audray McMillian | Minnesota | 8 | 16 | 0.50 | |
| 1993 | Eugene Robinson | Seattle | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| Nate Odomes | Buffalo | 9 | 16 | 0.56 | |
| 1994 | Eric Turner | Cleveland | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| Aeneas Williams | Arizona | 9 | 16 | 0.56 | |
| 1995 | Orlando Thomas | Minnesota | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| 1996 | Tyrone Braxton | Denver | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| Keith Lyle | St. Louis | 9 | 16 | 0.56 | |
| 1997 | Ryan McNeil | St. Louis | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| 1998 | Ty Law | New England | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| 1999 | Rod Woodson | Baltimore | 7 | 16 | 0.44 |
| Sam Madison | Miami | 7 | 16 | 0.44 | |
| James Hasty | Kansas City | 7 | 15 | 0.47 | |
| Donnie Abraham | Tampa Bay | 7 | 16 | 0.44 | |
| Troy Vincent | Philadelphia | 7 | 14 | 0.50 | |
| 2000 | Darren Sharper | Green Bay | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| 2001 | Anthony Henry | Cleveland | 10 | 16 | 0.63 |
| Ronde Barber | Tampa Bay | 10 | 16 | 0.63 | |
| 2002 | Rod Woodson | Oakland | 8 | 16 | 0.50 |
| Brian Kelly | Tampa Bay | 8 | 16 | 0.50 | |
| 2003 | Tony Parrish | San Francisco | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| Brian Russell | Minnesota | 9 | 16 | 0.56 | |
| 2004 | Ed Reed | Baltimore | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| 2005 | Ty Law | N.Y. Jets | 10 | 16 | 0.63 |
| Deltha O'Neal | Cincinnati | 10 | 15 | 0.67 | |
| 2006 | Champ Bailey | Denver | 10 | 16 | 0.63 |
| Asante Samuel | New England | 10 | 15 | 0.67 | |
| 2007 | Antonio Cromartie | San Diego | 10 | 16 | 0.63 |
| 2008 | Ed Reed | Baltimore | 9 | 16 | 0.56 |
| 2009 | Jarius Byrd | Buffalo | 9 | 14 | 0.64 |
| Asante Samuel | Philadelphia | 9 | 16 | 0.56 | |
| Darren Sharper | New Orleans | 9 | 14 | 0.64 | |
| Charles Woodson | Green Bay | 9 | 16 | 0.56 | |
| 2010 | Ed Reed | Baltimore | 8 | 10 | 0.80 |
Reed's eight picks in his 10 games gave him a .80 interceptions per game average. Only two players had a higher interception per game average than Reed. Hall of Famer Emmitt Thomas registered a league-leading 12 interceptions in 14 games played in 1974 for an average of .86. In 1980 Lester Hayes stole 13 passes in 16 games for a .81 average.
Reed and his Ravens face the Kansas City Chiefs in a Wild Card match-up this coming Sunday. Reed is already third in NFL history for interceptions in the postseason with seven. The record is nine and is held by three men – Charlie Waters, Bill Simpson, and Ronnie Lott.
Who wants to bet that Reed's name is on the top of that list by the time the playoffs are over?
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