Heart of a Hall of Famer: Andre Reed talks about dealing with losses, accountability and more

The latest installment in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s “Heart of a Hall of Famer” series went to sunny San Diego, where we were with Hall of Fame wide receiver ANDRE REED. The students and staff at Del Norte High School were nice enough to open their doors and allow us to host the program at their school. 

In 1985, the Buffalo Bills used their fourth-round pick in the draft to select Reed out of relatively little-known Kutztown State University. Reed, a four-time All-AFC selection, is still the Bills’ all-time leading receiver with 941 receptions (266 more than No. 2 on the list).  His 13,095 career receiving yards are still a team best, as are his 36 games with 100-plus receiving yards and his 15 receptions in a game. 

Always a scoring threat, Reed is tied with Bills running back and fellow Hall of Famer THURMAN THOMAS for most career touchdowns (87), most of which came on passes from Hall of Fame quarterback JIM KELLY. The Kelly-Reed tandem also held the NFL record for career completions (663) until 2004, when it was eclipsed by the Indianapolis Colts and Hall of Fame combination of PEYTON MANNING and MARVIN HARRISON. Reed added an additional 85 catches for 1,229 yards, including five 100-yard games, in the postseason during his career. He started in five AFC Championship games and four Super Bowls.

During his “Heart of a Hall of Famer” session, Reed shared stories that touched on the values of the game and how they can be applied on or off the football field. One of the biggest things Reed focused on was how you can learn from the losses. Reed said that everyone “will take an L” at some point in their lives and it’s all about how you respond to that. You can get upset or you can take it as a learning experience and move on. Click here or watch below to see the full episode.



There will be additional installments of the “Heart of a Hall of Famer” series connected by Extreme Networks over the next month, so make sure to stay tuned at https://www.profootballhof.com/youth-education.