Mike Reid ( singer ) Michael Barry " Mike " Reid ( born May 24 , 1947 ) is an American country music artist , composer , and retired American football player . A defensive lineman , Reid played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and then spent four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League before retiring after the 1974 season . He subsequently began his musical career , co - writing several hit singles for country music artists , including Ronnie Milsap ' s " Stranger in My House " , which won a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1984 . Reid later began a solo recording career , releasing two studio albums for Columbia Records . He charted seven singles on the " Billboard " Hot Country Singles & Tracks ( now Hot Country Songs ) charts as a singer , including the Number One hit " Walk on Faith . " College career . In his senior year ( 1969 ) , the tackle spearheaded Penn State on defense with 89 tackles and was a unanimous All - America choice and All - East selection . He also finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting . He earned a Bachelor of Arts in music from Penn State in 1969 . He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and received the Walter Camp “ Alumnus of the Year ” award in 1987 . In 1995 , he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award . Reid also wrestled at Penn State and in 1967 he won the Eastern heavyweight wrestling title . Reid is a member of the Penn State Athletic Hall of Fame . Professional football career . Reid was the first - round selection ( # 7 pick overall ) of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1970 NFL Draft . In the team ' s third season , it won the AFC Central Division and made the playoffs . In 1971 , Reid established himself as one of the NFL ' s best pass rushers by recording 12 sack s , a figure he repeated in 1972 . In 1971 Reid was a consensus All - AFC selection and the following year he was consensus All - Pro as well as being voted consensus All - AFC again . In 1973 he topped those marks by recording 13 sacks . He was named All - Pro by the Newspaper Enterprise Association ( NEA ) and was second - team All - Pro according to the Associated Press and Pro Football Writers Association . For the third consecutive season Reid was consensus All - AFC . In 1974 , due primarily to injuries , he recorded only seven sacks , bringing his career total to 49 . In his final season Reid was again an All - AFC selection by " Pro Football Weekly " . Although sacks were an unofficial statistic , the Bengals kept track of them and Reid retired as the leading sacker in the team ' s short history . He made two trips to the Pro Bowl ( 1972 and 1973 ) before his retirement following the 1974 season due to knee and hand injuries and his desire to focus on a music career . In 1996 he received the NFL Alumni Career Achievement Award for his success in his post - NFL career . Professional music career . Between football seasons , Reid would perform as a pianist for the Utah Symphony Orchestra , Dallas Symphony Orchestra , and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra . During this time , he met Larry Gatlin , who helped Reid start his songwriting career . In 1984 , he won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song with " Stranger in My House " , which was recorded by Ronnie Milsap . Reid would also work with Marie Osmond , Tanya Tucker , Collin Raye , Alabama and Conway Twitty . In the 1980s and 1990s , Reid wrote twelve number one hits . He was also featured as a guest vocalist on Milsap ' s " Old Folks " , a No . 2 hit from early 1988 . He also co - wrote , with Allen Shamblin , Bonnie Raitt ' s standard " I Can ' t Make You Love Me " . In 1990 , Reid signed to Columbia Records as a recording artist . His debut album " Turning for Home " produced a Number One country hit in its lead - off single " Walk on Faith " , although the album ' s other singles were not as successful . His second and final album , 1992 ' s " Twilight Town " , produced two singles which both missed the Top 40 , and he was dropped from Columbia soon afterward . By 1991 , Reid composed the music for the Civil War musical " A House Divided " . After that he wrote six more musicals / operas , including " Quilts " , " Different Fields " , " Eye of the Blackbird " , " Tales of Appalachia " , " In This House " , and " The Ballad of Little Jo " , a Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater winner . Reid was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 .