Ed Reed Edward Earl Reed , Jr . ( born September 11 , 1978 ) is an American football safety who is currently a free agent in the National Football League ( NFL ) . Before playing in the NFL , he played college football for the University of Miami , where he was a two - time All - American . He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft and played eleven seasons for the Ravens before signing with the Texans , and later the Jets in 2013 . During his career , Reed was selected to nine total Pro Bowl s , was the 2004 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award winner , and has an NFL record for the two longest interception returns ( 106 yards in 2004 and 108 yards in 2008 ) . He also holds the all - time NFL record for interception return yards , currently with 1 , 590 , and postseason interceptions ( 9 , tied with three other players ) . Reed is considered one of the greatest safeties of all time in the NFL and is often referred to as a " ball hawk . " Since entering the league , Reed was best known for studying film to memorize opposing teams ' tendencies , as well as his ability to lure quarterbacks into throwing interceptions . Early years . Reed was born in Jefferson , Louisiana on September 11 , 1978 . He attended the Destrehan High School in Destrehan , Louisiana . He was an all - state selection at defensive back and as a kick returner and also the " New Orleans Times - Picayune " District Most Valuable Defensive Player . He totaled 83 tackles , seven interceptions , three forced fumbles and 12 passes deflected in his senior year while also seeing action at running back and quarterback . He also returned three punts for touchdowns . Reed also played basketball , baseball , and track & field . Track and field . Reed was also a standout track athlete at Destrehan ( LA ) . He was a state qualifier in the javelin throw and the 4 × 100 metres relay . He set a high school record throw of 56 . 94 meters in the javelin throw . In long jump , he recorded a personal best leap of 7 . 20 meters . He also competed in triple jump , recording a personal best leap of 14 . 58 meters . He continued his interest in athletics into university , being also a member of the University of Miami track and field team . College career . Reed received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Miami , where he was a standout defensive back for coach Butch Davis and coach Larry Coker ' s Miami Hurricanes football teams from 1997 to 2001 . He played for the Hurricanes team that won the 2001 National Championship . After redshirting in 1997 , Reed led the team with 2 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles in 1998 . He had 2 more interceptions in 1999 . Reed was recognized as a consensus first - team All - American in 2000 , and a unanimous first - team All - American in 2001 . In 2001 , he led the nation with nine interceptions for 209 yards ( a school record ) and three touchdowns . He helped seal a memorable win over Boston College in 2001 when he grabbed the ball out of teammate Matt Walters ' hands , who had just intercepted it , and raced 80 yards for a touchdown . Reed was honored as the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 , and was named National Defensive Player of the Year by " Football News " . He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and was a semifinalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy . Reed set several records during his time at Miami . He holds the record for career interceptions with 21 , career interception return yards with 389 and interceptions returned for touchdowns with five . He also blocked four punts during his four - year career . In addition , Reed was a member of the track and field team during his years at Miami and was a Big East champion in the javelin . Reed and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne were roommates during their time at the University of Miami . He graduated in 2001 with a bachelor ' s degree in liberal arts . Reed was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2012 at a banquet held in Miami on March 29 , 2012 . Professional career . Baltimore Ravens . After his college career , Reed was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round ( 24th overall pick ) of the 2002 NFL Draft . 2002 – 2005 . In his rookie season , Reed started in all 16 games and finished the campaign with 85 tackles , one sack and five interceptions . The following year he finished the season with 71 tackles and seven interceptions and was voted to his first Pro Bowl . In 2004 , Reed was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press . In addition to his record return in 2004 , Reed set an NFL mark for most interception return yardage in a season , accumulating 358 return yards on 9 interceptions ; Reed held this record until 2009 , when it was exceeded by Darren Sharper . He also returned an interception 106 yards for a touchdown , which was an NFL record until Reed himself broke it in 2008 . Also in 2004 , Reed became the only player in Pro Bowl history to block a punt and return it for a touchdown . In 2005 , Reed only played in ten games due to an ankle injury and finished the campaign with 37 tackles and one interception . 2006 – 2009 . In 2006 , Reed recorded 60 tackles and 5 interceptions and was voted to his third Pro Bowl . In 2007 , he made 39 tackles and 7 interceptions . In the 2008 Pro Bowl he recorded two interceptions , tying the Pro Bowl record . During a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 23 , 2008 , Reed returned an interception for what was originally reported as an 108 - yard touchdown return ( later officially adjusted to 107 yards by the Elias Sports Bureau ) . This set an NFL record , breaking his own record of 106 yards set in 2004 against the Cleveland Browns . The ball he intercepted and the jersey he wore during the play are now in the Hall of Fame . In the Ravens ' 2008 AFC Wild Card game against the Miami Dolphins , Reed intercepted Chad Pennington twice , returning one for a touchdown . He intercepted three passes in 2009 , returning one for a 50 - yard touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals , and added two more interceptions in the playoffs , but fumbled one away in a 20 - 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts . Reed was the only player unanimously voted onto the AP 2008 NFL All - Pro team . In 2009 , Reed was selected to the Sporting News ' s Team of the Decade ( 2000 ' s ) . 2010 – 2012 . In 2010 , Reed led the NFL in interceptions with 8 , despite only playing in 10 games due to hip surgery . In Week 1 of the 2011 NFL Season , Reed recorded 2 interceptions against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger , surpassing Ronnie Lott for most games with multiple interceptions . He finished the regular season with three interceptions and a sack / fumble . Reed also intercepted T . J . Yates in the fourth quarter of the After deflecting another pass later to seal the win , Reed was injured slightly , but played the next week in an loss to the New England Patriots . Reed skipped out on a mandatory minicamp , but showed up for training camp . In Week 1 of the 2012 season , Reed returned an Andy Dalton interception 34 yards for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals , making Reed the NFL ' s all - time leader in interception return yards . On November 19 , Reed was given a 1 game suspension by the league " for repeated violations of the rule prohibiting hits to the head and neck area of defenseless players " following an unnecessary roughness call for a hit on Emmanuel Sanders . Reed was considered a repeat offender based on his prior hits to Deion Branch earlier in the season and to Drew Brees in 2010 . This suspension was later overturned , and Reed was fined $ 50 , 000 for the hit . Reed said on January 24 , 2013 that despite repeated reports he might retire , he intends to play next year . Reed finally earned his first Super Bowl ring when the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34 - 31 in Super Bowl XLVII . In that game , Reed intercepted Colin Kaepernick for his ninth career postseason interception , which tied the NFL record . This interception was the 49ers ' first interception , and the final score resulted in the 49ers ' first Super Bowl loss in their franchise ' s history . Reed became a free agent after his contract expired at the end of the 2012 season . While he had considered retiring after the 2012 season , Reed stated after the Super Bowl that he intends to continue playing football in 2013 . Reed has scored a total of 13 touchdowns in his career with the Baltimore Ravens — 3 blocked punts , 1 punt return , 2 fumble returns and 7 interception returns . Houston Texans . On March 22 , 2013 , Reed signed a three - year contract worth $ 15 million with $ 5 million guaranteed with the Houston Texans . Later in the 2013 offseason , Reed underwent arthroscopic surgery in his hip to repair a small labral tear . Reed made his Texans debut on September 22 , 2013 against the Ravens in Baltimore . As the season progressed , Reed saw his playing time reduced . He eventually lost his starting job to Shiloh Keo during Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts . On November 12 , 2013 , Reed was released by the Texans after displaying limited production with just 16 tackles , no interceptions , no forced fumbles , and no passes defended through 7 games . New York Jets . Reed was signed by the New York Jets on November 14 , 2013 after clearing waivers . The move reunited Reed with Rex Ryan , whom he played for when Ryan was the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens . Reed played his first game as a Jet on November 17 , 2013 against the Buffalo Bills . On December 8th , 2013 in week 14 he recorded his first interception of the 2013 - 14 season against Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin . In weeks 16 and 17 , against the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins respectively , Reed had an interception late in each game ' s fourth quarter , to preserve the Jets ' win . The interceptions helped the Jets close the season with two straight wins to finish 8 - 8 , which played a major part in Rex Ryan keeping his job as head coach . For the rest of the 2013 season with the Jets , Reed played in 7 games ( started 5 ) with 22 tackles , 4 passes defended , and 3 interceptions . Overall in 2013 combined with both teams he played for , Reed played 14 games ( started 10 ) with 42 total tackles , 4 passes defended , and 3 interceptions . NFL career statistics . " Note : Statistics are correct through Week 17 of the 2013 NFL season . "