Inside Ed Reed's Journey from Helmet to Headset

It’s normal when you’re young to wistfully consider the possibilities ahead and what paths your career could dart down. Ed Reed did that one day long ago.

He was still a student-athlete at the University of Miami. Of course, Reed wasn’t your standard student or your standard athlete. He was named an All-American during his final two collegiate seasons, the last of which ended with a national championship (2001).

He recorded 21 interceptions over four seasons in Miami and was cruising toward becoming a first-round pick. But as passionate as Reed was on the field, he already found himself looking ahead to a role that suited his high level of football intelligence and natural leadership…