As Ed Reed prepares to take his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, teammates, friends and coaches from his Ravens, college and high school years reflect on the legacy of the legendary Ravens safety with their favorite memories and never-before-heard stories.
Derrick Mason
As told to Glenn Clark
Derrick Mason was a wide receiver for the Ravens from 2005-2010.
I've had the opportunity to play with some great players. Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Steve McNair, Eddie George, obviously Bruce Matthews, but Ed was different. I've always said Ed is the greatest player I think I've played with, and we're talking about some Hall of Fame players that I've had the pleasure to play with, including two or potentially three [Ravens] with Terrell Suggs. But I just think Ed Reed ... was the best defensive player that I've seen, and I've been watching football for a very long time. I think he's the best secondary player if you're going to combine safety and corner. I think he's the best secondary player I've ever seen play the game. His instinct to play the game was like no other. He could've played wide receiver I think if he wanted to. He was just that athletic.
