Even after missing first 6 games of season
Former Destrehan High School standout Ed Reed has been voted to the NFL Pro Bowl for the seventh time during his nine year NFL career. Despite missing the first six games of the 2010 season due to a hip injury, Reed returned to the Baltimore Ravens midseason and has again become one of the most dominant defenders in the league.
In the 10 games Reed has played in the regular season he intercepted eight passes, including two interceptions in his team’s season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals. The future NFL Hall of Fame free safety has intercepted 54 passes since entering the league as a first round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2002 and he has returned those interceptions for 1,438 yards.
Reed is now second all-time behind former Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson, who returned interceptions for 1,483 yards during his NFL career.
One of the greatest linebackers of all-time, Ray Lewis, says Reed is invaluable to the Ravens.
“Ed Reed does things most people just dream about doing,” Lewis said. “He’s remarkable. His intelligence, his savvy and his ability to spend the extra time to study opponents makes him a cut above anyone else.
“Ed Reed is one of the greatest football players ever. I am just glad he is on our team.”
Reed and the (12-4) Ravens beat the Kansas City Chiefs 30-7 in the first round of the playoffs last weekend.
Jefferson gets redemption in LSU’s Cotton Bowl win
Redemption, it is what sports is all about. For three seasons at LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson has had many more down moments than up ones, but Friday night the former Destrehan High School star performed like all of us thought he could when he came out of high school.
The 6-4, 220-pound junior signal-caller accounted for 225 yards of total offense as he led the Tigers to a 41-24 victory over Texas A&M in the 2011 Cotton Bowl.
Jefferson rushed for 67 yards on 12 carries and scored one touchdown, but where he was the real difference maker was in the passing game. The strong-armed passer completed 10 of his 19 passes for 158 yards and three touchdowns. All of his touchdown throws went to senior wide receiver Terrence Tolliver.
While Tolliver was the winner of the game’s Offensive MVP, it was really Jefferson’s time in the limelight that was the story in LSU’s win over the Aggies.
Head coach Les Miles lavished praise on the quarterback who has taken as much criticism as himself for the lack of consistent play on offense.
“The quarterback spot is a tough one to master,” Miles said. “Jordan has continued to get better each week and he has grown into a terrific leader and player for us all season. I am so proud of him. He works hard at his trade.
“He was dead-on accurate with his throws and his connection with Terrence (Tolliver), Reuben Randle, Spencer (Ware) and the entire receiving unit was excellent. There is no question that his play tonight was a major reason we are walking out of here with a victory.”
Tolliver, who caught 5 passes for 112 yards, said that Jefferson was the catalyst to the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl victory.
“It seems hard to believe it is all over for me at LSU, but I can tell you I won’t enjoy a moment more than what I did tonight with Jordan,” Tolliver said. “We have both been through a lot of good and some bad times at LSU, but it all paid off tonight for us and the team. Jordan will lead this team to bigger heights next season.”
But Jefferson was also helped by a very sturdy running game that most Tiger fans were looking for all season long.
Running backs Stevan Ridley and Spencer Ware accounted for 207 yards rushing on 34 carries and LSU’s offensive line played as physical a game as they have all season long.
Jefferson knows he will get tough competition in the spring from junior college transfer quarterback Zach Mettenberger, but his play against A&M certainly shows that Jefferson will be hard to knock out of the starting lineup when LSU lines up in the season-opener against Oregon in the Cowboy Bowl.
With nine starters returning on offense and seven starters returning on defense, the Tigers have the look of a team that will not only compete for an SEC championship in 2011, but possibly even a national championship.
With rumors swirling that the University of Michigan was in hot pursuit of the coaching services of Les Miles, the Tigers showed again that they play at their best when there are distractions around them.
At 11-2 in 2010 Les Miles has won 11 games in four of his six seasons at LSU.
Now that Miles has decided to remain as the LSU’s coach, the Tigers should be aiming for a championship in the 2011 season.
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