Former Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2019, but he wanted to give his spot in Canton to Denver Broncos legend Steve Atwater instead.
“I was, like, trying to give my spot up to Steve Atwater at the time,” Reed recalled during a recent interview with Ryan Clark on the Pivot Podcast.
“Man, hold up, I grew up watching Steve Atwater. And he’s on the [finalist] list, but he’s not in there. You know, and I’m like, ‘This is crazy. Like I’ll give my spot up for Steve. Send me in next year.’ You know, he was one of the pavers that I truly watched.”
Ever heard of a guy that tried to give up his Hall of Fame spot? Welp, you have now. His name… Ed Reed. @TwentyER tried to defer his Hall of Fame enshrinement to allow one of his child hood idols Steve Atwater to be enshrined. I’m not sure if anyone told Ed it didn’t work that… pic.twitter.com/TaaBcprQDT
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) December 7, 2023
Fortunately, Atwater was elected to the Hall of Fame one year later. Atwater expressed his gratitude to Reed after his Hall of Fame nod.
“It really meant a lot to know that a player of his caliber — he’s an amazing player — thought that much of me to say something that kind,” Atwater said in 2020. “And I told him when I saw him, I was like, ‘You don’t really have to say that.’
“But I really appreciated it because I think some of the voters may have said, ‘Wow we really have to kind of take a look at Steve if a lot of these younger guys say they looked up to him and they want him to be in the Hall of Fame. How can he not be in here and we have a lot of other guys?’”
Atwater earned eight Pro Bowl nods and won two Super Bowls during his career. Reed was elected to nine Pro Bowls and won one Super Bowl. Now they are both in the Hall of Fame where they belong.
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