Bills Draft Gems, No. 3: WR Andre Reed

It’s tough to argue with this one unless someone makes a case that he should have been #1 or #2.

A Diamond in the Rough

Twelve wide receivers were selected in the 1985 NFL draft before Buffalo chose Kutztown (Pennsylvania) University’s Andre Reed in the fourth round. But only two, San Francisco’s Jerry Rice and Cincinnati’s Eddie Brown, both first-round selections, would catch more passes during their rookie seasons.

Reed, actually, was not even the first wide receiver chosen by the Bills that year. Chris Burkett was a second-round pick. Even so, he knew very early on that he had what it takes to make the team.

“I think it was the first day of training camp. The Bills that year had drafted not only me, but two other receivers,” said Reed. "They drafted a guy in the second round, a guy in the fifth round [Jimmy Teal], and I was in the fourth round. So there was a lot of competition in camp. A lot of free agents! I think there might have been 16 or 17 receivers in camp. Back then you could stack it up like that at certain positions.

“I remember catching a pass from Vince Ferragamo. It was a deep-in route, and I came across the middle and the ball was a little bit high, so I had to jump for it. The safety hit me right under my legs, and I kind of got flipped a little bit and landed on my back. I got up and went back to the huddle. I knew from there that not only I belonged, but that I could be an impact and play. I think it was just that play. There were probably a lot of them, but for a 21-year-old kid coming from a small school, I think in the beginning of training camp, the first day, that sure opened up a lot of eyes.”

It didn’t take long before he was opening a lot of eyes around the league. Starting 15 of 16 games, Reed caught at least one pass in all but one game and finished with 48 receptions (second to running back Greg Bell) for 637 yards and four touchdowns. The rookie also learned firsthand that the NFL is a business. After losing their first four games by a combined score of 100-46, head coach Kay Stephenson was replaced by Hank Bullough. The coaching change did not alter the Bills’ momentum, however, and they finished with a dismal 2-14 record.

“As a rookie, I just wanted to play. That was the big thing for me,” Reed said. "I just wanted to show that being drafted in the fourth round, I belonged there. Of course the records did mean a lot to me, but I think at the same time, I just wanted to contribute as much as I could. At that time, the Bills were [starting] their rebuilding years, and I wanted to be a part of that rebuild.

“The coaches were changing and the players were changing and the organization was changing to a certain point, so it was tough. But again, just being on an NFL roster and being able to play and contribute probably was the biggest thing for me.”

Reed would certainly go on to make big contributions. Huge, in fact! Over 15 seasons with the Bills, he would total 941 receptions for 13,095 yards and 86 touchdowns. All team records! And he contributed in the playoffs, as well. One example: In the 1992 AFC Wild Card Game against Houston – otherwise known as the greatest comeback in NFL history – after Buffalo rallied from a 32-point deficit to win 41-38 in overtime, he had eight catches for a game-high 136 yards and three touchdowns.

Reed feels that any success he accomplished on the field was because he was prepared.

“Year after year, I was able to get myself ready for training camp, get myself ready for the season, play at a high level, and try to play better than the previous year,” said the seven-time Pro Bowl selection. “The individuals on our team at that time, I think everybody had that attitude. We wanted to be better! That’s one of the things that I pride myself in, just being prepared every season and being prepared every game.”

Excerpt from "Then Levy Said to Kelly…"