You can run, but you can’t hide from the NFL’s best defender

Photograph by JARED BIENSTOCK; Jozen Cummings Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed takes no crap on the field, but he definitely does in the locker room. “I have to take a number two because my stomach is turning before the game. I can’t help it,” he says sheepishly. Though Reed’s pregame ritual may reek, his sixth sense for the football wreaks havoc on quarterbacks. Last season, the Ravens’ #20 was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, collecting a franchise–best nine interceptions.

Judging from his background, you might expect Reed to be as rough–and–tumble off the field. The 27–year–old emerged from the hard–scrabble streets of St. Rose, Louisiana, and is a product of two “bad boy” football programs—the University of Miami and the NFL’s Ravens—where players like Ray Lewis and Jamal Lewis have made headlines in the past for running afoul of the law. Most recently, former Miami Hurricane Sean Taylor was hit with felony assault charges in June. “I really feel bad for him,” says Reed. “I mean, I hate to say it, but once you’re in the system, you’re in the system. The bad stuff sticks with you.” Thanks to his close–knit family and dedication to football, Reed has avoided the scandals of teammates past and present. “You know right from wrong since you’re a kid, so you live accordingly,” he says.

For opposing offenses, however, Reed is nothing but trouble. His focus for his fourth pro season is getting the Ravens back into the playoffs behind more punishing tackles and timely interceptions. “Wherever the ball is, that’s where I’m headed,” he says. “I’m hungry and that ball and the player are food. I have to eat it.” Locker room toilets beware.

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