Douglas Reed (born July 16, 1960) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

who played seven seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

for the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

High School career

Reed prepped at Lincoln High in

Southeast San Diego Southeast San Diego refers to the southeastern portion of the City of San Diego (excluding South San Diego) and the neighborhoods south of State Route 94 ( Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway) and east of Downtown San Diego. There are three official ...

College career

Reed played two seasons at

after transferring from San Diego City College where he was a junior college All-America selection in 1980. As a senior at San Diego State, Reed logged 9 sacks and recorded a total of 91 tackles in his two seasons there.

NFL career

Reed missed his rookie season of 1983 with a knee injury. In 1984, he played 9 games with 1 start at left defensive end. Reed suffered a sprained Achilles' tendon that kept him out of 7 games. In his first start against the 49ers Reed sacked

Joe Montana Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...

for his first career sack. Prior to that start in week 16, Reed was a backup defensive end and played defensive tackle in pass-rushing situations. In 1985 Reed took over for

Jack Youngblood Herbert Jackson Youngblood III (born January 26, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He ...

(who had retired) at left defensive end. Prior to the 1985 season Head coach John Robinson said, "Doug Reed has advanced from suspect to prospect to player." Reed responded with 45 tackles a 7.5 sacks and was considered solid against the run. In 1986 Reed held out but returned to the team prior to the start of the season. Reed signed a 2-year deal on September 6, 1986, worth a reported $500,000. He backed up Shawn Miller for the first six games and started the final ten, recording 44 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 1986. In 1987 Reed started all 12 non-strike games and totaled 40 tackles and 2 sacks. During the 1987 players' strike, Reed pelted "scab" players' vehicles with eggs as a way to show his support for the union. On August 17, 1988, Reed signed a two-year contract, ending a 27-day holdout. Reed started all 16 games and had 32 tackles and a sack. He played defensive tackle when the Rams went to their special "Eagle" defense which featured 5 linebackers, rather than the normal 4. Reed forced a key fumble by

Neal Anderson Charles Neal Anderson (born August 14, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Anderson played college football for ...

to help the Rams in an early December 23-3 victory over the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

. In 1989 Reed played and started 11 games, with 30 tackles and 3 sacks. A severe ankle injury sidelined him for the final 5 games. In 1990, his final season, Reed held out once again (his third holdout in five seasons) and on September 6, 1990, signed a 1-year $400,000 contract after rejecting a $550,000 offer earlier in the summer. Reed started all 16 games and logged 27 tackles and 2 sacks. In 1991 Reed signed a 1-year $200,000 contract in August, 1991, but after not being assured of a roster spot asked for his release so he could be free to sign with another team. On August 20, 1991, the Rams granted Reed his unconditional release.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Doug 1960 births Living people American football defensive ends San Diego State Aztecs football players Los Angeles Rams players Players of American football from San Diego