Ed Reed never considered not playing against the Chiefs.Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Ed Reed was handed the game ball by Ravens coach John Harbaugh after Sunday's 30-7 wild card victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Reed's reaction was simple, stoic: "On to Pittsburgh. That's what my brother would want."
Brian Reed was that brother Ed spoke of. By all accounts, he was a young man who battled problems with drugs and alcohol, which doesn't make him all that different from a lot of Hollywood actors. But this young man's brother is an elite NFL player, an All-Pro player, a possible future Hall of Famer.
It was no doubt a tough act to follow, a tough shadow to live under for Brian Reese, who was about to be taken into custody by police near St. Rose, La., Reed's hometown. Brian broke away from the officers and jumped into the Mississippi River.
That was a bad decision. If you've ever seen the Mississippi, it is a fast-moving, muddy body of water with currents that can easily sweep a man under. That's what likely happened to Brian Reed and it made for difficult circumstances for his brother with an upcoming playoff game in Kansas City.
This was another reminder that star athletes are real people with real world problems and in Ed Reed's case, his brother had his share. "He was a good person," mother Karen Reed said. "He kinda had a little run in with drugs and stuff. He had kind of got off it other than that, he was alright."
Kind of had a run in?
You have to ask yourself, what was so serious that a guy whose mom said he was "a good person" dove into the Mississippi River?
The police believed the younger Reed may have been driving a stolen automobile. Family members said he was driving one of his brother's cars. Whatever the case, you'd think that it wasn't so serious that that it was necessary to jump into the muddy Mississippi.
Those who know Ed Reed, probably knew that there would be no doubt he'd play the game in Kansas City.
"There isn't a better teammate than Ed Reed," Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said. Reed proved it Sunday as he put aside the probable loss of his brother. The search had been called off, the worst appeared to become fact.
Reed never considered not playing. "Not at all. It's my job. Just focused on the game. Just tried to do my part, like always. Keep focused and just do my job. No different than any other day," he said beforehand.
Reed's teammates rallied around him and like the playoff-experienced group they are, they played and played well against the Chiefs.
It was apparent that Reed has an entire team of brothers.
It was a simple reminder of how important support can be in times of difficulty.
Real world, real problems.
For Ed Reed, the harsh reality will come sooner or later that if his brother has perished and it surely didn't have to happen that way.
If he was innocent than he should have given the system a chance to work. If he was guilty, then there would be a price to pay.
"It's in God's hands," Reed said, and he was right about that.
"There's a bigger picture than us."
And Ed Reed was right about that too.
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