Ed Reed, the star defensive back for the Baltimore Ravens, was selected as the Sugar Bowl’s Outstanding Professional Athlete for Louisiana for 2004. The New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, selects annual award winners in a variety of categories; it also selects the Sugar Bowl Athletes of the Month and each year’s New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame class.
Reed, a native of St. Rose and a graduate of Destrehan High School, broke team and league records in 2005. He nabbed nine interceptions, the most in a season by any player in Ravens history. His career total of 21 also is a team record. In the final game of the season, a 41-yard interception return gave Reed more interception return yards than any other player in 2005. His 358 yards were more than 26 NFL teams.
The Associated Press took notice of Reed’s outstanding play in 2005, naming him the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
The New Orleans Sports Awards Committee began in 1957 when James Collins spearheaded a group of sports journalists to form a sports awards committee to immortalize local sports history. For 13 years, the committee honored local athletes each month. In 1970, the Sugar Bowl stepped in to sponsor and revitalize the committee, leading to the creation of the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, honoring 10 legends from the Crescent City in its first induction class.
-www.AllstateSugarBowl.org-
