The Greatest Safety of All Time

**The Excellector** · 07-26-2021, 07:18 PM

There are some old Steelers fans who swear by Donnie Shell.

**The Excellector** · 07-26-2021, 07:19 PM

I love Reed, but I’m giving the slight edge to Lott.

**The Excellector** · 07-26-2021, 07:23 PM

I refuse to vote against a man who chopped off a fraction of a digit to stay in a fucking game. I’m sorry. Had Reed not hurt his neck (In a collision with Ray go figure), maybe the gap could have been wide enough. The gap is just too close.

The man lost part of a digit to stay in a fucking game. Even Reed would say that man ain’t right upstairs.

**Shrubbs** · 07-26-2021, 07:35 PM

I can’t believe this dude cut off a pinky just to lose the game anyway that is INSANE

**GOTA** · 07-26-2021, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by The Excellector

There are some old Steelers fans who swear by Donnie Shell.

Shell was a great player but he's not at the level of these guys. I'd put Ken Houston and Paul Krause ahead on Shell. If you want to look at a pre Ed Reed type player it's Ken Houston. He would would also score on special teams and block punts. Reed did it better but the concept of a Safety who could do absolutely everything to change a game started with Ken Houston.

**rhapsody** · 07-27-2021, 01:07 PM

Great suggestions. Overall, Ed Reed is absolutely defensible. So are Ronnie Lott, Ken Houston and maybe Emlen Tunnell. I did not see Tunnell play.

Willie Wood was greater than Larry Wilson - but - he had better teammates.

Ken Houston was just great and gave the impression that he was shutting everything down, and maybe he was.

Emlen Tunnell came to the nfl late IIANM, and was heads and shoulders better than other Safeties. Very hard to compare now, but he could have been the best.

Lott was the best hitter I ever saw at Safety.

I saw a lot of Paul Krause in person - he immediately elevated the WFT defense, and was a great ball hawk, of course, but he was not a great tackler.

**Bhcforlife** · 07-27-2021, 01:36 PM

I think people sleep on Reed as a hitter/ability to hit/tackle early in his career. It wasn't always Deion-like effort on tackling like he was late in his career.

Also
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQrZKveWgOk

**AQKingRaven** · 07-28-2021, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by camdenyard

Greatest safety? This one has my vote...

well played

**AQKingRaven** · 07-28-2021, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by Bhcforlife

I think people sleep on Reed as a hitter/ability to hit/tackle early in his career. It wasn't always Deion-like effort on tackling like he was late in his career.

Also
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQrZKveWgOk

There is no doubt. Before his shoulder started falling off he was bringing it.

**Hurricane** · 07-28-2021, 08:28 AM

Ed, and if still alive, Sean Taylor would without a doubt be in this conversation..

**Rygar64** · 07-28-2021, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by AQKingRaven

There is no doubt. Before his shoulder started falling off he was bringing it.

Ed used to absolutely light people the fuck up. That's why I give him the edge. I was a huge Lott fan back in the day as well, but he could not cover ground or fool QBs the way ED could. The plays Ed made were against QBs that were either too stupid or vain enough to think they could get the ball there. Most of the best QBs in the game just avoided him altogether. What's it worth when you can force a team to avoid an entire half of the field?

And yeah, the ridiculous amount of plays he made on ST was huge as well. How many times did he get held early on that wouldn't get called?

**The Excellector** · 07-28-2021, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by Bhcforlife

I think people sleep on Reed as a hitter/ability to hit/tackle early in his career. It wasn't always Deion-like effort on tackling like he was late in his career.

Also
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQrZKveWgOk

I was thinking the same thing. That’s why I said if he hadn’t hurt his neck.