Floyd Reese
Encyclopedia
Floyd Reese is a senior football advisor for the New England Patriots
of the National Football League
. From 1994–2006 Reese held the position of general manager of the Tennessee Titans
. Reese also served as an analyst on ESPN
's NFL Live
, and as a writer on ESPN.com
before joining the Patriots.
As a general manager, Reese drafted three NFL Rookie of the Year Award
winners among his 11 first round draft choices: running back Eddie George
in 1996
, defensive end Jevon Kearse
in 1999
, and quarterback Vince Young
in 2006
. Reese also drafted NFL co-MVP quarterback Steve McNair
.
. He was voted UCLA rookie of the year in 1967.
Reese was part of a Bruins defense that gave up only 103 points (ninth best in school history) and posted an 8-1-1 record his senior year. Reese was an All-America
n in 1969. He was voted the team co-MVP in 1969 (along with quarterback Dennis Dummit) making him the only defensive player ever to win the award. Reese was also one of UCLA's tri-captains as well as All-Pac-8. He was voted to the Los Angeles Times
All-Time UCLA team in 1970. Reese played in the Hula Bowl
after his senior season and was voted the game's outstanding lineman.
(1970) for the Montreal Alouettes
. He signed with the Toronto Argonauts
in 1971 but did not play and decided to move into coaching that same year.
in 1974. He became the Detroit Lions
strength and conditioning coach in 1975 and moved to the San Francisco 49ers
as strength and conditioning coach in 1978.
Reese became the Minnesota Vikings
linebacker coach and special teams from 1979 though 1983 and was the Vikings' defensive coordinator in 1984. He returned to the post of linebacker coach in 1985. The next season Reese began a four year stint as linebacker coach for the Houston Oilers
.
, then head coach of the Atlanta Falcons
, to join the Falcons as assistant head coach. Bud Adams
wanted to keep Reese with the Oilers so he offered Reese the position of assistant general manager and the opportunity to one day replace Mike Holovak
, then-Oilers general manager. Reese held that position until 1993.
In 1994, Reese was promoted to executive vice president and general manager, where he stayed while the Oilers moved to Nashville, Tennessee
, first as the Tennessee Oilers, then as the Tennessee Titans. He added the role of director of football operations in 2001. After disputes with Adams and coach Jeff Fisher
about the direction of the team (Fisher wanted more control in drafts), and realizing that Adams was not likely to offer him a new contract, Reese resigned his position with the Titans following the 2006 season, despite amassing the most wins (111) of any Oilers/Titans general manager.
Following his departure from the Titans, Reese joined ESPN
as an NFL analyst and writer for ESPN.com
.
On January 27, 2009, Reese was hired by the New England Patriots
as a senior football advisor following Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli
leaving to become general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs
. Following the 2009
season, Reese was a finalist for the Seattle Seahawks
general manager position, one that was eventually filled by John Schneider
.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. From 1994–2006 Reese held the position of general manager of the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. Reese also served as an analyst on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's NFL Live
NFL Live
NFL Live is a National Football League studio show, currently airing Monday through Friday at 4:00 p.m and 12:30 a.m ET on the ESPN cable network. Formerly known as NFL 2Night, the program is the only NFL-related studio program to air during the week...
, and as a writer on ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
before joining the Patriots.
As a general manager, Reese drafted three NFL Rookie of the Year Award
NFL Rookie of the Year Award
Since 1967, the Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to National Football League players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
winners among his 11 first round draft choices: running back Eddie George
Eddie George
Edward Nathan "Eddie" George, Jr. is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He played for the Tennessee Titans both in Tennessee and in Houston when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers, and spent his final season with the Dallas Cowboys...
in 1996
1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996...
, defensive end Jevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse , nicknamed "The Freak," is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for eleven seasons during the late 1990s and 2000s...
in 1999
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
, and quarterback Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
in 2006
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. Reese also drafted NFL co-MVP quarterback Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
.
College career
Reese was a three-year letterman and three-year starter (making 28 of 30 starts) for the University of California, Los AngelesUniversity of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. He was voted UCLA rookie of the year in 1967.
Reese was part of a Bruins defense that gave up only 103 points (ninth best in school history) and posted an 8-1-1 record his senior year. Reese was an All-America
1969 College Football All-America Team
The 1969 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Central Press Association, Football Writers...
n in 1969. He was voted the team co-MVP in 1969 (along with quarterback Dennis Dummit) making him the only defensive player ever to win the award. Reese was also one of UCLA's tri-captains as well as All-Pac-8. He was voted to the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
All-Time UCLA team in 1970. Reese played in the Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
after his senior season and was voted the game's outstanding lineman.
Playing career
Reese played one season in the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(1970) for the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
. He signed with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
in 1971 but did not play and decided to move into coaching that same year.
Coaching
Reese was an assistant coach at UCLA from 1971–73 and also with Georgia TechGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in 1974. He became the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
strength and conditioning coach in 1975 and moved to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
as strength and conditioning coach in 1978.
Reese became the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
linebacker coach and special teams from 1979 though 1983 and was the Vikings' defensive coordinator in 1984. He returned to the post of linebacker coach in 1985. The next season Reese began a four year stint as linebacker coach for the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
.
NFL executive
In 1990, Reese was promoted to the position of assistant general manager for the Oilers following an offer from Jerry GlanvilleJerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
, then head coach of the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, to join the Falcons as assistant head coach. Bud Adams
Bud Adams
Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. is the owner of the Tennessee Titans' National Football League franchise. He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League. Adams became a charter AFL owner with the establishment of the Titans franchise, which was...
wanted to keep Reese with the Oilers so he offered Reese the position of assistant general manager and the opportunity to one day replace Mike Holovak
Mike Holovak
Michael Joseph Holovak was an American football player, coach, and executive. He played college football at Boston College, where he was named an All-American at fullback in 1942. Holovak was selected in the first round of the 1943 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Rams...
, then-Oilers general manager. Reese held that position until 1993.
In 1994, Reese was promoted to executive vice president and general manager, where he stayed while the Oilers moved to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, first as the Tennessee Oilers, then as the Tennessee Titans. He added the role of director of football operations in 2001. After disputes with Adams and coach Jeff Fisher
Jeff Fisher
Jeffrey Michael "Jeff" Fisher is the former head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He has a 146-120 career record as an NFL head coach.-Early life:...
about the direction of the team (Fisher wanted more control in drafts), and realizing that Adams was not likely to offer him a new contract, Reese resigned his position with the Titans following the 2006 season, despite amassing the most wins (111) of any Oilers/Titans general manager.
Following his departure from the Titans, Reese joined ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
as an NFL analyst and writer for ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
.
On January 27, 2009, Reese was hired by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
as a senior football advisor following Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli
Scott Pioli
Scott Pioli is a professional American football executive, currently serving as the general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . Pioli was previously a front office executive for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, and New England Patriots...
leaving to become general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. Following the 2009
2009 New England Patriots season
The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs....
season, Reese was a finalist for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
general manager position, one that was eventually filled by John Schneider
John Schneider (American football executive)
John Schneider is the general manager of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was hired days after the Seahawks hired their new head coach Pete Carroll....
.