Deion Sanders is a trailblazer across a multitude of paths. He played both sides of the ball as a player. This set the precedent for his protege, Travis Hunter, to follow. Another trail he proverbially blazed was iconic footballers foraying into the coaching realm. In particular, via HBCUs. Following his stint at Jackson State, a plethora of ex-NFL pros followed suit. The likes of Eddie George, Micheal Vick and DeSean Jackson all took inspiration. So did Ed Reed, albeit things didn’t quite transpire too well for him. Fellow golden jacket Warren Sapp has discerned why.

Ed Reed’s playing career needs no introduction. However, unlike his fabled career in the secondary, his escapades in the coaching vertical were nipped in the bud. Reed left his first job, and to this day only, as HC within a month. This came about at Bethune-Cookman, a D1 FCS program, in January ‘23. He didn’t leave under his own accord. His contract was ratified after a series of events, entailing Ed Reed publicly lamenting the school. Essentially for its organizational deficiencies as well as corruption among the powers that be. Facets Warren Sapp begrudgingly thinks he should have foreseen at an HBCU.

While still on campus, Ed Reed had taken to his IG to livestream his frustration over the facilities provided to his team, or lack thereof. “I’m out here walking with the football team, picking up trash,” Reed stated. For a figure of his ilk, this implied his efforts towards building the program were not being reciprocated. “But I’m mutting us?”

Ed Reed continued. “Man, get out of here. I should leave. I’m not even under contract doing this…Man, they mutt me. These mf-s didn’t [even] clean my goddamn office when I got here!” There were already cracks in the foundation, literally and figuratively, even before this outburst. These cracks would later turn into a cold war of sorts. 

Warren Sapp has had his fair share of ups and downs post-retirement, too. He spoke from a place of experience as a fellow black man who’s privy to the politics at HBCUs. His comments were relayed on the “seensatansports” YouTube Channel. “You think Ed Reed ever had a real job where he had a boss he had the answer to, and there was a real possibility he could be fired? I think not,” said Sapp. That’s a fair assumption to make about a HOFer who was revered at every juncture of his career from high school till retirement. “When you have a real boss and you say, ‘These mf-s ain’t clean my office,’  that’s when I was like, ‘Woah!’ Then he said [his] contract weren’t done. I went, ‘Oh, Jesus Christ’”

Since this episode took place on MLK weekend, the university higher-ups took time to come around to a decree for Ed Reed and his misdemeanor. Warren Sapp proceeded to imply the harsh reality of issues etched in such organisations. He described how Reed should’ve gone about things.

“You gotta secure the bag and then chip at the changes that you need to make. You ain’t never cussed out your boss before you had the job, Did you?” he said, reiterating the fact Ed Reed hadn’t put pen to paper. He was working based on misplaced trust. “You gotta secure the bag, secure your position at the University. If you don’t know that about a black college, boy. You better find out before you carry [yourself] over there talking about how you’re going to clean one up,” resounded Sapp. He also hinted at how the school administrators will seek to keep their pockets full rather than expend funds towards facilities.

While Sapp’s take may sound like an indictment, it comes from a place of kindness. It’s inconspicuous when he made these comments. But they surface 8 years after the U of Miami alum’s together received their Ring Of Honor from their alma mater. Ed Reed’s own side of the story suggests this short-lived stint was marred from the onset.

Ed Reed’s side of things makes it worse than Warren Sapp made it seem

According to Reed, he was not welcomed from day 1 of stepping on campus. Walking into a messy office aside, his first interaction should’ve sounded alarm bells. “I first get to the university, right? They say they didn’t know I was coming. For one, I have a name on the parking space. They gave me the keys to this place. So how you didn’t know I was coming?” contemplated Ed Reed. He believes his authority was undercut by the presence of a mole, whom he explicitly pointed out.

“They had an agenda there. They had moles. People who were around me, going back and reporting to the uppers.” Reed said this “mole” was Jeff Fagan, chief of operations. The person they relayed information to? Athletic director Reggie Theus. A former NBA vet. The guy who eventually made the decision to let Ed Reed walk.

The whole ordeal is a big farce. Ed Reed could’ve changed the trajectory of the program and, by extension, BCU. He had the support of donors such as Dwayne Johnson, who were willing to invest in his vision. A new stadium and all sorts of amenities were in the pipeline. Yet, systemic issues where a couple of people potentially put themselves first led to a bunch of kids being left stranded. Ed Reed and Warren Sapp remain close confidantes. Sapp and Sanders even invited Reed to Boulder to witness their operation at the Buffaloes. The nexus of NFL legends remains strong.