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Matthew Reed (born November 30, 1951) is an American former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player. He played as a
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
in the
World Football League The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 in sports, 1974 and most of its second in 1975 in sports, 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a w ...
(WFL) and the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
(CFL). A graduate of
Grambling State University Grambling State University (GSU, Grambling, or Grambling State) is a public historically black university in Grambling, Louisiana, United States. Grambling State is home of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum and is listed on the Louisiana African ...
, Reed was a tenth-round selection (240th overall pick) of the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
in the
1973 NFL draft The 1973 NFL draft was held January 30–31, 1973, at the Americana Hotel in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Houston Oilers selected defensive end John Matuszak. Player selections Round one ...
but did not play in the league. Reed began his pro career with the
Birmingham Americans The Birmingham Americans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the four-team Central Division of the World Football League (WFL). The Americans, founded in late December 1973, played in t ...
of the WFL. In 1974, he backed up George Mira, completing 77 of 188 passes (41%) for 1345 yards and 11
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s and 12
interception In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...
s. He was part of their championship team. In 1975, he became the starter of the newly renamed
Birmingham Vulcans The Birmingham Vulcans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the five-team Eastern Division of the World Football League (WFL). The Vulcans, founded in March 1975, played in the upstart le ...
, but had a poor year, completing only 38.9% of his 208 passes, for 1252 yards and only 4 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He did rush for 347 yards and 6 touchdowns. In the WFL's short history, Reed managed to be the league's 10th leading passer (in yards). Reed later played three years in the CFL, all as a backup quarterback. He played 18 games for the
Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...
in 1976 and 1977 and finished his pro career with the
Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium a ...
in 1977 and 1978. While with the Argonauts, Reed backed up CFL star
Chuck Ealey Charles Ealey (born January 6, 1950) is an American former professional football player for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He became the first black quarterback to win ...
. As noted in the Toronto sports press, this was the first time in professional football that a team had a tandem of black quarterbacks running a team.


References

* * Living people 1951 births American football quarterbacks Canadian football quarterbacks Birmingham Americans players Birmingham Vulcans players Calgary Stampeders players Grambling State Tigers football players Toronto Argonauts players People from Winnfield, Louisiana Players of American football from Louisiana 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen {{quarterback-1950s-stub