Theodore Anthony Gregory (born February 11, 1965) is an American former professional

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player who was a

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

for one season with the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

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for the

Syracuse Orangemen The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference. The school's mascot is Ot ...

, earning consensus

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors in 1987. Gregory was selected in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft by the

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. He listed his height as 6'1". However, a shocked

Dan Reeves Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American professional football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third ...

, who is also listed as 6'1" commented, "I'm taller than he is!" upon meeting Gregory after the draft. By Reeves's estimate, Gregory was closer to 5'9".Pearlman, Jeff
The 100 Worst Players in NFL History, part 2

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, 2010-11-16. Gregory had injured his knee in his last collegiate game, and the knee gave out during training camp. Following scathing criticism from the press for wasting a pick on damaged goods, the Broncos traded him to the Saints for Shawn Knight before the season. He is now regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in Broncos' history. After the Gregory incident the Broncos began meeting with potential draft picks prior to the draft, a practice they had not previously engaged in. Gregory blew out his knee in his third game with the Saints, and never played in the NFL again. After a series of failed business ventures drained his life savings, he took a job as a construction worker, only to have that end due to a ruptured disc in his back that temporarily rendered him a paraplegic. Gregory placed 8th in

's "The 100 Worst NFL Players of All Time".The Bottom 100: The Worst Players in NFL History
Deadspin. Retrieved August 14, 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, Ted 1965 births Living people All-American college football players American football defensive tackles New Orleans Saints players Players of American football from Queens, New York Syracuse Orange football players