Don Reese

{{Infobox NFL biography

| image =

| position = Defensive end

| number = 76, 60

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|9|4|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Mobile, Alabama, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|09|18|1951|09|4}}

| death_place = Prichard, Alabama, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 6

| weight_lbs = 254

| high_school = Vigor (Prichard, Alabama)

| college = Jackson State

| draftyear = 1974

| draftround = 1

| draftpick = 26

| pastteams =

Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|1974|1976}})
New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|1978|1980}})
San Diego Chargers ({{NFL Year|1981}})
Birmingham Stallions ({{NFL Year|1985}})

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 88

| statlabel2 = Games started

| statvalue2 = 37

| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries

| statvalue3 = 4

| pfr = ReesDo20

}}

Donald Francis Reese (September 4, 1951{{spaced ndash}}September 18, 2003) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL). He played professionally for the Miami Dolphins, the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers and the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL.

Early life and education

Reese was born in Mobile, Alabama and graduated from Vigor High School in Prichard, Alabama.{{cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=REESEDON01 |title=Donald Francis Reese |publisher=databaseFootball.com |access-date=November 10, 2012 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102230358/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=REESEDON01 |archive-date=November 2, 2012 }} He played college football at Jackson State University.

Career

Reese was a 1st round selection (26th overall pick) of the 1974 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins.{{cite web|url= https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/ReesDo20.htm|title= Donald Francis Reese|publisher= Pro-Football-Reference.Com |access-date= November 10, 2012}} He played for the Dolphins from 1974 to 1976, but missed the 1977 NFL season after being arrested on May 4, 1977, along with teammate Randy Crowder, on charges of selling {{convert|1|lb|kg|spell=in}} of cocaine to two undercover agents in Miami."Dolphin Players Crowder, Reese, Arrested on Cocaine Sale Charge", by Edna Buchanan, Miami Herald, May 5, 1977, p.1-A After pleading no contest on August 10, Reese and Crowder were sentenced to one year incarceration at the Dade County Stockade, followed by four years probation,"Crowder, Reese Given Year in Jail for Drugs", Miami Herald, August 11, 1977, p.1A a remarkably light sentence given the charges."Other drug offenders didn't fare as well as Reece and Crowder", Miami News, August 11, 1977, p.5A

After his release, Reese went on to play for the New Orleans Saints (1978–1980), and the San Diego Chargers (1981). In 1985 Reese played for the Birmingham Stallions in the United States Football League.{{cite news|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-02-17-sp-3736-story.html|title= Don Reese, NFL's Drug Buster, Back in Football With USFL|work= Los Angeles Times |access-date= November 10, 2012|first=Christine|last=Brennan|date=February 17, 1985}}

Reese was suspended for the final four games of the 1980 season by interim coach Dick Stanfel for instigating a fight during a practice with teammate Derland Moore. Stanfel was conducting his first practice session as Saints coach after taking over for Dick Nolan, who was fired after the Saints fell to 0-12 in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. New Orleans finished 1-15, becoming the first NFL team to lose 15 games in a season.

In June 1982, Reese authored a lengthy article for Sports Illustrated in which he detailed his struggles with drugs. This was one of the first looks into the seedy world of money and drug use in the NFL. .{{cite web | url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1982/06/14/im-not-worth-a-damn | title='I'm Not Worth a Damn' }}

Reese was named the Jackson State All-Century Team and was inducted into the JSU Athletic Hall of Fame

Death

On September 18, 2003, Reese died in Prichard, Alabama, at age 52 from liver cancer.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qeQvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8TsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2565,7116680&dq=don+reese+dolphins+dies&hl=en Donald Reese]{{cite web|url= http://lifeinlegacy.com/2003/WIR20030920.html|title= Life In Legacy - Week of September 20, 2003|publisher= Life In Legacy|access-date= November 10, 2012|archive-date= October 28, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121028234018/http://lifeinlegacy.com/2003/WIR20030920.html|url-status= dead}}

References

External links

{{Find a Grave|7887610}}

Category:1951 births

Category:2003 deaths

Category:Players of American football from Mobile, Alabama

Category:American football defensive ends

Category:Jackson State Tigers football players

Category:Miami Dolphins players

Category:New Orleans Saints players

Category:San Diego Chargers players

Category:Deaths from liver cancer in the United States

Category:Deaths from cancer in Alabama

Category:Vigor High School alumni