Few people have the ability to impact lives beyond football from an NFL front office, and former Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans General Manager Floyd Reese was one of them.
Reese died on Saturday at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer, but he built a legacy through his relationships with people that won’t soon be forgotten.
kAm$FC6[ #66D6 H2D 6I46==6?E 2E 9:D 4C27E 2?5 E96 %:E2?D’ C6DF=ED @? E96 7:6=5 H6C6 AC@@7 @7 E92E] w6 H2D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C ``` H:?D[ `` A=2J@77 2AA62C2?46D 2?5 EH@ pur r92>A:@?D9:A 2AA62C2?46D] x? 255:E:@?[ 96 4@?DECF4E65 E96 36DE E62> :? 7C2?49:D6 9:DE@CJ :? `hhh — E96 @?=J E62> E@ C6249 2 $FA6C q@H=] w6 2=D@ 5C27E65 af !C@ q@H=6CD[ E9C66 #@@<:6 @7 E96 *62C H:??6CD 2?5 2? }u{ r@\|'!]k^Am
kAmqFE 2D 2 A6CD@?[ #66D6 E@F4965 =:G6D :? >2?J H2JD E92E H6?E 36J@?5 D:>A=J H92E 92AA6?65 36EH66? E96 D:56=:?6D 7@C E9C66 9@FCD @? 2 $F?52J 27E6C?@@?]k^Am
kAmw6 42C65 23@FE A6@A=6[ 2?5 96 42C65 23@FE 9:D 7C:6?5D] !6C92AD ?@ DE@CJ 36EE6C :==FDEC2E6D E92E 724E E92? E96 @?6 %:E2?D v6?6C2= |2?286C y@? #@3:?D@? D92C65 $2EFC52J ?:89E 27E6C E96 %:E2?D bc\b H:? @G6C E96 %2>A2 q2J qF442?66CD]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< E@ DA62< E@ E96 492C24E6C @7 H92E u=@J5 >62?D E@ >6[ H96? x H2D :?E6CG:6H:?8 7@C E96 ;@3 E@ 4@>6 9@>6 E@ %6??6DD66[ 96 A:4<65 FA E96 A9@?6 2?5 42==65 WE96?\rt~X $E6G6 &?56CH@@5 7@C >6[” #@3:?D@? D2:5] “%96 =2DE E:>6 $E6G6 &?56CH@@5 E2=<65 E@ u=@J5 #66D6 H2D H96? 96 =6E 9:> 8@] %92E’D E96 EJA6 @7 >2? E92E u=@J5 #66D6 H2D] w6 36=:6G65 :? >6[ 96 36=:6G65 :? H92E H6’C6 23@FE…x 42?’E D2J 6?@F89 8@@5 E9:?8D 23@FE u=@J5]”k^Am
kAm%9@D6 4=@D6DE E@ #66D6 =:89E FA 2D E96J E2=< 23@FE 9@H :>A@CE2?E 7@@E32== H2D E@ 9:>] u@@E32== H2D 9:D 72>:=J[ 2?5 9:D 72>:=J H2D 7@@E32==] %96 EH@ :?E6CEH:?65 C68F=2C=J 3FE H6C6 ?6G6C D6A2C2E65 :? #66D6’D >:?5] k^Am
kAm“w6 EC62E65 >6 =:<6 2 D@?[” 7@C>6C %:E2?D’ C646:G6C r9C:D $2?56CD kDEC@?8mkDA2? DEJ=6lQE6IE\564@C2E:@?i F?56C=:?6jQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^6>:=J0AC@F5^DE2EFD^`cahacac``haf`_`cd_nDla_QmE@=5 (z#}k^2mk^DA2?mk^DEC@?8m] “,w6 H2D. ;FDE 2 >2? E92E =@G65 >6 36J@?5 7@@E32==] tG6? H96? x C6E:C65 7C@> E96 }u{[ 96 DE:== 42==65 >6[ 2?5 H6 E2=<65 2D H6 H@C<65 @? `_a]d ,E96 v2>6.] x C6>6>36C H96? 96 2D<65 >6 E@ E2<6 2 Se__[___ A2J 4FE[ 27E6C 96 E@=5 >6 E@ E2<6 :E[ 96 9F8865 >6 2?5 D2:5[ ‘%92?< J@F 7@C 96=A:?8 >6 86E F?56C E96 D2=2CJ 42A]’ tG6? E9@F89 :E H2D 2 3FD:?6DD 562=[ 96 DE:== EC62E65 >6 =:<6 2 D@?] w6’D 2== 23@FE 72>:=J 2?5 E92E’D H9J :? `hhh[ 96 3F:=E 2 =6824J]”k^Am
kAm#66D6 H2D 2 4@249[ 2 86?6C2= >2?286C[ 2 D6?:@C 25G:D@C[ 2?5 =2E6C :? 9:D 42C66C[ 2 C25:@ 9@DE] #682C5=6DD @7 H92E C@=6 96 H2D :? @C H92E E:E=6 96 925[ #66D6 2=H2JD D@F89E @FE E@ >2<6 E9@D6 2C@F?5 9:> 36EE6C[ 2?5 >2<6 E96 6?G:C@?>6?E :? H9:49 96 H@C<65 2 A@D:E:G6 @?6]k^Am
kAm“p?J@?6 H9@ 4C@DD65 A2E9D H:E9 u=@J5 H2D 36EE6C 3642FD6 @7 :E[” D2:5 `_a]d %96 v2>6 AC@8C2> 5:C64E@C #J2? !@CE9] “w6 H2D 2 8C62E 7@@E32== >:?5 3FE 2? 6G6? 36EE6C A6CD@?] w6 >62?E 2 =@E E@ DA@CED :? }2D9G:==6 2?5 9:D =6824J H:== =2DE 2 =@?8 E:>6] (6 H6C6 =F4<J E@ 36 2 D>2== A2CE @7 9:D 42C66C 2E `_a]d %96 v2>6[ H96C6 96 =67E ?@E9:?8 3FE A@D:E:G6 >6>@C:6D :? 9:D 7:G6\A=FD J62CD 2E E96 DE2E:@?] (6 =@DE @?6 @7 E96 8@@5 @?6D $2EFC52J 2?5 H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ >:DD u=@J5 562C=J]”k^Am
kAmp5565 }6H t?8=2?5 !2EC:@ED 4@249 q:== q6=:49:4< E9C@F89 2 DE2E6>6?Ei “pD E6CC:7:4 2 4@249[ 7@@E32== >:?5 2?5 E62> 3F:=56C 2D 96 3642>6[ 2?5 2D E@F89 2 A6CD@? 96 H2D[ H96? x E9:?< @7 u=@J5[ x H:== C6>6>36C 2 8C62E 9F>2? 36:?8 2?5 @?6 @7 E96 >@DE A@D:E:G6[ 7C:6?5=J A6@A=6 x 92G6 6G6C <?@H?] u=@J5 >256 2 D:8?:7:42?E :>A24E @? >J 42C66C] w6 H2D 2 7C:6?5 @7 ?62C=J 92=7 2 46?EFCJ 2?5 96 H:== 36 >:DD65 8C62E=J]”k^Am
kAm|2?J 7@C>6C A=2J6CD[ 4@2496D 2?5 >65:2 >6>36CD EJA:42==J 92G6 2 72G@C:E6 >6>@CJ @C 2? 2>FD:?8 DE@CJ E92E DE:4<D @FE 23@G6 E96 C6DE] qFE D@>6E:>6D[ 2 A6CD@?’D =6824J :D?’E 3@:=65 5@H? E@ ;FDE @?6 =2F8923=6 >@>6?E :? E:>6 @C 2 D:?8F=2C :?DE2?46 E92E >256 96C @C 9:> >@C6 2AAC64:23=6 E92? 367@C6] $@>6E:>6D E96 A6CD@?VD =6824J =:6D :? E96 4@?D:DE6?4J @7 96C @C 9:D 492C24E6C]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?’E 92G6 2 A2CE:4F=2C DE@CJ E92E 4@>6D E@ >:?5 — 2?5 x E9:?< E92E :D E96 A@:?E[” D2:5 s2G:5 q@4=2:C[ H9@ 92D 4@G6C65 E96 %:E2?D D:?46 `hhf[ ?@H H:E9 k6>m$A@CED x==FDEC2E65k^6>m] “u=@J5 H2D E96 D2>6 8FJ H96E96C J@F :?E6CG:6H65 9:>[ E2=<65 E@ 9:> @77 E96 C64@C5 @C C2? :?E@ 9:> 2E 2 D@4:2= 6G6?E] xE H2D 2=H2JD 2? 62DJ 4@?G6CD2E:@?] w6 5:5 ?@E 92G6 E96 5:DECFDE @C 5:DE2DE6 7@C E96 >65:2 E92E D@ >2?J :? 9:D A@D:E:@? 5@] k^Am
kAm“u@C u=@J5[ E2=<:?8 H:E9 E96 >65:2 H2D 2?@E96C 492?46 E@ E2=< 7@@E32==[ H9:49 96 =@G65 E@ 5@] %96 @77\E96\C64@C5 4@?G6CD2E:@?D H6C6 E96 36DE] w6 H2D 8F2C565 H96? E2=<:?8 23@FE 9:D @H? E62> @C A=2J6CD 96 H2?E65[ 3FE x =62C?65 D@ >F49 23@FE H9@ 2C@F?5 E96 }u{ H2D 8@@5 W@C H2D?’E 8@@5X 2?5 H9J :? 492ED H:E9 u=@J5 @? E96 AC24E:46 7:6=5 @C 27E6C 2? @77:4:2= :?E6CG:6H 6?565]”k^Am
kAm%96 %:E2?D H:== 9@?@C #66D6 H96? E96J :?5F4E 9:> :?E@ E96 E62>’D #:?8 @7 w@?@C 5FC:?8 2 82>6 282:?DE E96 w@FDE@? %6I2?D @? }@G] a`]k^Am
kAmk6>mu@==@H |:4926= v2==2896C @? %H:EE6C k^6>mkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^|vDA@CED0Qmk6>mo|vDA@CED0k^6>mk^2mk^DEC@?8mk^Am
