Ted Gregory Explained

Ted Gregory
Number:74
Position:Defensive tackle
Birth Date:11 February 1965
Birth Place:Queens, New York, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lbs:260
College:Syracuse
Draftyear:1988
Draftround:1
Draftpick:26
Pastteams:
Highlights:

Theodore Anthony Gregory (born February 11, 1965) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for one season with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Syracuse Orangemen, earning consensus All-American honors in 1987. Gregory was selected in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.[1] He listed his height as 6'1".[2] However, a shocked Dan Reeves, who is also listed as 6'1"[3] commented, "I'm taller than he is!" upon meeting Gregory after the draft. By Reeves's estimate, Gregory was closer to 5'9".[4]

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.[5] He is now regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in Broncos' history.[6] 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 this 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.[5] Gregory placed 8th in Deadspin's "The 100 Worst NFL Players of All Time".[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1988 NFL Draft Listing . 2023-09-24 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  2. Web site: Ted Gregory, NT at . Nfl.com . 2010-11-23.
  3. Web site: Dan Reeves Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards . databaseFootball.com . 1944-01-19 . 2010-11-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121023032035/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=REEVEDAN01 . 2012-10-23 .
  4. Pearlman, Jeff. The 100 Worst Players in NFL History, part 2. Deadspin, 2010-11-16.
  5. Web site: Cimini . Rich . Glory Days to Ugly Daze . New York Daily News . 21 September 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110415080753/http://articles.nydailynews.com/1998-04-12/sports/18063018_1_nfl-sal-ciampi-sleep . April 15, 2011 .
  6. Web site: Biggest draft bust ever for all 32 NFL teams at . ESPN.com . 13 April 2017. 2017-04-13.
  7. http://deadspin.com/5690560/the-bottom-100-the-worst-players-in-nfl-history-part-2 The Bottom 100: The Worst Players in NFL History