| No. 74 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 11, 1965 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 260 lb (118 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | East Islip ( Islip Terrace, New York) |
| College: | Syracuse |
| NFL draft: | 1988 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
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.[ citation needed]
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]
References
- ^ "1988 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
- ^ "Ted Gregory, NT at". Nfl.com. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
- ^ "Dan Reeves Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards". databaseFootball.com. January 19, 1944. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
- ^ Pearlman, Jeff. The 100 Worst Players in NFL History, part 2. Deadspin, 2010-11-16.
- ^ a b Cimini, Rich. "Glory Days to Ugly Daze". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
- ^ "Biggest draft bust ever for all 32 NFL teams at". ESPN.com. April 13, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
- ^ The Bottom 100: The Worst Players in NFL History. Deadspin. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
| No. 74 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 11, 1965 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 260 lb (118 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | East Islip ( Islip Terrace, New York) |
| College: | Syracuse |
| NFL draft: | 1988 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
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.[ citation needed]
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]
References
- ^ "1988 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
- ^ "Ted Gregory, NT at". Nfl.com. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
- ^ "Dan Reeves Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards". databaseFootball.com. January 19, 1944. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
- ^ Pearlman, Jeff. The 100 Worst Players in NFL History, part 2. Deadspin, 2010-11-16.
- ^ a b Cimini, Rich. "Glory Days to Ugly Daze". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
- ^ "Biggest draft bust ever for all 32 NFL teams at". ESPN.com. April 13, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
- ^ The Bottom 100: The Worst Players in NFL History. Deadspin. Retrieved August 14, 2014.