Dan Reeves facts for kids
Reeves in 2014
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | January 19, 1944 Rome, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Died: | January 1, 2022 (aged 77) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||
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| High school: | Americus (Americus, Georgia) | ||||||||||||
| College: | South Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1965 | ||||||||||||
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| Regular season: | 190–165–2 (.535) | ||||||||||||
| Postseason: | 11–9 (.550) | ||||||||||||
| Career: | 201–174–2 (.536) | ||||||||||||
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Daniel Edward Reeves (born January 19, 1944 – died January 1, 2022) was a famous American football player and coach. He spent 38 years in the National Football League (NFL). During his time in the NFL, Reeves was part of nine Super Bowls. This is the third-highest number for any individual.
Reeves was a head coach for 23 seasons. He led the Denver Broncos from 1981 to 1992. Then he coached the New York Giants from 1993 to 1996. Finally, he coached the Atlanta Falcons from 1997 to 2003. As a player, he spent eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He joined them as an undrafted free agent in 1965.
Reeves played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks. As a player, he went to two Super Bowls and won Super Bowl VI. He started his coaching career in 1972 as an assistant coach for the Cowboys. There, he reached three championship games and won Super Bowl XII.
As head coach of the Broncos, Reeves led his team to three Super Bowl appearances. These were Super Bowl XXI, Super Bowl XXII, and Super Bowl XXIV. However, his team lost all three. After coaching the Giants, Reeves led the Falcons for seven seasons. His best season with the Falcons was in 1998. He took the team to their first Super Bowl, Super Bowl XXXIII. They lost to his old team, the Broncos. After that season, he won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award for the second time. He was one of only nine coaches to win this award multiple times. For his achievements in Denver, Reeves was added to the Broncos Ring of Fame in 2014.
Reeves is one of only thirteen NFL head coaches to win 200 career games. He has the most playoff wins (eleven) among coaches who didn't win a Super Bowl. He also has the most Super Bowl appearances (four) among them. Reeves and Marty Schottenheimer are the only coaches with 200 career wins who are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and College Football
Dan Reeves was born in Rome, Georgia. He grew up in Americus, Georgia. He went to Americus High School. There, he played football, baseball, and basketball.
After high school, only the University of South Carolina offered him a football scholarship. He chose to play college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks. He was their starting quarterback for three years, from 1962 to 1964. He was named second-team All-conference in his junior and senior years.
Reeves became the leading passer in Gamecock history. He threw for 2,561 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also had three games where he rushed for over 100 yards. He was also a player for the South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team. In 1977, he was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2006, he joined the State of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional Playing Career
After college, Dan Reeves was not chosen in the NFL draft. But he received offers from the Dallas Cowboys (NFL), the San Diego Chargers (AFL), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (Major League Baseball). Reeves signed with the Cowboys in 1965. He was first a safety. But during training camp, he moved to halfback because of team injuries.
In 1966, Reeves had a great season. He led the team in rushing with 757 yards. He also scored 96 points. He was second in receiving with 557 yards. His performance helped the Cowboys reach their first championship game. He set a team record with 16 touchdowns (8 rushing, 8 receiving). He was also voted to The Sporting News All-Pro team.
In 1967, Reeves rushed for over 600 yards again. He scored four touchdowns in one game against the Atlanta Falcons. In another game, he scored touchdowns by rushing, receiving, and passing. He was a starter until 1968, when he injured his left knee.
This injury affected him for the rest of his playing career. Head coach Tom Landry started using him less. Reeves also became a player-coach. He stayed in this role for three years. He retired as a player on February 22, 1972, to become a full-time assistant coach.
Reeves played eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He gained 1,990 rushing yards and 1,693 receiving yards. He scored 42 touchdowns. The Cowboys made the playoffs every year he played. They reached the Super Bowl twice. They won Super Bowl VI in 1971, beating the Miami Dolphins. In 2010, Reeves was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Coaching Career Highlights
Dan Reeves became the youngest head coach in the NFL when he joined the Denver Broncos in 1981. He also became their vice president. After getting quarterback John Elway in a trade, Reeves led the Broncos to six playoff appearances. They won five division titles and three AFC championships. They also went to three Super Bowls (Super Bowl XXI, Super Bowl XXII, and Super Bowl XXIV). Reeves was the only AFC coach in the 1980s to lead his team to two Super Bowls in a row. His Broncos played in the Super Bowl three times in four years.
Reeves was hired as head coach by the New York Giants for the 1993 season. In his first year, he led the Giants to an 11–5 record and a spot in the playoffs. This was the best record for a first-year Giants coach. He was named the 1993 Associated Press Coach of the Year. He helped the team improve from a 6–10 record in 1992. Reeves was fired after the Giants had losing seasons in 1995 and 1996.
In 1997, Reeves became the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. The team had a 3–13 record in 1996. Under Reeves, they steadily improved. After going 7–9 in his first season, the Falcons went 14–2 in 1998. They won their first NFC championship. Reeves became the third coach to lead three different teams to the playoffs. He coached the Falcons to a 12–2 record before needing heart surgery in December. Reeves returned to coach just three weeks later. He led the Falcons to win their first NFC Championship. In Super Bowl XXXIII, Reeves's Falcons played against his former team, the Denver Broncos. The Falcons lost, 34–19. Reeves earned the NFL's top coaching awards that year, being named the 1998 NFL Coach of the Year. In 2003, after a tough start to the season, Reeves left the Falcons.
In 2007, Reeves helped start the Georgia State University's football program. In 2009, he briefly worked as a consultant for the Dallas Cowboys.
Personal Life
Dan Reeves was married to Pam Reeves. They had three children and six grandchildren. Reeves and his wife knew each other since high school. His nephew, David Andrews, also plays in the NFL. His son-in-law, Joe DeCamillis, is a longtime NFL assistant coach.
Reeves passed away on January 1, 2022, at the age of 77, due to health complications.
Images for kids
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Reeves in 2014
