Why did Mike Leach send an MSU game ball to an NFL Hall of Famer?

Some eyebrows were raised on Thursday night when NFL Hall of Famer and Baltimore Ravens legend Ed Reed took to Twitter to issue a thanks to Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach. Reed – now the chief of staff with the Miami Hurricanes – got folks' curiosity up and running.

Coach Mike Leach @msstate thank you
— Ed Reed (@TwentyER) December 18, 2020

Well here's what Reed was thanking Leach for. Over on Instagram, Reed had posted these photos, showing that he had been sent a Mississippi State game ball for the contest in which the Bulldogs topped Vanderbilt 24-17 back in November.

https://t.co/ZMQL9YJrLD pic.twitter.com/HNp1vq5uHr
— SixPackSpeak (@sixpackspeak) December 18, 2020

As Leach outlined in a thank-you note sent to Reed (which can be seen above), Leach used Reed's effort from his playing days as an example for Leach's young Bulldogs to follow. State then went out and beat Vanderbilt.

"We used clips of you and how you played to inspire our team," Leach said in the letter to Reed. "You personify great effort and we were all inspired and got a win. How you played is what we are trying to achieve. I hope to meet you someday. Good luck to you and the Hurricanes!"

Of course, for anyone that remembers the MSU-Vanderbilt game, it wasn't the most impressive of showings for Mississippi State and after the game, Leach still appeared none-too-pleased with his young Bulldogs. Here is what all Leach said postgame that day in regards to how MSU still had to find another gear, citing Reed.

"You know we've got some guys that are excited to play, but as coaches, we've got to teach them to work," Leach said back on November 7. "I think we're still learning and discovering step-by-step how to do it. We've talked about great effort and showed a video of Ed Reed who's one of the greatest football players ever. As a matter of a fact, I'm going to make sure I give him a game ball. I don't know where he is, but I'll figure it out. We need more guys that play with the intensity and passion like Ed Reed, as a guy that has learned how to work at a higher level with nearly everybody; like a Jerry Rice type of guy as well. I don't know if we're ever going to be able to match their work level – the talent level is one thing, but their work level, that's the part that everybody's got a little control over. It's learned skill, I think, and we have to continue to learn that skill, and I think it's one that our younger players don't come in fully prepared with because I think it develops as you get older and as you've done difficult things stacked on top of one another and in a team atmosphere – guys pushing and challenging each other. I think that we're early in that process."

Perhaps one day soon Leach's team will consistently give him the type of effort he's seeking. When and if it does, Ed Reed will have indirectly played a role. No matter what happens though, an NFL Hall of Famer now can boast of having a cool Mississippi State souvenir.

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