By Darin Mike Reid destroys opposing offenses with a Hall of Fame ferocity before capturing the hearts of music lovers through his Grammy Award-winning compositions. A rare Renaissance man on the gridiron, Reid anchored the defensive front of Joe Paterno’s legendary, undefeated Nittany Lions teams. He balanced the violence of the trenches with a lifelong passion for the piano, translating his elite collegiate and professional athletic success directly into a historic, chart-topping songwriting career in Nashville. This is the story of the definitive powerhouse player-musician who conquered both the sports world and the music charts.
Football Bio
May 24, 1947 – Altoona, Pennsylvania – Penn State defensive tackle Mike Reid played in 1966, 1968, and 1969.
The NFF’s bio highlights that Reid is the greatest combination football player/songwriter who ever lived. In his senior year of 1969, he led all Nittany Lions with 89 tackles, was a unanimous All-America, won the Outland Trophy, and received the Maxwell Trophy as the nation’s outstanding player. While excelling on the field, Reid also played piano and pursued music. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
After college, he played five years with the Cincinnati Bengals before focusing on music. Reid moved to Nashville and won a Grammy in 1983 for composing “Stranger In My House.” He was recognized with multiple songwriter awards in the 1980s. According to the Football Foundation, Mr. Reid may become the first American to be inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Music Hall of Fame.
Conclusion
Mike Reid dismantles the stereotype of the single-minded athlete by achieving the highest pinnacles of excellence in two entirely different worlds. His relentless pursuit on the field generated legendary statistical dominance at Penn State and an elite multi-year All-Pro run in the NFL. By pivoting completely to music at the height of his physical prime, he proved that his creative genius matched his legendary physical power. Reid stands today as a unique American treasure, inspiring both gridiron traditionalists and music historians as he commands a well-deserved place in the College Football Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1987.
- Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2005.
- Maxwell Award Winner: 1969 (Nation’s outstanding player).
- Outland Trophy Winner: 1969 (Nation’s top interior lineman).
- Unanimous First-Team All-American: 1969.
- NFL First-Round Draft Pick: Selected 7th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1970.
- NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: 1970.
- 2× First-Team NFL All-Pro: 1972, 1973.
- Grammy Award Winner: 1984 Best Country Song for composing “Stranger in My House” (recorded by Ronnie Milsap).
- NCAA Silver Anniversary Award: Honored in 1995 for his post-athletic career achievements.
- Multi-Sport Champion: Won the 1967 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) heavyweight title for Penn State.