LEHIGH TWP. – Andre Reed says it’s different being a kid today than when he was growing up in Allentown in the 1970s.
“Social media has a lot to do with it. There are more things to influence you,” said the pro football Hall of Famer. “There’s a lot of things you can get into and that can make it a lot better, actually.
- Andre Reed grew up in Allentown and went to Dieruff High School
- He played 16 seasons in the NFL and in 2014 was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- The Andre Reed Foundation raises money for the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown
“There are things out there that can help jump-start you in life. But either way, you need to take advantage. That’s what’s important. You’re only one opportunity away from your life being changed.”
Reed speaks from experience. The 1981 Dieruff High School graduate became one of the NFL’s great wide receivers, going to four straight Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills from 1990 to 1993.
After a 16-year career that took him to seven Pro Bowls, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 2014.
An annual affair
Reed is back in the Lehigh Valley for his 12th annual Andre Reed Celebrity Golf Tournament. It’s being held Monday at Woodstone Country Club and Lodge in Lehigh Township, Northampton County.
Woodstone General Manager Tony Cruz said this is the third year the fundraiser is being held at the country club. About 125 golfers are expected, including other NFL Hall of Famers Rod Woodson and Tim Brown, and former NBA great John Starks.
Organized by the Andre Reed Foundation and Andre’s brothers Tyrone and Dion, the golf tournament chiefly raises money for the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown.
Tyrone Reed said the foundation’s goal is to raise $50,000 annually for the club.
The club became a sanctuary for the athletically-gifted Reed boys when they were growing up on Hickory Street, and later Filmore Street, in Allentown. It was a haven like Valania Park or Roosevelt Park in South Allentown that they say kept them occupied day and night throughout the year.
“The word that always comes up is ‘compete,’” said Dion Reed, the youngest of the brothers. “As soon as I got old enough I was competing against these guys for everything - a bowl of cereal, sports. It was ingrained in us and still is.”
'A safe place to be'
Andre Reed said competition and the Boys & Girls Club were great influencers in his life.
“It was a place where as a kid you wanted to be comfortable,” said Reed, 59. “Regardless of your status or where you lived, everyone was the same. Everyone was treated equally. It was a safe place to be.
“Any problems you had, a lot of times those were the people – the counselors and volunteers – you talked to about them. They taught you about all the things you need to know in life: respect, honesty and accountability.”
“To much who is given, much is expected. Allentown has been so good to me. They were the basis of how I started in everything.”Andre Reed, Allentown native and NFL Hall of Famer
A number of golfers played a practice round Sunday at Woodstone.
Among them was Bo Kimble, the North Philadelphia basketball legend who helped take Loyola Marymount University and its high-octane offense deep into the 1990 NCAA Tournament after the tragic death of teammate Hank Gathers.
“I want to support what Andre does for the community and for the Boys & Girls Club,” said Kimble, who lives in Bear, Delaware, and runs the 44 For Life Foundation, which has a goal of placing automated external defibrillators in public places. It’s named for the number worn by Gathers, who in 1990 died on the court of a heart condition.
“It’s important to give back and remember where you came from," Kimble said. "Andre hasn’t forgotten that, and he’s a great guy, too.”
Keeping it going
Dion Reed said organizing the golf tournament is practically a year-round effort. Different athletes have participated through the years, but a constant has been the work and support of the Andre Reed Foundation board, he said.
Andre Reed lives in San Diego now. Tyrone and Dion live in the Allentown area.
“I’m just proud that we’ve kept it going,” said Dion, of Upper Macungie Township. “Our board is awesome. Everybody has day jobs but the level of support they give and the time and energy – they love doing it and they want to keep it going.”
This year’s tournament has added significance. It is being dedicated to the memory of the Reeds’ aunt, Karen Muldowney, who lived in Danielsville near the country club and died of cancer complications a few months ago.
People along the way
Andre Reed said for all of his blessings, he’s never felt obligated to give back. More simply, he says, he’s felt like it’s the right thing to do.
“To much who is given, much is expected,” he said. “Allentown has been so good to me. They were the basis of how I started in everything.”
Today the field at J. Birney Crum Stadium and a park near Dieruff High bear his name. He remembers the names of those who helped him in his childhood and inspired him along the way.
“I think you always remember those people,” he said.
“What I learned from [the Boys and Girls Club] and from sports is so instrumental in your life. All the things you need in life, sports has a way of teaching you. That’s what attracts people to it.
“Life is a continued pat on the back, and kick in the butt. You gotta be ready for that.“
