Browns wearing No. 32 decal on helmets to honor Jim Brown

July 2024 · 2 minute read

There’s a YouTube video of New York Jets practice clips from 2011, 8 minutes and 37 seconds, entirely on mute. It’s a series of Darrelle Revis one-on-one reps where he’s battling various Jets wide receivers. In total, the video includes more than 40 throws against him, many shown multiple times, from different angles. It’s not the most thrilling viewing experience.

But Jets cornerback D.J. Reed loves it — and watches it often. “It’s teach tape,” Reed said. “That’s how I want to play.”

Revis doesn’t win every rep in the reel, but he wins most of them. On some reps, he’s swatting passes away. In others, he’s stuffing receivers at the line of scrimmage or draping them in coverage to such a degree that, on a few occasions, the quarterback doesn’t even bother throwing the ball. Revis’ reps like these in practice used to draw a crowd. The Jets could’ve charged for the practice tickets.

“I used to just go watch him,” said former general manager Mike Tannenbaum.

It was like that when Revis was a rookie, and through to the end of his career — and why his practice habits are often the first thing his former teammates and coaches bring up. Tannenbaum saw that intensity right away — “Day one, practice one,” he said — and quickly figured out the Jets had made the right decision when, in desperation to find a quality cornerback, they traded up in the 2007 NFL Draft to get Revis.

“We needed a corner in the worst way,” Tannenbaum said. “And he was, without question, special.”

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