War Throws NFL Receiver for a Loss

Josh Reed doesn’t watch TV much these days. He finds the news too disturbing. But every time the Buffalo Bill receiver looks in the mirror, he’s reminded of his brother and cousin, both U.S. servicemen who have been deployed to the Middle East.

Reed has shaved two notches in his left eyebrow in honor of his brother, Norbert, 28, an Army medical specialist, and his cousin, Damian Jolivatte, 19, who is in the Navy.

“Every time I look in the mirror I see that and I’m reminded of them,” Reed said Thursday. “As good or bad as things seem here, they’re over there in the desert fighting for our freedom and way of life. That’s something a lot of us couldn’t do.”

Reed, a second-round pick last spring who won the 2001 Biletnikoff Award at Louisiana State as the nation’s best college receiver, is one of several current or former NFL players who have a direct connection to the war in Iraq.

Tampa Bay tackle Lomas Brown has a stepson in the Army who has been in Kuwait for the last two months. Former Cardinal safety Pat Tillman gave up his football career last May to join the Army, is now a full-fledged Ranger, and three weeks ago was deployed to the Middle East.

Reed said that he and his brother are very close and they last spoke three weeks ago on the day Norbert boarded a plane for the Middle East.

“I told him not to worry, that he’d be back soon,” Reed said.