| No. 74 | |||||
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| Position | Defensive tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | (1965-02-11)February 11, 1965 (age 60) Queens, New York, U.S. | ||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||
| Weight | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school | East Islip(Islip Terrace, New York) | ||||
| College | Syracuse | ||||
| NFL draft | 1988: 1st round, 26th overall pick | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Theodore Anthony Gregory (born February 11, 1965) is an American former professionalfootball player who was adefensive tackle for one season with theNew Orleans Saints of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theSyracuse Orangemen, earning consensusAll-American honors in 1987. Gregory was selected in the first round of the1988 NFL draft by theDenver Broncos.[1] He listed his height as 6'1".[2] However, a shockedDan Reeves, who is also listed as 6'1"[3] commented, "I'm taller than he is!" upon meeting Gregory after the draft. By Reeves's estimate, Gregory was closer to 5'9".[4]
Gregory had injured his knee in his last collegiate game, and the knee gave out during training camp. Following scathing criticism from the press for wasting a pick on damaged goods, the Broncos traded him to the Saints forShawn Knight before the season.[5] He is now regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in Broncos' history.[6] After the Gregory incident the Broncos began meeting with potential draft picks prior to the draft, a practice they had not previously engaged in.[citation needed]
Gregory blew out his knee in his third game with the Saints, and never played in the NFL again. After a series of failed business ventures drained his life savings, he took a job as a construction worker, only to have that end due to a ruptured disc in his back that temporarily rendered him a paraplegic.[5] Gregory placed 8th inDeadspin's "The 100 Worst NFL Players of All Time".[7]