Reese was a 1st round selection (26th overall pick) of the
1974 NFL draft by the
Miami Dolphins. He played for the Dolphins from 1974 to 1976, but missed the 1977 NFL season after being arrested on May 4, 1977, along with teammate
Randy Crowder, on charges of selling of
cocaine to two undercover agents in
Miami. After pleading
no contest on August 10, Reese and Crowder were sentenced to one year incarceration at the
Dade County Stockade, followed by four years probation, a remarkably light sentence given the charges. After his release, Reese went on to play for the
New Orleans Saints (1978–1980), and the
San Diego Chargers (1981). In 1985 Reese played for the
Birmingham Stallions in the
United States Football League. Reese was suspended for the final four games of the
1980 season by interim coach
Dick Stanfel for instigating a fight during a practice with teammate
Derland Moore. Stanfel was conducting his first practice session as Saints coach after taking over for
Dick Nolan, who was fired after the Saints fell to 0-12 in a loss to the
Los Angeles Rams on
Monday Night Football. New Orleans finished 1-15, becoming the first NFL team to lose 15 games in a season. In June 1982, Reese authored a lengthy article for
Sports Illustrated in which he detailed his struggles with drugs. This was one of the first looks into the seedy world of money and drug use in the NFL. . Reese was named the
Jackson State All-Century Team and was inducted into the JSU Athletic Hall of Fame ==Death==