Official pods presented by win bet Betty is a team sport, but together at winbat. Eric Allen here at one Jets Drive, joined by Jets cornerback DJ Reed. Thanks so much for coming up to the studio. Hey, listen, it has been a long road for you to get to this point in the National Football League. And we go back to your story coming out of high school and you trying to walk on at Fresnel.
State, we can what do you want to know?
So, so take me back to Fresnel. What was the thought process there as far as you starting out and trying to get on that football team.
Yeah, so the thought process was had no offers, had no offers out of high school. So it was either go Juco or go walk on on a Division one. That was my mindset. I didn't want to go to a D two, D three, no offense to a D two, D three. I just felt that, you know, I could play at a D one and start. That was just my mindset. So that was the decision I made. And at the time, being in high school, I was kind
of anti Juco. I was like, in my mind, I was like, Juco is only for you know guys that got bad grades or you know guys that messed up or whatever the case was. That's just how I was looking at Jucos. But yeah, I ended up going to a Juco anyways. But yeah, I just thought Fresne State
would be like the best thing to do. And then I was convinced that, you know, I'm gonna show them what I could do my red shirt year and then I would get a scholarship because my mom couldn't afford to pay for me to you know, be at Fresne State for four years. So that's just kind of just how it happened. Red shirted was doing good, but uh, you know, I got my spring evaluation and they pretty much said they just see me as a special teams player.
They don't see me playing defense.
So had to make that business decision and that's how I ended up at Sorito's Community College.
And so you walk away from Fresnel, Yeah, and then what's the plan there when you go to Sritos.
Yeah, man, these plans is kind of obvious. It was like, okay, so you're gonna go Juco. I mean, if that doesn't work, then you're gonna you're gonna be working or you're gonna be doing something else.
You're not gonna be playing football.
So really, Juco was the wake up call as far as like, you know, if you don't get a scholarship, then you know, real life is gonna have to hit you, like you're gonna have to you know, go get some money, go do something with your life. So for me, it was either you know, you gotta get a scholarship, like my back was on the wall, you gotta get a scholarship, and thankfully I did.
Can you talk about that experience at the critos. Weren't you actually living with eight or nine guys at the time.
Yeah, man, it was rough man, it was real, like Saul says, it was a real trencher.
It was.
It was trenches man. Like the living situation was bad. Just yeah, the living situation is bad. I'll just keep it at that. We're sleeping on like this fru time and we'll just rotate some some days I'll sleep on the floor or and yeah, just with the food situation, like didn't know some days what I was gonna eat. Remember we played Hancock, Me and my best friend Eli, we were both living there. We didn't eat, we didn't eat any food and just played and played a game
on empty stomach. And I was my first time I ever did something like that. So like, yeah, it was just crazy. It was very humbling, and it made me very appreciated, appreciative when I got offered from Kansas State, and just like the meals that I was able to eat at k State, it was just stuff I didn't take for granted.
So you were literally starving at school.
Yeah, it was. It was a struggle, man.
Like you know, some days I have a couple of change, like a little bit of money, eat at your pole. Then you run out of money and you gotta, you know, you gotta gotta got to figure it out. Some guys had, you know, some food stamp stuff, so we had like little waffles with peanut butter, just to have like some type of protein. Yeah, just just trying to eat whatever, eating scraps.
What kept the dream alive at that point though, because a lot of people probably would have walked away at that point.
Yeah, well for me, I had nothing to go back to.
Like That's why I keep saying, it was kind of just obvious for me because it's like, you know what you're gonna do. You're gonna go back home and show you your little brothers that you didn't amount to anything.
You didn't do anything.
So for me, I was just like, you know, I just got to see it through and I gotta just give it a hundred percent. And you know, as a man, if I give it a hundred percent and I'm not good enough, then I could live with myself. But if I'm not pushing myself to be my best, then I'm gonna just have a guilty conscious and I don't want to live like that.
You said, you basically no choices. You basically there's one choice, continue to go. Did you think that leaving high school and along these stops before you got to Kansas State, that you were gonna make the NFL?
Yeah, man, I'm not gonna lie.
I was very confident, like from a little kid and not just playing football, but playing basketball too. Like I really thought I was gonna play basketball when I was, you know, going to college.
I thought I was gonna be a hoooper. But you know, I was vertically challenged.
So that was a humbling talk that I had with my older brother and he said, look, man, like, yeah you can hoop. You know you're averaging seventeen My senior year eight assists whatever. But he's like, man, you really, you know, you're really talented in football as far as your athletic ability and what you could do at corner, Like you could really, you know, make it to the NFL and then you're not going to be you know, you're not going to get discredited for your height if
you're strapping down people. So that was just the mindset. Listened to him and we made that move from there and went on.
So who were your guys growing up as far as Hoopers are concerned, It's the guys that you were drawn to.
Man, I love basketball, I still do. But the guys I used to watch where I was just like, wow, Steve Francis, Steve Franchise, Steve Francis, Monte Ellis, Brandon Roy, Darren Williams, obviously Alan Iverson. I was a point guard, so I used to watch point guards. You know, obviously Curry right now, but yeah, back then, I was a.
Big AI fan. Who else?
Baron Davis was nice? Nice, very underrated but nice. Gilbert Arenas nice, Tracy McGrady. I used to love basketball, bro, So yeah, I just I'm a fan of basketball.
So you get to the little Apple. Now you're playing in the big Apple. But what happened in terms of your breakthrough with k State?
Man, So just going through the Juco experience really, like I knew once I got back to a D one, already kind of knew how going to Fresno State, already knew how D one's ran their program, So I already knew what to expect with like you know, getting ready, ready for winter and all that, and just already kind of knew what to expect. So going playing for Snyder first of all, was hard, old school coach. You know, he doesn't believe in injuries, you know, grit, grit. He
just teaches perseverance, execution, get it done, no excuses. So just I really trained the right way before I went there, so I was in incredible shape. And once they see how hard I worked, it was it fit like a glove. Like it just worked for us.
It definitely did fit like a glove. You got selected in the fifth round by San Francisco when you started your pro career, did people look at DJ Reid and say, well, you're gonna have to make it through special teams and maybe being a.
Nickel Yeah, man, just off my height like literally, like I remember the combine. I think it was the Vikings. They was like, you know, you would be our first round draft pick. I was talking to him. They was like, you'll be our first round draft pick if he was two inches taller, like five to eleven. But then they drafted Mike Hughes who was five ten. So I'm like, he an inch taller than me. I see, like Denzel Ward, who was a phenomenal player, he's an inch taller than me. Like,
I'm with these guys at the combine. They're five to ten and he's a top three pick. But you're telling me I'm a slock corner because I'm five to nine, all all American and all that. But you know, they just categorized me as a slot corner, you know, which is fine. But yeah, So you know when I was in San France, it was playing me at nickel and at safety, and then I was doing kick return and part return.
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Robert Sally, your head coach here, is really hard on himself for what has up into San Francisco because you played under him with the forty nine ers. What was he like during that time and how did he envision you?
Yeah, man, so Sala.
First of all, when he was in San Francisco, he was a great defensive coach. Everybody have respect for him. You know, there's some coaches just have a different level of respect. But the thing that I loved about Sala is he held everybody accountable. Didn't matter who you were, didn't matter if you were Richard Sherman, whoever you are. You know he would call you out if he's seen a mistake. And you know we would get it corrected. So that's one thing I really respected about Salo when
we're in San Francisco. But yeah, like I seen the interviews to him, you know, basically saying, you know, we made a mistake. And you know, as a man, for a man to say that, you know, you got to give him credit and you know you just respect it like that. That takes a lot of humility, especially you know, he doesn't have to say that. I mean, he's a head coach. But uh no, I got a lot of love for Salo.
How did they use you early? And then it can talk about your injury there in San Francisco that ultimately leads you to being placed on waivers and you get claimed by division rival in Seattle.
Yeah, man, that's that was like the first time I really understood the business side of football. And it's just crazy because you know, everything happens for you. That's how I look at everything. That's my perspective. So, like, you know, I was going hard that summer getting ready for training camp.
I was going hard, Like that's probably the hardest I trained to get ready for a training camp, and I was that was probably the best in shape I've been and I was benching going hard and I tore my peck, like and I just hurd pop pop Like it sounded like a gunshot.
And how much were you putting?
It was only like two forty five saying like two forty five, but it was like five reps. But I did it on the second rep. It was pop pop and luckily I had a spot her because obviously I couldn't carry it. He put it up and then I looked back at my trainer and I was like, did you hear that? He was like yeah, he was like it was two pops. And once he confirmed it, my peck just got swollen.
So I was just like, yeah, it hurt.
But I was more just disappointed because I was like, dang, Like, you know, I really put a lot of work in to get ready for the season, So yeah, I have to call my agent tell him what it was. I was like, I think I tore my pack or something like my peck has swollen, right, But yeah, just the business side of it, you know, we go back to training camp, you know, and we call them the grim Reapers, somebody I ain't never seen before.
It's like, hey, John Lynch, want to talk to you.
So I think I was talking to Dante Johnson and I was like, well, it's been real, bro, because I already knew what time it was, and I already knew that was a possibility because you know, I wasn't a starter there, so I wasn't They didn't see me as someone that was going to start, So I mean, yeah, once I talked to Lynch, pretty much said, you know, they think I'm not gonna be able to play the season because a peck is a you know, six to twelve month recovery, and yeah, man, they pretty much said,
you know, appreciate you.
You know, we drafted you. You're a part of the reason why I went to.
The Super Bowl last year, right, but uh, you know, we got to put you on injury reserve for the year, so, you know, talking to my agent, he said, you know, just take this time to heal. You're more than likely not going to get picked up because you know, you tore your pack. Ironically, the next day he calls me, He's like, you know, we got interest from three teams that are seriously gonna pick you up. I'm like, for real, So my mindset kind of changed, like, Okay, I'm gonna rehab fast to play.
And it was the Bills.
It was Seattle and the Texans, and Seattle was the first to claim me. So he was like, you're a Seattle Seahawk. So yeah, I talked to Snyder on the Seahawks. He was like, are you trying to play this heit? I was like, yeah, like I'm gonna do my best to rehab and come back to play. He was like, Okay, we're gonna We're gonna make a playoff push. So he was thinking maybe he'll get me, you know, later on in the season. But I was able to play like week six, Week.
Seven, and one of the first games back, if not the first game back, was against San Francisco.
Wasn't that Yeah?
Crazy bro, crazy universe universe is crazy. Yeah, first career interception against my former team.
What clicked in Seattle? Because for you, it's always been opportunities. When you've been given an opportunity, you've succeeded. What clicked under that defense led by Pete Carroll?
Of course, I think it was a couple of things.
I think it was a wake up call as far as like when I got released, it was a wake up call as far as like, okay, you know, you just got released, so you know, talking to my agent, you know I probably wasn't gonna play that year. So for me, it was really like you got to make it shake when you get your next opportunity. And on top of that, I don't know when I get injured, I really lock in because you're injured, Like I want
to get healthy. I have a fear of like when I get injured that I won't be the same, so like I have to really work and rehab deliberately to make sure that I'm healthier or and stronger than I was before. And then also my agent got me a resilience coach. So I've always been good like physically and stuff and athletic, but like just my mental my mental approach to the game was always focused, but my resilience
coach kind of took me to another level. And just you know, I started learning like how to meditate and how to control my mind, control my thoughts, to focus on things that are important and not to worry about things are not important. Little things like that. He got me to focus on what was important. And I feel like with him and the way we like kind of study study receivers and stuff, that took me to the next level too, and I still use him like that's my dog's name is Matt.
Yeah, but shout out to Matt.
But yeah, I would say those things, and just getting closer to God as well, I'll say all those things.
You're two here with the Jets. How important was it for you not only to find a new home and free agency, but actually find this place. Because I was talking to Jeff Albrick about this the other day. He was sitting in the seat that you're in right now. I don't think anybody in the National Football League is surprised by your success. But I think think what this move from the West Coast to the East Coast has done. It's opened the eyes to a lot of people, maybe
outside the league, fans of the league. You can't sleep on DJ Reed anymore.
Yeah, Like I'll be hearing stuff like, oh, he's done it for one year last year, and I was thinking, like I thought I'd played better my last year in Seattle, you know, honestly really well.
Yeah, like with PFF, like my coverage grade.
My coverage grade was higher this year here, but like my run grade was way higher in Seattle. So like, yeah, I still feel like I haven't played my best ball. So I mean, I'm excited just as a player, as an individual, but I'm excited too, as you know, as for my team too, with our defense, because a lot of guys, you know, last year was their first year, so I feel like it's gonna be a big jump. And I'm already excited just with the communication, just from
my safeties. I love Chuck Clark. He's a great communicator, so it's gonna be fun.
How much did he enjoyed being paired up with Sauce? And the other thing is how do you guys compliment each other?
Yeah, man, Sauces, that's my brother. I mean, yeah, man.
I always say, like the sky isn't the limit for him, Like he's so like I don't not explain, like he's so good, and it's like he still could get so much better, if that makes sense. You know, just from an athletics standpoint, he could cover everybody. He could cover any receiver from small to big to whatever, sticky and coverage and all that, and he has the right mindset.
And I think the thing.
That separates Sauce is just like he's eager to learn, like every day, like he's always trying to learn something new, and he's always trying to add to his game. Like he's not like you know, I got it, like you know, I had a good year last year. More so he's like focused on this year like last year was last year, Like I'm focused on this year, like let's get it. So like he just has a different mindset than you know, everybody else.
So then let me ask you that us about the CALLI Boy Aaron Rodgers Kelli boy. Can you talk about your relationship with him and how these early interactions have been.
Yeah, man, cool dude.
Uh just talking to him, you know, in the off season, seeing what's up with him. Just cool dude, man, Like he's just a Cali boy. So he just like, you know, let's just see what's going to happen. You know, definitely open to you know, you know, making that move, but we just got to see how the cards lay. And then once he came here, you know, obviously I texted him and just was like, man, let's go. I'm excited.
And he was excited too. He was like I'm excited, like like I'm glad, you know, grateful to do this.
Let's do this. So he just focused.
You could just tell just the way that you know he works out, and just the way he trains, and just his leadership. He's leading by action, and you could just tell, like when you talk to him and pull him aside individually, like he asked me our first, like our first time seen each other. He was just like, you know, how's the baby doing? And I didn't tell Hi about baby, so clearly he knows about the baby somehow. So it was just cool, Like damn he really you
know that. I was that I had a new born baby, so I thought that was really cool. Yeah, he's just a college boy. We'd be chilling, man, we be vibing. He's really funny too, like the music he'd be playing in locker room and what.
Kind of music playing be playing hip hop? Playing hip hop?
I mean not in the locker room, in the weight room. I forgot nah man, he just he just put it on. Everybody was like, okay, that's what you listen to. Respect put on some.
Old school rap and some new school rap.
But like, you know, it's just funny though, because you know, you wouldn't expect him to be listening to that, so like he'd be doing like little funny stuff like that.
But it's cool.
How does he raise the competition on the practice field with you guys.
You better be ready, Like on defense, if you if you're a corner, you know you're going against a r so you better make sure you're on your p's and q's. Like, it's definitely gonna tighten you up. And you know you gotta be tight in coverage. You gotta win on the line of scrimmage. If you're pressing, you really just got to know what you're doing out there, because you know one fall move you can exploit.
You you played in a super Bowl before, Yeah, what would it mean to you to get a ring and compete for another one?
I mean, that's why we train, That's why I work out, That's why I try to be the best version of myself every day because that's ultimately what I want. Oh Man, be a super Bowl champion. It's not just getting there, you know, that's cool. I've done that, but just winning it, holding up to Lombardi and just being a part of history and sharing it with my teammates man, and my coaches and then the fans. That'd be everything. Man, That's something I visualize and think about.
It.
Definitely want to do this year.
It's speaking about being a champion. You just mentioned what Aaron texting you about your daughter. How old is she now? What's her name and how has that changed you having her?
Yeah?
Man, so she's about to be six months. Her name is Kinsley Nicole Reid, and man, fatherhood is beautiful, bro. It's definitely softened me up. Definitely didn't know I had that much love to get to somebody. And she could literally do no wrong, like her crying, none of it bothers me. It's just beautiful, like just going skin to skin. We're just laying down and just like it's like my lock, like the lock in my heart, like when she just chest to chest.
Oh man, it's just a beautiful feeling. Like it's indescribable really.
But fatherhood is beautiful, bro, Like I didn't know that I could love someone that much.
That's really.
Yeah, That's that's the real lockdown corner is lockdown is the only I get better from here. I got a three and a half year old daughter.
Girls are the best, they really are. Girl Dad's for real, Like we want to have a boy next.
But if I wasn't having another girl, I would be grateful, Like it really wouldn't matter.
Dj I appreciate you coming up and catching up.
Oh yeah, no problem. Appreciates you Bro
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