Justin Reid returns to practice field at Texans camp

HOUSTON – Day five of Texans training camp saw a familiar face return to the practice field and the big smile upon arrival to the morning workout belonged to Texans second-year safety Justin Reid.

Coming off of a productive rookie season, Reid took major steps in earning respect from not only Bill O'Brien and Romeo Crennell, but perhaps more importantly from his teammates inside the Texans locker room.

Reid met with the media after Monday's workout and made it clear how happy he was to get back to work. Reid had offseason wrist surgery and worked out Monday in a soft cast, but that didn't hold him back. He made several nice plays including one interception.

"Oh man, it feels amazing to be back on the field with the fellas. Out here having fun with the guys, able to make a few plays out on the field, it feels really good to be back. The past week, I felt like I was just twiddling my thumbs so it feels good to be on the field again," Reid said.

Reid said he missed the competition "immensely" early in camp.

"I missed just being out with the fellas. Just having that camaraderie with the guys, being out on the field. I just love to play football," Reid said. "So, being able to step out on the field again and be able to run around, have fun, show much I love being on the field with the guys, show my excitement, my love for the game, and then to go out and make a play, it just felt like the right way to re-introduce myself back onto the field."

REID EMBRACES LEARNING CURVE AND EXPECTED BIG JUMP FROM 1ST TO 2ND SEASON

Reid expressed how much he valued the playing time as a rookie last year:
"Huge, huge. Because now everything isn't the first time around. Now I've been there. I've played the Colts three times. I've played the Jaguars twice. I'm familiar with the NFL. I'm familiar with our system. I'm very comfortable in it. Now at this point, it's about what other gains can I make stepping onto the field this year in order to keep raising the bar, in order to keep being a better player for the Houston Texans, in order to contribute to more wins for our team."

Bill O'Brien talked about his expectations for Reid this year, saying:
"He had a really good rookie year. Smart guy, talented player, works very hard, came back in very good shape unfortunately with the car accident, but he's back out here today and he's in top form. He's a good football player, important part of our football team in all areas, special teams, too. So, it's good to have him back out here."

HIS PAST WRIST INJURY AND RECENT CAR ACCIDENT

Reid talked about what has kept him off the field:
"There was an incident about a week ago, a little bit of an accident. We just wanted to be extremely cautious and make sure that everything was all right with my body and that I was fully ready and prepared to be back on the field. We have a phenomenal training staff and medical staff. I got to see all the right people and they gave me the go-ahead to be back on the field, and I’m excited as ever to be here."

Reid, who had an offseason procedure on his wrist and is wearing a soft cast, is focused on leading this secondary and being the leader for the defense. It was an offseason of change but it's all part of the business side of the NFL.

Reid weighed in on the changes made in the secondary by the Texans in the offseason that saw some close friends move on:

"I really like those guys. I like K-Jack (Kareem Jackson). I like Kev (Kevin Johnson). I like Tyrann (Mathieu). But that's the NFL. Things happen fast. There's a fast turnover. Every year it's a new team. This year we're just focusing on the unit that we have now and the guys that we have and incorporating them into the system and creating the new 2019 Texans team and seeing what we can do with us."

JUSTIN REID FILE
AGE:         22
DRAFTED:   3RD ROUND ( 68TH OVERALL) 
COLLEGE:   STANFORD

2018 BY THE NUMBERS
GAMES:      16
STARTS:     12
INT:        3  ( 1 FOR 101 YDS VS WASHINGTON)
FF:         1
TD:         1
TACKLES:    88 (70 SOL0)