DJ Reed’s interception for Jets followed death of father
NEW YORK (BVM) – It was not the greatest day for the New York Jets on Sunday as they lost 24-9 against the Baltimore Ravens. One of the few bright spots was their cornerbacks, highlighted by free agent signing DJ Reed.
His performance was highlighted by an interception with under three minutes left. Following the play, he ran to midfield, kneeled and looked up to the sky.
DJ Reed honored his dad following his INT because he had passed away just before kickoff. His dad suffered with MS and had been physically unable to see his games in person for quite some time. Very emotional moment for him pic.twitter.com/TxyBgxTpyI
— DrStu (@Dr_Smay21) September 12, 2022
DJ Reed played on Sunday following his father’s death. (Courtesy: New York Jets)
Most players, coaches and fans most likely did not think much of the celebration. That was until last night.
During an interview Sunday following the game, Reed revealed that his father had passed away prior to the game.
Reed found out by text messages from family just before running out on the field.
His father had battled MS for 18 years and his state worsened on Wednesday. Reed only told a few players and coaches before the game.
Making things harder on the situation, Reed’s girlfriend is pregnant with a baby girl.
When talking to the media on Monday afternoon, Reed said he would be dedicating his season to his father.
His father would be proud of the performance Reed put together on Sunday. Outside of the interception, Reed was targeted six times and did not allow a reception.
Reed bounced around a little bit to start his career with San Francisco and Seattle, but had a breakout year in 2021 with 78 tackles.
The 25-year-old was rewarded with a three-year, 33 million dollar contract this offseason by the Jets.
With Reed having promising returns already, the combination of him, Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter have the potential to become a top secondary group in the near future.
Reed quickly became a fan favorite after his signing due to his active social media presence, and now there will be plenty of fans outside of the Jets’ fanbase rooting for him to succeed.
