2018 NFL draft: Bob McNair's Texans select Eric Reid's younger brother
Maybe it’s past Bob McNair’s bedtime?
McNair, the owner of the Houston Texans, has been in the headlines recently for questionable comments he’s made, from calling players “inmates,” to saying he regrets apologizing for calling players “inmates” to apparently telling players in a meeting with owners in October that if they told their “compadres” to stop “that other stuff,” owners would give them money for causes like social justice and racial inequality.
So it seems a bit strange that the Texans drafted safety Justin Reid of Stanford, the younger brother of free agent safety Eric Reid. Eric Reid was the first player to kneel alongside his former teammate, Colin Kaepernick, during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and other issues.
Justin Reid was taken 68th overall. He was the Texans’ first pick this year.
The younger Reid, who went to Stanford though nearly everyone in his family went to Louisiana State, said he won’t kneel, and told the San Jose Mercury-News in March that the topic didn’t come up during his scouting combine interviews.
But that doesn’t mean Justin won’t find ways to be an activist.
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“No, I’m not going to protest,” he said. “We each have our own beliefs. He felt that’s what he needed to do. I have my own way I’m going to go about it. I’m not as vocal in that aspect. I don’t really like drama.”
Listed at 6-foot, 207 pounds, Justin Reid was highly rated as a free safety; he told reporters in Houston on a conference call that he studies film with his older brother. He’ll get to play and work with Tyrann Mathieu, who was teammates with Eric Reid at LSU.
And now, Justin has an NFL team while his brother remains unemployed.
More NFL draft coverage from Yahoo Sports:
• NFL draft grades for Round 1
• Barkley already an NFL star without playing a snap
• Bills captain: Josh Allen will have to explain controversial tweets
• Report: Chargers to cut team icon Antonio Gates
