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TXBRONC
11-08-2009, 11:26 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13738937

Denver Broncos OLB Darrell Reid always embraces change
By Lindsay H. Jones
The Denver Post
Posted: 11/08/2009 01:00:00 AM MST

If there's been one constant in Darrell Reid's life, it has been change.

He moved with his mother and sister five or six times through his childhood, all in the same area on the central New Jersey shore before settling for his whole high school career in Freehold Borough — the same hometown as Bruce Springsteen.

He's been in constant flux on the football field too, playing linebacker and offensive guard in high school, then moving from linebacker to defensive line in college at Minnesota. Reid was a reserve defensive tackle in Indianapolis and switched to outside linebacker when he became a Bronco this year.

Reid is one of the Broncos' premier special-teams players and plays primarily on passing downs. He is second on the team with three sacks and also has one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Q: What was your family life like when you were growing up in New Jersey?

A: Raised basically by my mother, single parent, and her father — he played the father-figure role in my life. George Hendry. And the family helped out: aunts, uncles, cousins. There were definitely a lot of women around. I learned a lot, and I guess I'm still learning things, but one of the biggest things is how to respect a woman. I guess that's from my sisters, you know not wanting them to be disrespected by another man, as well as my mom bringing me up that way.

Q: What about your grandfather? What sort of influence was he?

A: My grandfather was a taxi driver; he owned his own taxi business for over 50 years. He taught me most of my morals and values and how to be a man, what things are required to be a man, responsibilities and all that. I learned a lot about entrepreneurship from him, and I'm definitely entrepreneurial-minded.

Q: Who got you into football?

A: My mom, she was trying to keep me out of trouble when I was young. She made me play every sport, every season. I tried everything — soccer, baseball, basketball, football. She was always working, so she figured the busier I was the less trouble I'd get in.

Q: What memories stick out from your early years playing Pop Warner?

A: The first year I played, actually, I quit. I don't know if I wasn't ready for the physical aspect of the game, or the running — the conditioning after practice or something, but I remember quitting, like, "This isn't for me." Maybe a week, four or five practices.

Q: What brought you back to the sport?

A: I moved to a different town, from Ocean Township to Red Bank, and I guess the mentality in Red Bank was a little different. I think I played for two years, but then by the time I was in seventh grade I couldn't play anymore. I was too big, so I had to wait until high school. High school is where my skills in football really began to develop. In Pop Warner, I wasn't really better than the other kids, I was just a guy out there. But in high school, my freshman year I could see myself separating from my peers.

Q: Where did you get your nickname "Footz"?

A: I got it from the guys in Freehold, hanging out with guys that were older than me when I was in high school. I had big feet and they said, man, we're going to call you "Footz." They made it stick. You know how that is.

Q: How has the transition from defensive tackle to outside linebacker been for you?

A: I guess over my career, even in high school, I'm used to my role changing. If you go back to my living situation changing, changing houses, or changing positions on the football, I just try to embrace it and look at the positive sides of it.

Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com

About Reid
Position: Outside linebacker/defensive end

Height: 6-feet-2

Weight: 270 pounds

Year: Fifth, first in Denver

College: Minnesota

Draft: Was undrafted, but signed with Indianapolis as college free agent in 2005.

Career stats: Played in 55 games with two starts for the Colts. He had 2 1/2 sacks and two recovered fumbles while in Indianapolis, where he built a reputation as being one of the league's best special-teams players.

Season stats: Played in all seven of Denver's games on special teams and as a pass rusher in the nickel package. He has three sacks, one forced fumble and one recovered fumble, as well as four special-teams tackles.