HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) -- Texans fourth-year safety Justin Reid did not need to do a lot of adjusting for Lovie Smith's Tampa-2, 4-3 defensive scheme.
Reid's been studying it since he was in college at Stanford, and his brother Eric played in a similar system for the San Francisco 49ers.
Back then, Justin was an aspiring pro who would study with Eric when he'd visit.
In 2015, Justin Reid was a freshman at Stanford. While the older brother Eric Reid was in his third year with the Niners, and they switched from a 3-4 base defense to a 4-3 under new head coach Jim Tomsula.
"He used to break down the defense for me," Justin Reid told In The Loop's John Lopez and Landry Locker fresh off the practice field Monday at Texans training camp. "So it's just funny seeing it come full circle that now I'm playing in the same system. I feel like a got a head start on it in that way and I'm really excited to be playing in it."
Reid echoes what teammates have said on all levels of the defense. Second-year defensive lineman Ross Blacklock spoke last week about playing more instinctually, rather than thinking as much.
The scheme is known to be linebacker-friendly. Christian Kirksey and others have spoken of how much linebacker athleticism is emphasized.
But safeties and corners also anticipate opportunities on the backend.
Reid has flashed every day at camp so far, perhaps highlighted by Saturday's pair of pick-sixes against rookie quarterback and fellow Stanford Cardinal Davis Mills.
"I feel really comfortable in the system and the scheme. The system that (defensive coordinator) Lovie Smith has put in is exciting for me as a safety because he gives a lot of opportunity for us on the backend to make plays. Very aggressive. He lets us play fast and play with our instincts. So it's been a whole lot of fun being out there with the boys.
"It's just free and it's fast. You get to play with your eyes. You get to play with your instincts and you get to just go."
This is clearly the most significant season of Reid's career, a contract year to determine what his financial future looks like.
He told reporters it's not difficult compartmentalizing, showing up for work and allowing his play to speak for itself.
That's what happened in shells through the first five days at camp. They put on pads Tuesday, when as Reid put it, "that's when football is played."
