A coveted unrestricted free agent acquisition in 2020, Reader returns healthy in '21 after a left quad injury limited him to just five games last season ... Started first five games in 2020 before, and totaled 19 tackles and two PDs; injury came in Game 5 at Baltimore ... Spent his first four NFL seasons (2016-19) with Houston, after joining the team as a fifth-round pick in '16 ... Enters 2021 with 66 career games played (57 starts), 173 tackles and 6.5 sacks ... At a massive 347 pounds, is considered a stout presence on the interior of the defensive line who excels particularly in run defense ... An impressive athlete for his size, he was a first baseman and pitcher for Clemson's nationally ranked baseball team in 2013.
Career transactions: Selected by Houston in fifth round of 2016 NFL Draft (166th overall) ... Signed with Texans on 5-6-16 ... Texans contract expired on 3-18-20; became unrestricted free agent ... Signed as unrestricted free agent with Cincinnati on 4-2-20.
2020 highlights: Played and started five games in first season with Cincinnati, before suffering season-ending left quad injury in Game 5 ... Totaled 19 tackles and two PDs ... Made Bengals debut on Sept. 13 vs. L.A. Chargers ... Posted season-high six tackles on Thursday Night Football, Sept. 17 at Cleveland ... Season-ending injury came in third quarter on Oct. 11 at Baltimore ... Placed on Reserve/Injured list on Oct. 12.
Previous seasons: 2016—Played in all 16 games, and his seven starts were the fifth most by a rookie in franchise history and most since J.J. Watt in 2011 ... Totaled 22 tackles, one sack and a PD ... Helped Texans lead the NFL in total defense (301.3 yards/game) ... Made NFL debut on Sept. 11 vs. Chicago, and had one tackle ... Made first career start on Oct. 30 vs. Detroit, and logged his first career tackle for a loss ... On Nov. 13 at Jacksonville, started his second career game and logged his first career sack, bringing down Blake Bortles for an eight-yard loss in the fourth quarter ... Started both of Houston's postseason games, and had three tackles and a sack ... Sack came in Wild Card Playoff vs. Houston, when he took down Raiders QB Connor Cook. 2017—Played and started 14 games for Houston ... Totaled 47 tackles and a sack ... His lone sack of the season came on Oct. 15 vs. Cleveland, when he took down Kevin Hogan. 2018—Started all 16 games for Houston ... Totaled 33 tackles and two sacks ... Helped Houston rank third in the NFL in rushing defense (82.7 yards/game) and tied for fourth in points allowed (19.8) ... Notched career-high two sacks on Sept. 9 at New England, both were takedowns of Tom Brady ... Started Houston's only postseason game on Jan. 5 vs. Indianapolis and had six tackles. 2019—Played and started 15 games for Houston, as well as both of the Texans' playoff games ... Recorded 52 tackles and 2.5 sacks ... On Sept. 22 at the L.A. Chargers, posted 1.5 sacks of Philip Rivers ... On Oct. 6 vs. Atlanta, recorded sack of Matt Ryan on third-and-two that forced Falcons punt and set up Texans TD drive ... Posted career-high seven tackles on Dec. 1 vs. New England ... Started both of Houston's postseason games, and totaled seven tackles.
College: Spent four seasons (2012-15) at Clemson ... Spent his first three seasons as a backup, before finding position as a starter as a senior ... Finished career with 145 tackles, including nine for losses and five sacks ... Team co-captain in as a senior in 2015 ... As a freshman in Spring 2013, he played first base and pitcher on Clemson's nationally ranked baseball team that had 12 future MLB draft picks (played in seven games).
Personal: Hometown is Greensboro, N.C. ... Attended Grimsley High School in Greensboro, where as a senior he racked up 50 tackles and five sacks ... Four-year letterman in football, basketball (starting center) and baseball ... Right-handed pitcher (clocked in the 90s) and DH (batted .529 as junior) in baseball, and was all-region selection and team's MVP as both junior and senior ... His mother, Felicia, played softball at North Carolina A&T from 1985-88, and his father, David Reader, passed away in 2014. His uncle, Glenn Ford, played football at Tennessee from 1978-80 ... Graduated from Clemson in December 2015 with a degree in communication studies.
