Jets’ DJ Reed learned of dad’s death right before game

Jets cornerback D.J. Reed performed with a heavy coronary heart on Sunday after discovering out simply earlier than the sport that his father had died.

Reed stated Monday that his father, Dennis Reed Sr., had been battling a number of sclerosis since 2004 and had taken a flip for the more serious not too long ago. Reed’s mom instructed him final week that they have been taking his father off of the life assist he had been on and he would doubtless die. Reed’s father survived till Sunday morning.

As Reed was making ready for pregame introductions at MetLife Stadium earlier than the Jets confronted the Ravens, he obtained texts from relations telling him his father died.

“It was actually emotional,” Reed stated. “The nationwide anthem performed and I used to be simply crying and stuff.”

Reed performed a powerful sport towards Baltimore. He gave up no receptions and had an interception within the fourth quarter. He ran to midfield, took a knee and pointed to the sky in honor of his father. Some criticized him for the celebration because the rating was 24-3 with out figuring out the that means behind the tribute.

“I actually forgot in regards to the rating and all that,” Reed stated. “I don’t wish to say I didn’t care as a result of I care about profitable but it surely was simply deeper than soccer after I acquired the interception. That’s what I needed to do. I needed to pay tribute to my dad. I already knew what I used to be going to do and that’s what I did.”

Reed, who signed as a free agent from the Seahawks in March, stated it was onerous for him to concentrate on the sport at first however he needed to do it for his father.

“It was onerous. It was mainly simply controlling my power actually,” Reed stated. “My feelings have been in every single place. I consider in God so I simply thought for him to go away proper earlier than the sport, there was a motive for that as a result of he may have handed throughout that entire week and he handed away actually proper earlier than the sport began. I simply stated, ‘OK, I do know he’s watching so I’m going to placed on a present for him.’”