DJ Reader Holds Foundation Event for Kids, Talks Rehab Mindset

Reader explained rehab process, status uncertain for Week 1.

DJ Reader poses for a photo with his mother Felicia. / John Maakaron, @Lions On SI

New Detroit Lions defensive tackle DJ Reader is expected to be a major contributor during the 2024 NFL season.

Heading into his ninth NFL season, Reader brings proven ability as a nose tackle. In his career, he has totaled 277 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

The veteran is still recovering from a torn quadriceps tendon, and did not provide a timetable for his return. He is currently on the PUP list, and his status for the season-opener Sept. 8 remains in doubt.

"No real timetable. I know I'm feeling really well, been moving pretty good," Reader said. "Not necessarily a timetable about when I'll get back, but feeling pretty good about where I'm at in rehab. Close to that nine-month mark and you start to feel pretty normal about, probably feel like yourself and even better around a year. But, not much, you feel pretty good, and I'm feeling pretty good."

Reader shed some light on his rehab process as he reaches the nine-month mark of his recovery, including a revelation that he had a scope conducted on his right knee in June when he hit a snag in his return hopes.

“The process sucks. I think it got better. It’s starting to get really, really good. All I really know is the work. I don’t really know anything else," Reader told Lions On SI during an appearance on the Lone Wolves Podcast. "Just show up every day and just do it. Every day is a step forward, not a step backwards. That's kind of how I go about it. Kind of had a lull in like June, where things just weren’t shaking the way I would’ve loved and ended up having to get a scope.

"After that, everything’s been well. Just getting after it every single day, knowing that this is the strongest it’s gonna be healing-wise, so now it’s just about me pushing through everything to get back and getting used to the things I used to do. I’m trying every day to be positive, taking steps forward. I think it sucks mentally, because you know where you're at and where you were.” 

One of the most exciting elements of his addition is the partnership he will have with Alim McNeill, a fellow North Carolina native who is expected to be the Lions' three-technique on the defensive line.

Both players have legitimate pass-rush pop, in addition to their prowess for stopping the run. With their home state connection as well as their talent, there's intriguing potential for their pairing in 2024.

"Man, it's awesome. He's a really talented player. I get to watch him in practice, and he can really play. He's very athletic, moves very well, but he's also super powerful," Reader said. "I always say Carolina brings the best athletes in the world. I'm a big fan of his game, just excited to see what he does this year. I know he's hungry, he's excited. A chance to get himself paid and make some life-changing money in this league."

Can I interest anyone in a SI Lone Wolves podcast with DJ Reader? #Detroit #Sports #Podcasts pic.twitter.com/yF4vEwqYfm

— DetroitSportsPodcast (@DetroitPodcast) August 19, 2024

The veteran tackle is also set to make a big impact off the field in Detroit. Through his charity, A Son Never Forgets, Reader has been able to conduct several philanthropic efforts in communities he's played in over the course of his career.

On Monday, he held a Back-to-School event at Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy that included free dental screenings, school supplies and food. His foundation is also opening four new resource rooms, one in Greensboro, N.C., and three in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Reader has held a youth football camp annually for the last seven years in his hometown of Greensboro. He's also conducted Back-to-School events, and has an annual Toast to Education gala.

"They're super cool. Kids, they're gonna keep it honest, they're gonna keep it 100," Reader said. "And just the education part, I'm big on education. I think it gives kids a chance to really see, reach out and touch somebody who they might have dreams and aspirations to be like and understand it's real. It can be done, and it's not impossible."

The foundation was launched after Reader was drafted by the Houston Texans in 2016, and is in honor of his father, David, who passed away in 2014 after battling kidney disease. He received the President's Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Service Award in 2022, which is given to Americans who have engaged in over 4,000 hours of community service.

"It means that I raised him right," said Felicia Reader, DJ's mother. "We sowed in him, and now he's able to sow into the community. So, I appreciate the fact that he has that willing spirit and want to do it and not be forced to (do) it. It means a lot to be able to give back to people who don't have that same opportunity. So, every time I see it, it's like a ray of sunshine."

Reader has an extensive baseball background, having played collegiately for a season at Clemson. On Monday, his mother revealed that his grandfather, Ervin Lee Ford, played with Indianapolis in the Negro Leagues.

The defender said he has some memorabilia from his grandfather's playing days. Nicknamed the 'Thunderbird,' Ford was known for his speed, and once notched an inside-the-park home run on a bunt.

"Just amazing. Just knowing all the obstacles that were in their way, and for them to just push through and truly play and enjoy the sport," Reader said. "It's not like they were doing it for money necessarily back then, it was just the love of pure sport and being able to travel and put on shows and entertain people at the highest level. It's just amazing, that admiration a person has to have to be that stand-up person every day, deal with what you have to deal with, still have a family and go out there and entertain people."

To learn more about Reader's foundation and how to support, visit ASonNeverForgets.org.