Justin Reid's wish was granted.
The Texans veteran safety is filling in for kicker Kai'mi Fairbairnon Saturday nightagainst the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, handling kicking duties with Fairbairn held out of the game with a minor injury as a precautionary measure.
The Texans are expected to not kick as much and will likely go for it or punt on fourth downs rather than having Reid attempt kicks.
Growing up in Louisiana, Reid loved to play soccer.
Reid credits soccer for helping him to develop a strong leg, but he eventually gravitated toward football and followed the footsteps of his older brother, former Pro Bowl safety Eric Reid.
During training camp, Reid has been practicing his field goals as a hobby. He's had his moments during practices and warming up before games, but Fairbairn is in no danger of losing his job.
Reid had been hoping for the opportunity to kick in a preseason game.
“I hope so, man, I hope so," Reid said. "I hope I never have to in the sense that Ka'imi is always there, because he's clearly the best kicker on the team. But it would be a dream of mine to actually kick an extra point.”
Reid hadlobbied the coaching staff for a shot.
“Oh, yeah," Reid said. "They humor me a little bit and say, ‘Maybe one day.’”
One day wasSaturday nightfor the former Stanford standout.
Aaron Wilson has covered the NFL for 20 seasons, including the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. He has previously written for The Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun. He’s on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL and Instagram: @aaronwilson7128.
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