Between the lines, Detroit Lions defensive tackle DJ Reader is about as imposing as they come. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds, he has been one of the better interior run defenders in the league since being drafted by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Seemingly impossible to block with one player, Reader demands double teams as much as anyone else in football, and will once again be a key cog in the middle of a Lions defense that has championship aspirations in 2025.
Off the field—well, that is a completely different story.
A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Reader comes from a storied family that is well-known by just about everyone in their region of the Tar Heel State. His mother, Felicia Ford-Reader, was a standout athlete herself at Grimsley High School, as well as North Carolina A&T State University—the same alma mater as Lions general manager Brad Holmes. Her father, Ervin L. Ford, was also a standout athlete, and played in the Negro League for Indianapolis. On top of being amazing athletes in their respective sports, the Readers are also devoted to community service and leaving a positive impact on the world.
After losing his father to kidney disease in 2014, Reader started his foundation, A Son Never Forgets, which is dedicated to promoting both education, as well as health and wellness in communities. On Tuesday, August 19, the organization hosted a back to school event at Detroit Edison Public School Academy. There were backpacks to get kids ready for school, health and wellness checkups provided by Corewell Health, and dental screenings provided by the folks at Team Smile and Colgate.
In his now 10 years as a pro, Reader has certainly left his mark with each stop during his NFL career. After receiving the Lifetime Presidential Service Award from President Joe Biden back in 2022, November 7 was declared “DJ Reader Day” in Cincinnati due to the impact the veteran defensive tackle had made during his time there.
One of the initiatives of the foundation are the “Reader Resource Rooms” where students have access to essential educational supplies and materials. There are four total rooms in Cincinnati, as well as two back in his hometown of Greensboro, where one singular room services 26 different schools in the region.
Overall it was a fantastic event put on by Reader and the rest of his team, including program manager and Detroit native, Armica Nabaa. While at the event, I asked Reader what drives him to serve in this capacity, regardless of what city he is in.
“I think just my parents, they were really into it,” said Reader of his passion to give back. “You know, I think you go to enough of those events. It fills your cup. My dad was kind of the community ball coach, my mom was always around and she’s known throughout our whole city. We’ve always tried to do a lot in the community, and I think that is where I got it from. Being at a young age, doing it so often, being older and knowing I can make my footprint somewhere else.”
Naturally, we also talked about some of Reader’s favorite places to eat in the city where he mentioned he was a bit sad that the Bobcat Bonnie’s in Corktown closed. On top of that, he talked about his love for Babo’s brunch menu, even if it meant the restaurant potentially getting more crowded. “I don’t want to let that go, because reservations be going quick. I can’t let that out too much.” We get it, DJ. I keep my favorite spots close to the chest, too.
When asked about where the ceiling is for the Lions’ defense in 2025, Reader didn’t hold back when speaking about how good the unit can be.
“I think the sky is the limit for us,” said Reader. “I think we got a lot of good players, you know. But a lot of guys know the game, played in the system and understand what is going on. I know it’s Shep’s (Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard) first year, but we’ve been around him. We understand who he is. And I think it’s an exciting year, so I think the sky is the limit for us. But we have to go out there and earn it everyday, and make sure we do our thing.”
And if you didn’t already know, Reader is a big baseball fan. He was a two-sport athlete back at Clemson, and played baseball throughout his youth, too. Now that he is in Detroit, he said he has had fun following along with the Tigers.
“I love getting out to Tigers games, and excited about the playoffs coming up.”
