KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It will be six years, but Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid remembers his draft night like it was yesterday.
"Man, it was so cool," Reid said. "I chose to have the experience at home."
At his home, surrounded by his closest friends and family, is how Reid imagined spending his draft night.
"I thought it would be intimate; my mom ended up inviting 200 people, so there was 200 people at the house," Reid said.
A number of different NFL teams were represented in Reid's home, as many in attendance wore the logo of the team they hoped would call Reid's name.
"There was actually a Kansas City jersey there," Reid said.
Maybe a bit of foreshadowing.
The 68th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to the Houston Texans is now a two-time Super Bowl Champion with the Chiefs, and eyeing a third.
"You wait, you wait, you wait, you don't know where you're going, and then your name finally gets called, and it's just the best feeling ever because you finally have some direction of what's going to happen next," Reid said. "Somebody picked you. It's such a good feeling, and then you start getting ready to work."
On and off the field, the work never stops for Reid.
"Especially guys on the defensive side of the ball," Reid said. "I always send them a text message the same day that they get drafted, welcoming them to the team and encouraging them to get ready and come in and be a part of a championship culture, so it's such a fun experience; it's such a fun three days."
Seeking some insight from Reid into who the Chiefs might be looking to draft, he's spilling no secrets.
"As long as he doesn't hire any more back up kickers, you know, that's my job," Reid said.
The 2024 NFL Draft gets underway from Detroit, Michigan, on Thursday, April 25.
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