Brooks Reed addresses the media during the Super Bowl LI press conference on February 1st, 2017. (Getty)
Brooks Reed, defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons, is getting ready to perform in the Superbowl two years after signing with the team.
29-year-old Brooks made a name for himself in his home state of Arizona. He is 6’3″ and weighs in at 250 pounds.
Here’s everything you need to know about Brooks Reed ahead of Super Bowl LI.
1. He Was a Running Back at Sabino High School
Brooks Reed sits on the bench during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at the Georgia Dome on November 29, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Getty)
Brooks Reed was born in Tuscon, Arizona on February 28th, 1987, and he attended Sabino High School in Tucson.
While there, Reed was a running back and defensive lineman for the school’s football team, the Sabino Sabercats.
According to MaxPreps, Reed finished in his time at Sabino High School with 759 running yards, with an average of 30.4 yards per game.
2. He Played on the Arizona Wildcats at the University of Arizona
Brooks Reed looks on from the bench area during a football game against the Oakland Raiders at Reliant Stadium on October 9, 2011 in Houston, Texas. (Getty)
After graduating from Sabino High School, Reed attended the University of Arizona and played defensive end for the Wildcats.
According to KVOA, while at the University of Arizona, Reed recorded 87 tackles and 15 sacks. During the 2013 season specifically, he started all 13 Wildcats games and finished with 47 tackles.
At the PAC-12 Conference in 2011, Reed won the Tom Hansen medal, which is given to “each member institution’s outstanding senior male and female student-athlete based on the exhibition of the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership.”
3. He Was Drafted to the Houston Texans in 2011
Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals is tackled by Brooks Reed of the Houston Texans during the AFC Wild Card Playoff Game at Reliant Stadium on January 5, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Getty)
In the 2011 NFL Draft, Reed was drafted to the Houston Texans. He was the 42nd pick overall, being selected in the second round and joining the team as a outside linebacker.
According to ESPN, during the 2011 season, across 16 games played, Reed finished with 45 combined tackles, included 14 assisted tackles and six sacks. During the 2012 season, across 12 games played, Reed finished with 27 combined tackles, included eight assisted tackles and 2.5 sacks.
During the 2013 season, across 16 games played, Reed finished with 56 combined tackles, including 13 assisted tackles and three sacks. Finally, during the 2014 season, across 16 games played, Reed finished with 41 combined tackles, including 16 assisted tackles and three sacks.
At the end of his career with the Houston Texans, Reed had recorded 118 tackles, 51 assists and 14.5 sacks.
4. He Signed a Five-Year, $25 Million Deal With the Falcons in 2015
Brooks Reed speaks with the media during Super Bowl 51 Opening Night at Minute Maid Park on January 30, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Getty)
Reed’s five-year contract with the Houston Texans ended in 2015, and just days later, it was announced that Reed had signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported at the time that Reed had signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the team.
The #Falcons are signing LB Brooks Reed on a 5-year deal for $22M
Reed took to Twitter that week to thank Houston for the support.
Houston, I will never forget the hospitality, support & relationships formed over the past 4 years from this wonderful city. I will miss you
According to Over the Cap, Reed started off with a base salary of $2.2 million, plus a signing bonus of $4.7 million. In 2016, that salary was bumped up to $2.5 million, and this year, it goes up to $4.1 million.
5. He Is Married to Natalie Petratis
Brooks Reed’s wife is Natalie Petratis. The two were engaged in 2014, with the marriage proposal planner The Heart Bandits saying that Reed rented out an opera house and hired a pianist to sing Van Morrison’s “Someone Like You” as they slow danced and he popped the question. They then flew in a helicopter over the stadium Reed played in at the time.
Brooks and Natalie were engaged in November 2014, and the wedding took place in May 2015.