The Texans selected safety D.J. Swearinger out of South Carolina in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft Friday night. A hard-hitting, physical player, Swearinger looks forward to bringing a ferocious component to the Texans' defense.
He may be anticipating sharing a locker room with future Hall of Famer Ed Reed even more.
"Playing football next to Ed Reed is a blessing," Swearinger said on a conference call minutes after being drafted at No. 57 overall. "I'm truly blessed right now. Words can't describe it. That's definitely a guy that I'm looking forward to learning from and feeding off."
Swearinger's esteem for Reed began back in his high school days, when he started watching film of Reed and another former Miami Hurricane safety, Sean Taylor, before every game.
"Sean Taylor and Ed Reed are some of my idols that I looked up to when I was in high school," he said. "I want to just keep it going in the NFL."
The Texans' secondary is already stacked with a safety duo of Reed and Danieal Manning. Swearinger believes he'll fit in well with the veterans and the Texans as a whole.
"I'm looking forward to learning from both guys," he said. "Definitely Ed Reed, they have a great D-line with J.J. Watt, and their quarterback (Matt Schaub). I'm going to a great organization."
Swearinger said playing a physical style makes wide receivers "think twice about coming across the middle."
"You have to be a physical force, and I think I would be a great force in the middle and I think our defense will put a lot of fear in the offense's part," he said.
When asked how excited he is to meet his idol Reed, Swearinger was at a loss for words. "Oh, man, I don't know; I don't even know how excited I am," he said. "I'm just ready."
