He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats and was selected by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft.

[1] He rushed for 350 yards with seven touchdowns as a junior, earning first-team All-league and honorable mention All-state.

[3] In 2010, Reed was named to the Pac-10 All-Conference squad as a member of the first-team, and was elected team captain by his teammates.

[12] In his second game as a starter, Brooks recorded his first NFL quarterback sack against the Tennessee Titans on October 23, 2011.

[14][15] In the 2016 season, Reed and the Falcons reached Super Bowl LI, where they faced the New England Patriots.

In 2018, Reed played in 16 games with eight starts, recording 24 combined tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble.