He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft and played college football for the Texas Longhorns.

[1] He also excelled in track and field, winning the state Class 5A title in the discus as a junior and senior (career best toss of 193'9").

During his four years there, he was a two-time All-Big 12 Conference selection and played in every game, including a string of 35 consecutive starts on the defensive line.

The move came amid a bit of controversy, as it made Redding the highest paid defensive end in the league.

On March 14, 2009, Detroit traded him and a 2009 fifth-round draft pick to the Seattle Seahawks for linebacker Julian Peterson.

[5] Redding intercepted a tipped pass by Drew Brees in a week 15 game against the New Orleans Saints on December 19, 2010, to help seal a big win for the Ravens.

In a divisional playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 15, 2011, Redding scored his first career touchdown after recovering a fumble by Ben Roethlisberger.