Sporting a blue cast on his surgically repaired left wrist and a turtleneck sweater, Texans safety Justin Reid has temporarily traded his NFL playbook for textbooks.

Back in school at Stanford to complete his degree in industrial engineering, Reid is determined to heal his body as he prepares for his second NFL season and continue his education.

In both cases, Reid is ambitious as usual following a standout rookie season in Houston where he established himself as one of the top rookies in the league.

The Texans will lean heavily on Reid following the departure of Tyrann Mathieu to the Kansas City Chiefs on a three-year, $42 million contract.

On the health front, Reid underwent surgery on his wrist in February and is making a speedy recovery.

"I had surgery and it's going well so far," Reid said. "The X-rays came back great. I'm in cast for nine weeks, then I get to move on to physical rehab and strengthen my wrist. I got the stitches out, so I'm beginning to train again. I've been feeling like a bum, so it's been great to get back to training and it's nice to get back in the weight room."

Building on his rookie success is Reid's largest goal.

The younger brother of veteran Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid made an immediate impact after being selected in the third round by Texans general manager Brian Gaine.

Reid emerged as a starter, forming a strong tandem with Mathieu. Now, Reid will team up with former Jacksonville Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson. Gipson joined the Texans on Tuesday on a three-year, $22 million contract.

The Texans' top draft pick recorded 81 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He returned an interception 101 yards for a touchdown against Washington, picking off Alex Smith. He saved a touchdown by forcing a fumble in the open field against Cleveland Browns wide receiver Antonio Callaway.

"Very encouraging, very excited about what that leads to for next year," Reid said. I'm not going to be complacent about it. I'm not going to get satisfied about what I did last year. What am I going to do next year?

"It's a great launching pad that I was able to have the success that I did last year, but I have to build on it. I have to continue to get better and better and be more impactful for the Texans' defense and help us get more wins."

As a rookie, Reid displayed that he was smart, a hard hitter and sound tackler and adept at learning the nuances of pass coverage and diagnosing patterns. Because of his size and mobility, Reid provided a big presence in the middle of the AFC South champions' defense.

"He's a very smart guy, works very hard in practice, instinctive player, good speed, good size," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's come a long way. He really understands the importance of practice, and he tries to get better every day."

Reid didn't act or look like a raw rookie, showing the maturity and presence that belied his experience.

"It feels good to belong, it's a sense of validation," Reid said. "It feels really good. I'm really excited not to be a rookie anymore. I can't wait to start all over again. I'm having a little withdrawal from not playing football.

"I give a lot of credit to my older brother. He taught me about the NFL I break down film with him. He taught me how the league works. I have the mentality for a third-year player, at this point."

Being back in school represents a lot of change for Reid after adapting his schedule last fall to simply concentrating on football practice and games. Settling into living and working in Houston, Reid is adapting to being a student again.

"I've been playing a lot of catch-up because I entered school in Week 4 and some classes have already had a mid-term exam," Reid said. "My professors have been working with me and giving me time to make up my assignments and it's going well. It's been really cool

"It's a little weird feeling, going back to school because I feel like I've been building a whole new life moving to Houston. I've been building some roots down here. It's like going back into a flashback."