Texans Podcasts

Texans safety Chris Clemons worked at McDonald’s & in a factory to help support his mom & his 6 siblings.  His grandmother raised money collecting & selling aluminum cans so Clemons could play little league football.  After his house was partially destroyed in a hurricane, he would go back to his hometown & continually work …

Although preseason games are essentially meaningless, the Texans felt a sense of satisfaction in defeating the defending AFC champion Denver Broncos 18-17 Saturday night in the Mile High City.
In fact, if you take away the final stages of the first half, it was a great night for Houston.  Andre Johnson & Brian Cushing were back …

Clowney is getting noticed nationally, especially after what he did against the Broncos tackle Ryan Clady in practice this past week. In this Lindsay H. Jones USA Today feature, we also hear about what influence JJ Watt is having on Clowney.  “Every day, we work a little something,” Watt said. “As you’ve seen in games, …

If you missed Hard Knocks on HBO or don’t have HBO, this is a fantastic video clip of JJ Watt going up against rookie Aggie tackle Jake Matthews. Watt gives the 1st round pick out of Texas A & M a little lesson.  Welcome to the NFL, Jake!

The quiet man in the Texans organization, GM Rick Smith, has a few candid things to say in this Brian T. Smith Houston Chronicle story.  He doesn’t listen to sports talk radio but Smith did say this. “Here’s what I do: I will tell you that from time to time, I need to know the pulse of …

A week ago, the sky was falling in Houston after the Texans were drubbed 32-0 by Arizona.  Now, the collective song going around the Bayou City is “Happy” by Pharrell Williams after the Texans annihilated the Atlanta Falcons 32-7.
Okay, maybe that song is just heard everywhere & has nothing to do with the success of …

Texans Head Coach Bill O’Brien, Bob McNair’s son Cal & Houston Chronicle reporter Brian T. Smith took the Ice Bucket Challenge. Plus, they made a few challenges to other coaches in the NFL.

In the movie Remember the Titans, Head Coach Herman Boone faced the challenge of bringing a diverse group of players together for a common goal.  As part of this challenge, he had his players get to know each other better by showcasing their backgrounds & interests.  When defensive back Alan Bosley plays some of his favorite …

Over the last 10 months, Texans owner Bob McNair fought 2 forms of Cancer under an assumed name at MD Anderson Cancer Center. His ordeal to recover from chronic lymphocytic leukemia included an experimental treatment. In this John McClain Houston Chronicle story, the 77 year old McNair details his story to encourage others dealing with Cancer.

Coming into his 2nd season, Houston Texans’ WR DeAndre Hopkins has high expectations for himself. After all, this is the wide receiver who said with bravado after just a few games in the NFL, “I feel like I can be better than Andre.” Andre, of course, is Andre Johnson, the greatest receiver in Texans’ history …

One of the best stories & the least known about in Texans Training Camp is free agent Jerrell Powe’s remarkable journey. In this Brian T. Smith Houston Chronicle feature story, you’ll hear how it took Powe 3 years to get eligible to play in college. He dealt with learning disabilities & Attention Deficit Disorder. When …

Growing up in Liberty City, Florida, one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Miami, Houston Texans’ cornerback Brandon Harris has always wanted to improve the community. His high-profile position as an NFL cornerback and the income he earns from being a professional athlete has enabled him to go back home and make good …

With a day off on the Training Camp schedule, I will throw out a few of my random observations so far. I promise not to go too overboard with thoughts of grandeur or ‘the ship is sinking’ proclamations. If there’s one thing we know, Lestar Jeans fool us every year.
Tom Savage Looks the Part
Yes, Tom …

The NFL Network was in Houston this week & of course they were Live at Texans Training Camp. The Texans aren’t letting the media talk to rookies right now but Ex-NFL DE Willie McGinest had a chance to go one-on-one with JD Clowney in this interview.

This is a great feature on JJ Watt, how he spent his offseason & what his life is like now. You might be surprised at Watt’s 2 favorite TV shows or his issues with dating & relationships. In this Robert Mays Grantland story, you get a little more into the mind of the best defensive …

Is it farfetched to think the Texans can get back to the playoffs? Bill Barnwell of Grantland makes a compelling case for why it could happen. He takes a statistical look & what happened last year & why it portends more wins for the Texans this season.
 

In my report on Andre Johnson’s return, you’ll hear from his new QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, CB Kareem Jackson & WR Keshawn Martin. Andre clarifies some of his reasoning for being back & discusses whether he wants to end his career in Houston.
-Robert Land

Houston Texans 7-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson is back! He arrived at training camp Friday off Kirby Drive but something was amiss. Almost from the moment he stepped foot in the Texans practice facility, Andre detected something different, something palpable in the midst of the soaring heat & drenching humidity, something more than just …

It’s that time of the year again. We’re into the NFL preview season and, in this Andy Benoit SI.com story, the Texans focus is on winning with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Can Bill O’Brien piece together a winning team with his other position talent? That’s the biggest question going into the season.

As we have seen recently with LeBron James, a great local story can make a great national story.  In the end, however, many local stories remain just that.
Nonetheless, there are always local heroes to be found.  And there will always be residents proud to brag about their homegrown stars or pro teams.
And that hometown fanaticism …