July 11, 2025 • 48 mins
John Harris hosts Interview Friday featuring five Texans players as training camp approaches in 12 days. Jake Andrews discusses his wrestling background and potential role as starting center, while fullback Jakob Johnson shares his remarkable journey from Germany's Stuttgart Scorpions to Jacksonville high school football to the NFL. Punter Tommy Townsend reveals his specialized training techniques and competitive mindset, Austin Deculus reflects on his return to Houston after playing elsewhere, and Kurt Hinish details the defensive line room's championship culture and his strict dietary regimen.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's happened everybody, TG, I have Thank God Friday. Oh yeah,
even in the summer. Hopefully you got a good weekend plan.
Welcome into the show Texas All Access from the Hunday
Texans Radio Studio. I am your host, John Harris, football analyst,
sideline reporter, and this is going to be an interview Friday.
That's right, Mark and I during media Day is a
(00:20):
chance to catch up with a lot, a lot a
lot of the Texans players forty to be exactly. We've
been playing them at different points throughout and we're getting
to a point now where we gotta play them before
too long because we're twelve days away from camp starting,
and once we get to camp, it's all about what's
(00:42):
happening in training camp. So it's gonna be interview Friday.
So you're gonna hear from Austin Deculus, Kurt Heinish, Tommy Townsend.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
You're also gonna hear from Jakub Johnson.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You're gonna hear from Tommy and Yakub in this first segment,
but we're gonna kick it off with the guy. A
lot of people did a little doghead turned the first
day of OTAs because the media got out there just
on the social media after practice and said, here's what
the first offensive line looks like. And a lot of
people out there were like, who is Jake Andrews? And
(01:17):
I just remember seeing it. I thought, I'm not surprised.
I saw him when he was at the Senior Ball
back in twenty three. I thought he had the right
temperament to play center in the system. He had played
up in New England for a year that been banged
up a little bit. He had played at Troy University
before he got to the Senior Bowl. His offensive line coach,
offense coordinator there was Kole Popovich. I think you've heard
(01:37):
of him. So what Jake Andrews tried it out with
the first unit at center. Not really surprised, but I
think there were a lot of people that were out
there that were surprised. But I got to know Jake
a tiny bit at the Senior Bowl a couple of
years ago, talk to him, ask him about his wrestling background.
Of course, he wasn't gonna remember me, and I knew
he wasn't. But that said, I knew that what Texas
(01:59):
had gotten in Jake Andrews very intriguing candidate. To start
on this offensive line. Through Out OTA's mini camps, he
was there's the number one center most of the time.
Now does that whole throughout season, don't know, But if
it does, I'm pretty confident Jake Andrews is gonna be
the right guy at center, Very confident in that. I
do think there's gonna be a competition, and that's why
(02:20):
I say it that way.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
If he emerges as the.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Starter, he will have beaten out Jared Patterson, beating out
Jew Scruggs and anybody else they try at center.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
But Jake Andrews stepped.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
In the studio for the very first time at a
good time talking to Jake Andrews kickoff interview Friday.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Joining us in a Hundai Texans radio studio for the
first time ever. It's Jake Andrews Center. Welcome, Jake, appreciate it.
Thank you all right. So you're new to the team,
not new to the NFL, though, So what are you
thinking so far? Texans practice is underway, the meetings, a
lot of new old linemen.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
What do you think.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I'm having a lot of fun right now.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
I'm just honestly just lucky to be here, blessed to
be here trying to enjoy it as much as I can.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
It's a lot different than where I'm from.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
I feel like, you know, there's I've always heard there's
thirty two teams that do business thirty two different ways,
and so I like the way they do it here,
and I'm like, I said, really happy to be here
and just try and enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
So a couple of years ago, I said this the
other day on the air. We're at this year at
the Senior Bowl. I think it was twenty three at
the Senior Bowl, and my buddy Manzerline was talking to you,
and so I saw Lance, and so I just was
gonna listen to what you had to say. And at
some point I remember saying to you, you're a wrestler,
aren't you?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
And you were like, yeah, did you know that?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
I was like interior offensive linemen that wrestle had like
a certain look. You can just tell, Yeah, how important
was wrestling to you and how did that kind of
help you in your football career?
Speaker 5 (03:41):
Very important to me, not only for football, but just
as a individual with the mental capacity of it. I mean,
if you can wrestle one on one for six minutes
straight versus anybody you know, you got to have a
little something to you, and so you developed that. And
then obviously the technical things that help you with football,
like leverage, hand position, balance, it's good feet being able
(04:02):
to do stuff like that. Obviously transition as well, especially
to the interior of offensive line play.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
And so yeah, it's been really important. I'm glad i'd
do it.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
I would advocate for everybody to at least try to
wrestle if you're a football player, no matter what position
you play, because like I said, it's going to help
you either mentally or physically hopefully both.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Right and so, yeah, so you were a heavyweight, right
I was. Yeah, so at a heavyweight, you don't have
to make weight. You could be as heavy as you
need to be, right or not.
Speaker 6 (04:30):
True.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
They used to have they used to be called super heavyweight.
So like what heavyweight is now, which is two eighty
five is the limit? And then they used to have
back in the day super heavyweight, which was anybody over that.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Oh okay, so yeah, okay, you never had a problem
making weight.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
No, not till my senior year. Yeah, I had to
cut weight senior year.
Speaker 7 (04:49):
Oh really?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Yeah, cool, because I'd get heavy for football and then
I have to cut it all back down. I'd be
like three ten for football, have to get back.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
To twenty five.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
So yeah, how tough was that? Pretty well?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
In college he was our full back at two hundred
and thirty five pounds two or twenty five pounds, and
then he would wrestle.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So the last two three weeks in football.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Year, he he would leave and go wrestle at one
seventy seven.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Yeah, it's crazy. We had We had a guy that
wrestled for in high school. They have different weight classes,
but he was one O six that was his weight class,
but he walked around at like one point fifty.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
So he had to cut all that weight and they have.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
This like hydration test where you have to be so
hydrated to make a certain weight class that you want
to wrestling, and they kind of limit you, like, hey,
you can only drop twenty pounds, you can only go
this far down, and so you know, we did that
while football is still going on. So I'm like cutting
weight during the end of football season, trying to be
able to legally drop down to two and eighty five pounds.
So yeah, it was tough, but that's that kind of
(05:48):
goes back to what I was saying, like, if you
can do that type of stuff, I mean, it sounds
crazy and absurd, but if you can.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Do that, you can you can do anything.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
So you're at Troy with Kole Popovich, right, I was, yes,
all right, So tell the listeners viewers about Cole Popovich.
What kind of coaches he what kind of guy? Has
he been around him for a while.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
Whenever somebody asked me about pop I just the thing
that comes to my mind is winning. That's all he
wants to do is win. He wants to win football games.
He wants to go home, hang out with his family,
he wants to come back the next day and start
winning again. You know what I mean. Awesome, dude. I
wouldn't be here without him. I'll go ahead and say that.
(06:31):
I wouldn't say that about a lot of people. If
there's probably only two people I would say that about,
but he's definitely one of them.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
He came to Troy my senior year.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
I've been trying since I was knee high to a cricket,
trying to play center.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
Nobody would ever let me do it all growing up.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
And then he finally came in, and I guess he
was smart enough or dumb enough, whicheveryone you want to
look at it, and he let me do it. And
like I said, without him, I wouldn't be here. He's
he's a great man, man of God, fierce competitor even
just as a coach, really smart, very detailed in the
things he does. And like I said, I'm very lucky
(07:09):
to be here with him and to have been with
him in Troy.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
So was that something you wanted to do to play
center and they would let you?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
What? What was it about playing center? Did you think
that was the best fit for you?
Speaker 8 (07:20):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (07:22):
Yeah, I mean I wouldn't have ever, you know, said
to a coach like, hey, I need to play center
if I'm going to do you know, but I always
wanted to do it because you're in the middle of
the line. I always had an affinity for leading. I
hope I used affinity right way you did perfect, And
so it always I was always just drawn to it,
you know, and always wanted to. I always want to
do it was best for the team, still do. So,
(07:43):
you know, I played guard, I played both guards, whatever,
but I did deep down have a feeling. I just
never you know, said to anybody like Hey, I think
I should probably play center.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Jake, What can you share with us about the system?
What's going to be run here in this offense? Without
giving away too many secrets to the enemy.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
The ball is gonna be run, I tell you that much.
We're gonna run the football. Tayli's doing a good job
with putting all that stuff together. We're gonna protect cj
or whoever's back there, try to make us five up
from We're gonna try to make it our lives work
to not have anybody in his lap they're touching him
at all. Yeah, we're gonna pound the rock and we're
(08:23):
gonna air it out. We're gonna keep people on their
toes and we're gonna play tough, physical football and people
are gonna know when they wake up on Monday morning
that they just got done playing in the Houston Texans.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Jake.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
You've had I don't know how many new players to
the Texans that have been and so guys are getting
to know one another. You're lining up to somebody you
never lined up next to more than likely.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
What's that been like to help foster the chemistry.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
What have you guys kind of been doing to make
sure that you guys are thinking as a group as
opposed to guys that just got to know each other
within the last month or so.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
Yeah, for me, it's easier because I ran this system
exact system, different verbiage in college my senior year, dur
my rookie year when I was in New England, I
ran the same thing with Bill O'Brien, And so.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
For me it's been pretty easy because.
Speaker 5 (09:12):
I can communicate with guys who are seeing this stuff
for the first time, right, and you know, it's easy
for me to say, hey, well, you know, we used
to do it this way, and I know what Cole
wants probably which I know what he wants.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
I know what he wants stuff to look like. And
so maybe we didn't get to it in a meeting,
maybe we didn't get.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
To talk about it during the walkthrough, but when we
get out there and I'm talking to guys about stuff
in the locker room, I can let him know, like, hey,
let's try this differently. Hey, oh he wants he wants
this to look like that. When you've got you know,
X y Z out there in front of you.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
So yeah, yeah, Jake, thanks so much for joining us.
Good luck to you.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 6 (09:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
It's a good dude right there.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Jake Andrews center, maybe guard seventh lineman, but center seems
to be his natural fit.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
There's no question about that. Now.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Not sure if Jake Andrews is gonna be the starter.
We don't know that.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
We don't know that to be true. It happened.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
I can almost ninety nine point percent promise you our
next guest, will I guess start because he's the punter,
Tommy Townsend aka Tommy Rockets, that's in the game.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
I came up with him.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
He liked that, and he's back for year two and
I had a great time last summer. I got a
chance to talk to Tommy after practice do a little interview.
I mean, we start talking about the kind of the
science of punning, and he was really interesting to hear
it from Tommy's perspective. We dive in a little bit
more to that with Tommy. You're gonna have a new
long snapper this year. Looks like it might be Austin Brinkman,
but Tommy Towns enjoyed us right here.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
On an interview Friday, Tommy town said with us, Okay,
so what do you do before training? Camp, Tommy, to
get ready for training camp in the season. I mean
you are are you out in the field punting the ball?
I mean I'm to handle this your job description at
that time of year.
Speaker 9 (10:56):
Yeah, something like that. What I like to do is
I like to get in a big competit mindset. So
a lot of the time I'll go out, you know,
leading up to training camp, the week or two beforehand,
go out to San Diego and uh, there's a good
group of NFL guys that go out there. So I
like to go out there kind of train and compete
with those guys and just kind of getting like the
right mindset of yeah, just getting ready to go, getting
(11:16):
ready to get after it.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
You know, so other punters and kickers and those kinds
of guys specialists.
Speaker 9 (11:21):
Oh yeah, specialists. Yeah, it's a it's a unique little
group we have out there. Try and go out with
some of the you know, some of the best guys
in the NFL AJ Cole Jordan Stout, guys like that.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Yeah, just just get after it. Temmy.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
You want a quote unquote pitch count during the offseason,
Like there's a certain number, it's a certain number of
punts in that leg and you don't want to overdo it.
Do you kind of have a pitch count that you
have through the summer to not even into training camp
where you're like, Okay, I kick on these days or
a pun on these days.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
I don't only punting all the time. That's gonna wear out.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
You have a pitch count as you kind of go
through the off season leading up to the season.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Honestly, not really.
Speaker 9 (11:58):
I feel like that's the time for me to really
build up my leg endurance and get ready going into
training camps. We kick a lot in training camp and
obviously the seasons, you know, it's a long year, so
that's my time to really build up the endurance and
almost kind of like exhaust myself when I'm going out
on the field, just just to make sure my legs
and shape come training camp.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
I want to get back to the San Diego thing
just for a moment here. What's the craziest thing you
guys do. Do you have like a garbage can and
who can punt into that can? The life and corner
kind of thing. Some weird competitions Tommy between you.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, so we haven't.
Speaker 9 (12:29):
I haven't brought out the garbage can just yet, but
we just do the typical like work on distance direction
and then my favorite, my favorite game is big ball.
So big ball, Big ball, so you hit the highest
distance and hang ball that you can hit, so like
basically the biggest punt possible.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
And we've got like a different little way of.
Speaker 9 (12:50):
Like calculating like distance and hang time to where like
we can come up with like a fixed number for
like what the you know, what the ball is worth formula.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Right, but yeah, right, it's fifty it's five seconds, but
you went forty eight and it was five and a half.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Or whatever the case. Maybe physics class, Yeah, okay.
Speaker 9 (13:07):
Yeah, So basically what you do is you just kind
of like carry like carry the whatever the like the
decimal point over to the backside of say it's like
a four eight, then like forty eight four eight, or
like let's say fifty four eight. Then it would be
like the score would be like ninety eight for that ball.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
But uh, yes, we'll do stuff like that.
Speaker 9 (13:25):
But I enjoy big ball because that's, uh that's kind
of my game is you know, hang the ball up,
let the gunners go work, and.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Tommy rockints, yeah, to hang it up there there. How
experimental do you get in the off season, Tommy. I
remember watching NFL films and I want to and I, God,
forgive me. It's the punter for the Ravens. Sam Na Cook, Yeah,
Sam Cook Yeah, And I remember them saying he had
about twelve or thirteen different types of punts, and I thought, man,
(13:54):
there's a lot of experimentation that goes into that.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Do you do experimentation on.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Different drops, different types of punt turning offseason as well,
or do you just focus on getting the leg ready
to make sure that you can, you know, bang it
from wherever you need to.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 9 (14:07):
I mean that's the main goal right there, is just
kind of getting you know, getting really consistent. And then
once I get there, that's when I start manipulating the
ball with you know, with different winds, like I have
to drop the wall differently with different types of winds.
And then yeah, same thing with like plus fifty area balls,
like you know, I I'll angle the ball with where
I drop it if I want to, if I want
to draw the ball, if I want to fade it,
(14:29):
or I need to like try and hold it up
against the wind. There's a lot of manipulation in the ball.
But I haven't gotten to the banana punt yet. I
don't know if I'm ready to pull that one out
just yet.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
But one of the things you and I talked about
the fact that kicking Kansas City, you kicked outside at
least eight or nine times a year, and you.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Know, outside mostly other places.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Then you come in here and you punt inside where
conditions are pristine. But you were used to adapting two
conditions punning outside. So what was it like going through
a full year of punning inside throughout the year in
an energy stadium.
Speaker 9 (15:01):
Yeah, I mean it was definitely, Uh, it was definitely different.
And that's something that I've I've spoken about this year
looking at the schedule is leading up to outdoor games.
I'm regardless of what the weather is, I'm only gonna
put outside for the week leading up to it, because like,
once you get inside in that environment, you know, it's
it's easier to adjust, and yeah, there's not as much
(15:21):
movement with the ball.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
So but I mean it's all.
Speaker 9 (15:25):
About in order to learn how to punt in the wind,
you have to punt in the wind, right, So it's
just one of those things. It's a process leading into
it and preparation is key, and how you go about
preparing it's gonna you know, get you ready for the uh,
the game coming up in those conditions.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
All right, I have a game changing idea for you
and fairwell, okay, I think I think this will become
common practice once this gets out. Now somebody must have
thought of this before. But college teams have a walk
through in the stadium the day before the game, right.
NFL teams don't do that. However, there is a crew
that goes over to the stadium to set up the
lockers and everything. What help hunters and kickers to go
(16:02):
to the stadium on the road the day before and
just boot the ball around a bit and get used
to the conditions. Or is two hours prior to the
game or whatever. The amount of time is enough.
Speaker 9 (16:13):
I mean it, it is enough. But at the same time,
that's something that I enjoyed doing. I wouldn't kick the
day before the game. But but in the past, in uh,
like when I was in Kansas City, we would go
over to the stadium and we'd walk around the stadium
on Thursdays just to get the visuals and specialists, so
the whole team. Specialist specialists just to get visuals and
(16:33):
just feel wind and just like it's all about getting
comfortable in your environment. So I mean, I would I
would love doing that if it were you know, yeah,
I would love doing that.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
I'm weird about it.
Speaker 9 (16:45):
I walked the field you know, a couple hours before
the game doing drops and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Just yeah, working on visuals and all that.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
So I got to ask you, since you brought it
up in a sense you mentioned Kansas City, what was
it like going back and playing in Kansas City after
being there for so many years, going back there and
playing there not once but twice, what was that like
for you?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
I mean, it was great.
Speaker 9 (17:04):
I mean I loved it, especially because I'm an extremely
competitive guy, even though I'm just a punter. So I mean,
I I just wanted to go out there and you know,
play the best I could, and I mean naturally I
wanted to beat him sore. So yeah, I mean I'm
really excited for uh, you know, the trip coming up
this year, another trip. But no, it was a lot
of fun getting back there. I got some great advice
(17:25):
going into that game, because that's you know, I've only
been on one team before here, so I got some
great advice about going back and playing in you know,
you're at your former team, is everybody knows that you
don't hate them, you know, so like, don't feel like
you have to go talk to everybody.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
When you're you know, pregame.
Speaker 6 (17:45):
He's like, uh yeah.
Speaker 9 (17:46):
One of my buddies told me, he's like, listen, like
everybody understands, like you don't have to go see everybody.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
You don't have to talk to everybody.
Speaker 9 (17:52):
So so that's something I tried to do, is I
try to just stay in my own zone and stay
focused on the task at hand. And that was a
great piece of advice because I could be kind of
a social guy sometimes and I'm glad. I glad I
didn't get well we attracted.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
We appreciate you visiting. Best of luck, Tommy. Yeah, thanks you,
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I love that dude, man.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
And as long as he's popping rockets and he's Tommy rockets,
it's gonna be a fantastic season. Hopefully he doesn't have
the punt at all, it'd be kind of nice. He
just punts very little this year twenty twenty five, but
you know he's gonna have to hit a couple of
key once throughout the year and a great punter we
have found over the years is it. I don't want
(18:30):
to say it's a luxury. It's something that you've got
to have and when you need it. Man, it's almost
like you know, car insurance. It's like you don't really
want to pay for it, but you know you've got
to be covered and once you have an accident, oh,
it comes in so handy.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Punters are kind of like that. Now, what about fullbacks?
Are fullbacks like that?
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Well, the one that Texans have and they got a
couple of them actually right now, but the one they
signed Jakub Johnson one of the more intriguing and interesting
people in that building for the Texans. We caught up
with him and what a story he is. Take a
listen to this interview.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Yakub Johnson joining us in studio. Your first visit to
the hun Day Texans radio studio. Well it's their first time, yeah,
and I'm really pulling for you, not just because of
the what you can do on the field, but I
want to say Yakub as a play by playing ass
I want to say that a lot.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
So I think it was so far for you.
Speaker 7 (19:23):
Good Man, good just getting settled in. I had had
a newborn in the spring, so I'm I'm dealing with that.
But yeah, man, used to this. Its been a really
cool city so far.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Yes, this is the break for you. Yes, yeah, did
you come over here?
Speaker 7 (19:36):
When I come to work, I get my sleep, man,
I get my food.
Speaker 6 (19:39):
Good time.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
I mean, that's got that you're adjusting to a new city.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
What do they tell you the three things moving, having
a child, and working and changed your job.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
You hit two of the three. But what has it
been like for you being in Houston, Yaka?
Speaker 1 (19:54):
What did you know about the Texans and what made
it the right place for you and your family?
Speaker 7 (19:58):
I mean really only LA against the Texans a few
times in my time in the league, and you know
they always defense, always showed up. So it was always
one of those games where you knew you had to
get your mind right going into it. And now I'll
see why, you know, like working extremely hard coaching staff here,
really I think got it, got it dialed in. I've
been with a few franchises in the league so far,
and this is a place where I can tell, Hey,
(20:20):
every part of the building, every part of the organization
is is bought into what you have to do to win,
and that's that's really exciting.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Man.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
What can you tell us about how football is going
down in Germany for players? Okay, you know the league
loves it there and NFL Europe back in the day
loved it there.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
But what about for players? What is playing football like
in Germany?
Speaker 6 (20:40):
All right, let me start by saying it changed a lot.
Like when I started.
Speaker 7 (20:43):
I'm talking about you got the the O line, you
got the guys a thirty two pack of beer after
the game, a couple of cigarettes getting cracked open, like
it was a it was a different experience then like
now now it's it's got a lot more professional. You
have a professional European league again that I'm I'm involved
with a little bit. But yeah, I think you have
an area where there's a lot of excitement. It's a
(21:04):
lot of growth. Like every year there's like people are
just discovering the sport, you know. I mean, like, imagine
when football first came in your life, how excited you
were about it.
Speaker 6 (21:11):
I feel like.
Speaker 7 (21:12):
All of Germany and the surrounding countries are experiencing that
for the first time.
Speaker 6 (21:16):
So it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
So we know each country and obviously it can happen
in the United States too. Kidschen Germany don't grow up
playing American football, yeah, but now it's being introduced to them.
So are we seeing a little bit in Germany? Instead
of playing soccer, you might go play American football. You
see maybe a little bit of a turnaro way. I
(21:38):
know it's hard to break down kind of something that's
systemic like soccer and those sports are a big, huge deal,
but it is American football making inroads a little bit
more and more with younger kids.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
I think that's exactly what's happening.
Speaker 7 (21:49):
And I know we have a lot of criticism for
social media and phones and everything, but I really think
that played a big part because football is not a
second most watched sport in Germany really, and kids are
sharing highlights and clips and and you know that's that's
what makes football are exciting. You see those clips, you
were like, hey, I want to I want to do that.
I want to get involved with that. And I think
(22:10):
more and more kids are starting because of that. When
when when I started, football was invisible, right, it was
kind of a sport for misfits. That's how I ended
up with football. I was trying to play soccer, but
they didn't have any uniforms that would fit me at
some point, you know what I mean. So I had
to find somewhere else if I could fit in. And
I think it's changing, it's becoming more of a mainstay
(22:30):
of really German and European culture.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
How are they Stuttgart Scorpions doing now, Yeah, that's what
I want to know.
Speaker 7 (22:37):
The Scores are still an excellent youth program. Their their
adult team kind of evolved into the Stutgart Surge, which
is like one of the competitors in the European League
of Football.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Now I like Scorpions better.
Speaker 6 (22:50):
I know, you got a nice ring to it, right,
I guess what I was saying.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
But logo is probably a scor it was we got
the stinger, you know. My gosh.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
You mentioned a little bit briefly about being involved with
the Are you involved with German team or a German league?
Speaker 7 (23:06):
What are you involved with? So I'm I'm a part
owner of the Stuctgud Surge. So I just try to
help grow that. That's that team, that franchise, and then
through that trying to grow football in that entire region.
So like I'm from the south west of Germany, stut Guard.
We're known for cars, you know, Mercedes, you know car fast,
(23:28):
fast roads, autumn and all that stuff. But I just
tried to do a kids camp there every year and
try to help the franchise, you know, be a successful.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Led to you coming to Jacksonville.
Speaker 7 (23:40):
Long journey I was at some point I was one
of the better players in Germany. I was trying to
figure out a way to get to a college. I
sent about six hundred emails to every FBS program you
check your archives. I sent you an email every head coach, linebacker, coach.
I was a linebacker at a time, position coaches, anybody
who whose email I could find in the staff directory
(24:02):
was getting a personalized email from me. I got three responses.
They said, Hey, we need to see you playing in America.
And after I graduated in Germany, I just kind of
ran out of options and called some family that I
had in Florida asked if I could stay with them
for a few months and played a season of high
school ball for the Rebolt Trojans in Jacksonville.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yeah, you not talked about this. I was coaching a
little bit after a little bit before you. But I
coached at Episcopal, knew all about Rebaul and when we're
putting the story together, I'm like, man, how do you
go Germany to Jacksonville.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Now it's not as it's not as wild as it
seems because.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Jacksonville is a military yea, so you get a lot
of guys going to Jacksonville.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Because they stay there because they're involved in the military.
So that was kind of my first thought.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
But then when you you play it that way, So
you were at Reboult for what one year? Yes, six months?
Six months, and then you go to college after that,
you got your offer after that?
Speaker 7 (24:55):
Yeah, I got my first offer was the Idaho Vandals.
I was and I was superhigh. I was like I
was getting ready to commit on the spot just because
that My whole journey was like I didn't have no
guarantee that this was going to work out. And once
I got that offer, I was like, Okay, at least
I'll be able to actually do this. But an, yeah,
later on through the season, just being in Florida, you
play against like some really highly recruited guys. The Tennessee
(25:18):
coaches were at one of the games against Baker County.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Yeah, yeah, Baker County well, yeah, that is not a
place you want to play on the road.
Speaker 7 (25:26):
Were throwing stuff at the buses and everything like it
was bad, but that stories.
Speaker 6 (25:30):
Yeah, but we had we had fun, man.
Speaker 7 (25:32):
But yeah, got the offer and then visited the university
and obviously they put you in that stadium one hundred
and two thousand people and everything, Like, I.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Was your reaction to that Neil Stadium? Unreal?
Speaker 6 (25:43):
Unreal?
Speaker 7 (25:44):
Like I thought I knew big stadiums from like soccer.
You could have never told me that a university for
university athletes is going to have like one of the
biggest stadiums in the world, and just the atmosphere and
there the whole the pageantry I think it's called around
the traditions, the band and walking into the stadium with
the whole team and everybody showing up.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Like all amateurs.
Speaker 7 (26:07):
Yeah right right, but this is I mean real, this
is before nil. Like that was the second week of COVID.
I got there and like they're like, hey man, here's
a forty dollars check. I was like, okay, okay, so
take us.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Through the transition because you no longer play linebacker. Yeah,
probably could, but don't you not play full back? And
so all right, you're a true full back doing everything there?
How did you make that transition? Where did that transition
happen to get you to the league? Playing full back?
Speaker 7 (26:35):
Coming from Germany and you know, not having the level
I would say of football knowledge that that kids over
here have just the natural instincts. I had a lot
of catching up to do in college, and you know,
they tried me out at different positions. I was at linebacker,
middle linebacker, outside, defensive end. Eventually transitioned over the tight
end and kind of stuck there. They kind of appreciated
(26:57):
my toughness and what I could do in the in
the run game, and honestly, you know, had had a
decent career. I always you go back and ask the coaches,
you know, I'm always been a hard worker, but never
could really put it all together to like become a
starter or something like that. Then went back home to Germany,
played a season out there, and I think really learned
(27:18):
a lot during that time. Got picked up by the
International Pathway program and they were the ones that were like, hey,
you know what, you should probably play fullback. Let's try
this out, And ended up working out.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Yeah, working out very well. Yakup's thanks a lot for
joining us. Best of a lot to you appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
What a really intriguing dude, Yakub Johnson is. I mean,
you're talking about some soft hands out of the backfield.
He made a nice one handed catch during OTA's mini camp.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
That okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
If you got a guy that catch the ball like
that and two hundred and seventy pounds and he'll hit
you right in the mouth, man, you've got a really
intriguing weapon for Nick Cayley. I think he's really excited.
Nick Kelly is to have Yakub Johnson here in He's
all right. We get back two other guys that have
been around, they've seen some things here with Houston Texans.
Austin Deculus and Kurt Heinez here on an Interview Friday
(28:05):
and Texans All Access.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
There right we are.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
What's happening everybody, Welcome back to this Friday edition of
Texans All Access an Interview Friday edition. If you're just
joining us on the show, I appreciate you being here
with me, your host, John Harris, Football and Olside Love
Reporter for your Houston Texans from Thenday Texans Radio Studio.
You've missed Tommy Townsend punter, Jakub Johnson full back, and
(28:28):
Jake Andrews Ovens lineman more than likely center, maybe starting center.
In our first segment, they were fantastic interviews, really a good,
good time with each of those three, and we got
two of them coming to you in this segment, starting
with a guy that played as much college football as
you could possibly play back in the day, and that
is Austin Deculus. Guy was at LSU it seemed like
(28:52):
for nineteen years and played about nineteen thousand games at LSU,
but he grew during that time, came to the Texans,
stepped away from the Texans as he was waived released,
bounced around a couple of teams, came back to Houston,
and it's back with the Texans for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
He's come a long way, he has grown a lot.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
I think there's something there with Austin Deculus, and he's
definitely very very good on the mic.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Here's Austin Deculus with Mark and myself.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
In studio with us. It's Austin Deculous. Austin, how's it
going doing good?
Speaker 2 (29:21):
How about yourself? Let's get that microphone right, right, right
up there.
Speaker 9 (29:24):
Good.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
So it's just down there were all the running all
the small running backs, but you know.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Right there, Okay, we got It feels like you were
drafted last Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
I mean, it just feels so recent. It does.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
Yet it's been a journey, he most that we're here.
You weren't here, you're with another team. Now you're back.
So what's it been like that whole path?
Speaker 10 (29:43):
I mean, like you said, it has been has been
a journey full of ups and downs, you know, uh,
being able just to see that the grass isn't always
green there on the other side, you know, being able
to go and just see all the different aspects of life,
and me personally being the first I'm living in New
Jersey or living up north. Is my first time not
living either Louisiana or Texas, so it's a little weird.
(30:06):
But the journey a lot really really helped me and
just help me mature, help me just grow up and
just be able like to add different aspects of overall
to my life and to my game.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
So how have you changed as a player?
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Because I asked that for a reason because I remember
you as a rookie and we're like, man, we've seen
you so much at LSU. We're like there's something there
where you go when you come back, and then you're
you're on a field as a six offensive line at times.
You played in that game week teen against the Titans,
like man, different looking player, gotten better and better each
(30:41):
year even though you had gone away. Why are you
different from the time at finishing LSU rookie year till now?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
How do you feel like you're different? Austin?
Speaker 10 (30:49):
I feel like just overall I'm different in the aspect
that my personally, I just don't try to make one play,
one bad play, one medium play and like continue to snowfall, yeah,
snowball into multiple bad plays, right, and then overall I
just think that as I've been in the league, you know,
I've been blessed to be able to part rooms that
(31:09):
have had amazing vets, Hall of Fame offensive lineman type
guys here different places, like the Jets, I was with
guys like Tyron Smith, being able like just to learn
from the guy that I immediately wanted to play old
line after as soon as I saw it, you know,
So just being able to just to part of that
(31:30):
journey is just being able like to pick different minds.
Just be able to be in different rooms and stuff
really has helped just overall just add to my game.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
So the systems you ran with the Jets, Saints, and
now you're back here and it's different. You got Cole Popovich,
you know, but he's the head guy now with the
offensive line.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
So how is that different?
Speaker 10 (31:51):
I mean, Coach pop He's gonna run that room. You know,
He's gonna run that room the way that he wants it.
He and the thing is he doesn't expect us to
do any thing that he doesn't think that we can do.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
You know, he has very high expectations for us.
Speaker 10 (32:05):
He just if you ask him this, he's going to
be like, you know what, we're just working on getting
better because that's his overall motto is just getting better
every day. And then I feel like it's a little
bit different just being able to go through different offenses.
I think this is like my fifth or sixth offense
I've learned within the pass going into four years.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
So but as you like start.
Speaker 10 (32:26):
To be around the game and stuff, you just to
like start to realize that a lot of is very similar.
It's just very small details. It's what makes everything different.
But everything's pretty much like borderline same.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
So so we talked a couple offensive linemen with Fasten
this because you get in into OTA's in mini camp
and it's a contact sport, right, It's like basketball, you
bag a little bit, but get to the falls collision sport,
and then that's where the focus becomes about the offensive
defensive lines because now guys are put on the patch.
So while you go through OTA's and mini camps Austin,
what's your focus? What's the biggest thing that you want
(33:03):
to work on during OTAs? Is it feet, is it
still working on the hand placement? Is it just the
new offense knowing all the pieces to it. What's kind
of the biggest thing for you going through ots in
many camps.
Speaker 10 (33:13):
I'll just say majority of just continue to just not
just know the playbook, but master it. You know, that's
always the first thing you try to do. But I
would say just every every year I try getting better
and then I feel like my tape has been showing
that year by year. But just work on consistency as
a whole, you know, just to not be able to
(33:36):
just go team plays back to back being good and
then just have that one keep on popping up so
every now and again, you know, So I feel like
just overall, just consistency and just mastering the playbook are
like my two things, right, but then overall just being
able just to be coachable and just do what pop
ass war.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
So absolutely all right, So you got married this offseason, right,
correct you too?
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah? Well it's going around around.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
So did you participate in shopping for the registry and
stuff like that or did you just leave that to.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Her all her all her smart man? Smart man? So
what did she entrust you to do?
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Were you in charge of the band flower anything?
Speaker 2 (34:17):
The show show out? That's it? You could.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
That's good, But that's different too, right now. That's that's
gonna be great for your life. Your career can really
take off now because of that stability.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Does that help you think?
Speaker 10 (34:32):
I mean, she's it's not really like it's not really
the stability is just because she's been the same woman
since day one. So there's really never been any question
on stability.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Uh, just it.
Speaker 10 (34:43):
You know, it's a little bit happier, you know, just
knowing the fact that she gets to change her last
name to mind and then you know, just we get
the we had the opportunity. We had that, that chance
just to be able to confess and like our love
for each other in front and like our family and
friends and stuff.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
So I feel like that that's really what it was.
Houston girl Louisiana girl.
Speaker 10 (35:06):
Uh, she was born in Orlando, but she has family
from Louisiana.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
All Right, he's got to be a connection there. Okay.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
I got to ask, just because I'm such a big
college football guy, your tigers this year, how are they
going to be?
Speaker 2 (35:18):
They're going, They're going all the way. I don't care. Yeah,
one hundred percent. That's Meyer is going to bring them both.
Speaker 10 (35:25):
All right, say it right here, my dog nuts bus
We trust, Yes, sir, he's.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Many receptions against A and M.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
He mounted down against a M. He can't do that anymore. Nah,
he knows, he knows what to do. He knows what
to do, and then he's gonna go. You know he's
gonna be good. Yeah, he's good for you. Long break
prior to camp, how is it spent? The first week?
Speaker 10 (35:51):
I'm right after we have our family barbecue on probably
driving to Destin, Florida for about be there for about
four days, and then come back and just hit ground
run though, so just work out. Yeah, I took all
the honeymoon and all that trip. Whenever I win, it's
for the winds though, no more, no more time off.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
So sounds good, Austin, thanks a lot for johnnyus.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
We appreciate it. Good.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Yeah, man, you gotta get that honeymoon in. You gotta
get that done. I mean, I know there are guys
that have done it different ways. And we talked to
Jay Canson. You think it was the first interview we played.
He went and got married and then came back. So
I think he got married in between OTA's and mini
camps and they came back for mini camps to miss
a day, they miss a minute, and then I think
he was going to take a honeymoon at some point.
So I got ticked that honeymoon in and uh Goodsey
(36:37):
Dawston has done that all right. Another guy that has
been just grinding from the time he got here to Houston,
but he's found a way to make it on this roster,
get another contract to stay with the Houston Texans.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
On the defensive line.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
That's got a lot of bodies, a lot of talent,
a lot of dudes, and Kurt Heinisch continues to be
a big part of everything that goes on here with
the text defensive line. And he sat in a hot
seat with Mark and myself. Here's Kurt Heinisch the domer. Yeah,
that's for Sean Pendergast.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
It's studio with us now Kurt henish on your defensive line,
part of your Houston Texans defense.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
And Kurt, how's it going.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
It's going good Man, good offseason, everything going well, practice,
all of it.
Speaker 11 (37:19):
Yes, sir, Yeah, I'm uh. I'm excited for fall camp
and to get started.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
You getting a lot of guys back from last year,
plus you bring back Sheldon Rankins into the room from
twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
It's like family reunion the defensive line room. What's up
been like?
Speaker 8 (37:32):
It's been cool.
Speaker 11 (37:34):
I mean, obviously we haven't had anyone everyone back for OTAs.
We've got some more guys kind of trickling in here
towards that mini camp, but it'll be cool to have
everybody back of the room. The dynamic between everybody, and
there's gonna be a lot of us, there's gonna be
a lot of there's gonna be.
Speaker 8 (37:48):
Some standing room only in that defensive line room. In'to
after camp. H No, but it's cool.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
It's cool to have.
Speaker 11 (37:53):
Everyone back rank. I'm the only person I really missing
his Malik. That'd be fun, fun, It'd be fun to
have him back. I'd like to see the end of
the room with everyone with him.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
To What do you attribute the defensive line room culture?
It being so good, the camaraderie, the chemistry.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
I think it.
Speaker 11 (38:09):
You know, Rod Wright has done a great job with that,
and uh, you know, just some of the leaders that
we have in the room, you know, like will we
all just kind of hold each other accountable. There's kind
of a standard that you must meet when you walk
into that room every day. Your attitude kind of gets
checked at the door and everyone you're kind of working
together for one common.
Speaker 8 (38:29):
Goal, and it just.
Speaker 11 (38:33):
It seems like, you know, you're either living up to
that standard or you're not in the room. That's kind
of just the culture that Ride's built. And it's great.
It's very competitive and you know, we get after it
where you know, we always say that when you see
the Houston Texans logo and you or you see the helmets,
you want to think of the Texans defensive line, that's
what you want to think of. When when you see
(38:55):
that that logo, you see that helmet, like when you
think of the Texans, you think of the front that
they have and that you know, we talk about we
want to be the engine of the team.
Speaker 8 (39:02):
We want to be the team. You know, you only
go as far as we take.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
You set the standard, baby, and you have.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
Yeah, you've blown up games, absolutely changed games around.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
You've been in the league.
Speaker 8 (39:14):
This is your four, your four.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
God dang man, time is flying down. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Time is absolutely flying by. So I've asked this question
a few guys. I'll ask you, if you your four,
Curt Heinish can go all the way back to rookie year,
Curt Heinish, give him one piece of advice.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (39:34):
What's the best piece of advice you can give to
rookie year, Curt Heinish.
Speaker 11 (39:37):
Man, I think being where your feet are and just
keeping your head down, notes to the grindstone, working every
single day, not worrying about what you can't control, just
worry about what you can control, and what you can't
control is how hard.
Speaker 8 (39:52):
You work in your attitude. That's what I was home.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
But do you feel like you needed to hear that?
Then I feel like you've always had that.
Speaker 11 (40:00):
Absolutely, But you know, there are times where you know
you're thinking ahead, or you know you have anxiety about something,
or you know you're you're stressed about something. I think
that for me personally, I think that I would tell
myself continue to work extremely hard, you know, I would,
you know, tell myself the the harder you work, the
luckier you get. That's what I would. Okay, Yeah, that
(40:20):
would be the advice that I give myself.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
Have you changed much in your behavior off the field
as far as what you eat, how you take care
of your body, that kind of thing.
Speaker 11 (40:28):
Absolutely, My diet now is completely different than when I
entered the NFL, and even growing up, I you know,
my I'm able to I'm in a fortunate enough position
where I'm able to afford you know very well, you know,
quality meats and vegetables and fruits and stuff like that. Uh,
you know, living a have a really good diet, you know,
(40:50):
not eating hamburgers and hot dugs a couple of times
a week growing up, you know, And there's nothing wrong
with that, but I just, yeah, my diet has changed
a lot, and my body composition has changed a lot.
So yeah, I mean That's been something that I really
have dove in on since I've been in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
So when you're training camp and as hot as hell,
how is that changing your diet? I mean, because you
burn off a lot of weight, you like, you think, man,
I need to.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Get a cheeseberger get it back?
Speaker 1 (41:16):
And how does your how does your diet kind of
change your training camp when hell hits?
Speaker 11 (41:21):
Uh, It's kind of one of those things that's you know,
if I'm trying to replenish after a really hot day,
you know, do I want to implement some more carbohydrates
to my to my meal if I know that I'm
not having as hard of a workout or it's hard
of a practice tomorrow? Do I not eat as much
carbs because I don't want to, you know, have the
(41:41):
whatever the extra carbs get stored as you know, glucase
and turning the fat or whatever. How that works. You
know that That's kind of how I look at it.
But obviously Lad Harris does a great job with with
that and monitoring your body weight and all that kind
of stuff. So yeah, it's kind of want to just
kind of take up a day by day.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
How much do you meet with Ladd throughout a season,
throughout the off season to kind of make sure that
or Ladder somebody from his group to kind of make
sure that you were staying on on track, if you will.
Speaker 11 (42:16):
I usually meet with him, probably once or twice an
off season, but once at the beginning I tell him
my goal is what I want to do, what I
want my body composition to be when the off season
is over. And then usually one during that process to
check in see how things are going, you know, run
a dexcess scan, run a couple other tests to see
how it's working out so far, and then.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
When you're eating a brisket sandwich you avoid him.
Speaker 11 (42:38):
Yeah, I do have days, and I think that there's
I mean, if you do if you just do straight
strict diet like twenty four to seven like you're gonna
it can be just so mundane and boring and this
and that, like and it just kind of sucks, right,
And like at the same time, it's like like you
(43:00):
can have days where you have like you know, uh,
a scoop of ice cream or like in uh, you know,
a cup of chocolate milk or something like that. Right,
Like it's you do have days where you have cheat
meals right like that, but you try to stay very,
very diligent and stay very.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
You said the words cheat meal. That got me thinking,
what's Kurt Heinish's cheat meal?
Speaker 11 (43:22):
Man, I'm so afraid of of I know I have
some cheat meals, but I'm so afraid of someone else
getting the edge on me and not having a cheat
meal that I I While I'm doing it, I'm like,
I get like stressed while I can't enjoy it. My
(43:46):
girlfriend and I we went to La Lucha in the Heights.
They have incredible fried chicken.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
Fried chickens incredible. Did you avoid it? No?
Speaker 11 (43:54):
We got it, and it was like I'm like, IIOK,
A couple of bites of this and I'm just like
I was more stressed out, like sick to my stomach
eating it, and I was just like, I can't finish this.
And you know, I like just one of those things.
It's like I feel like if someone's getting ahead of
me or doing something better than me, it's like, oh gosh,
you know, it's it's really hard for me to do.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
No, it makes sense. I can eat that whole bird.
Speaker 8 (44:18):
I've done it before and in the office in like
in the off season, when the season's over.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
I've done that place.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yeah, so the break prior to training camp, it's got
to be tough because we've talked to a lot of
guys and they're saying, man, you really can't take a break.
You know, you just got to keep rolling because you'll
fall behind going.
Speaker 8 (44:36):
Aftert is going in and break you get. Yeah.
Speaker 11 (44:39):
No, it's pedal of the metal. You're you're you're all
in until when your season's over. It's one of those situations.
And it, like I said, you're gonna have days where
you are gonna want to cheat, do this and that,
and you know you might have a birthday party and
niece's birthday party, and you might have a slice of
cake you know, here and there maybe once in a while,
but no, it's it's petal of the metal.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
Very good, Kurt, thanks a lot for joining us. We
appreciate it.
Speaker 8 (45:01):
Cool.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
Yes, very very cool. Okay, we finish up.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
We'll go round the NFL site sounds things happening from
around the league.
Speaker 2 (45:10):
We'll do that next on Texans All Access. What's Happened Everyday?
Speaker 1 (45:12):
We got one final segment Friday issue Texans All Access.
As we sit twelve days away from the start of
training camp eleven days away, the guys return to the building.
Both rookies and vets are due on July twenty second,
then start practice on the twenty third, essentially practice for
(45:34):
a week, A little over week fly the Greenbrier cool
off as we practice a little bit to gear up
for the first preseason game against Minnesota, come back week
in Houston Panthers arrive joint practices, preseason game against the Panthers,
and then the following week take off for Detroit for
the final preseason game, and then two weeks after that
(45:55):
a little over that kicking off against the LA Rams
in Sofi for the very first regular season game in
Los Angeles at Sofi Stadium. Now, there have been two others.
One was in Carson between nineteen one was in the
Colleague in twenty seventeen Coliseum where the Trojans play against
the Rams. But this is the first time a regular
(46:17):
season game for the Texans at Sofi Stadium, so looking
forward to that, and it won't be the only stop
in LA. There will be a second one in December
just after Christmas, taken on the Chargers in so Far
as well. News around the NFL. Chicago Bears GM Ryan
Poles signs extension through twenty twenty nine to stay with Chicago.
(46:42):
Now why is the big deal? Well, apparently it matches
up with Ben Johnson, a new head coach with the
Chicago Bears. The Bears during polls run are I think
the number is fifteen and thirty six. But he gets
an extension, and I know when you hear that, you're like,
fifteen to thirty six.
Speaker 2 (47:01):
My god, man, how do you keep a job?
Speaker 1 (47:03):
I keep in mind, you know, during the first couple
of years mal Nick was here and the record wasn't
that great, but you could see progress in the salary cap.
You could see progress in the play a little bit.
As things are going. Young players a kind of stepping up.
You know, Nico Collins had been drafted. You know, Davis
had done some decent things, et cetera, et cetera. All
of a sudden twenty twenty three and then the Dan
(47:25):
breaks for the Texans. Hopefully it breaks even more this year,
but you get the point. Ryan Poles signs the extension
with the Bears, keeping them through twenty twenty nine. I
do think the Bears will be better and the first
one I'll tell you would be Ryan Poles.
Speaker 2 (47:37):
N I kid, I kid.
Speaker 1 (47:39):
He's talked so much about that Bryce Young trade, about
everything that he did to pull that off.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
It's just it kind of stuck with me. So I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (47:46):
It seems like a good dude, Ry Poles, good luck.
I think the Bears are gonna need it in that division,
no doubt. All Right, that's gonna do it for today's show.
Appreciate Jake Andrews, Tommy Towns and Yakub Johnson, Austin Deculus,
Kurt Hims, My man Mark, all you for listen. We'll
see next time. It is always Go Texans
What's happened everybody, TG, I have Thank God Friday. Oh yeah,
even in the summer. Hopefully you got a good weekend plan.
Welcome into the show Texas All Access from the Hunday
Texans Radio Studio. I am your host, John Harris, football analyst,
sideline reporter, and this is going to be an interview Friday.
That's right, Mark and I during media Day is a
(00:20):
chance to catch up with a lot, a lot a
lot of the Texans players forty to be exactly. We've
been playing them at different points throughout and we're getting
to a point now where we gotta play them before
too long because we're twelve days away from camp starting,
and once we get to camp, it's all about what's
(00:42):
happening in training camp. So it's gonna be interview Friday.
So you're gonna hear from Austin Deculus, Kurt Heinish, Tommy Townsend.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
You're also gonna hear from Jakub Johnson.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You're gonna hear from Tommy and Yakub in this first segment,
but we're gonna kick it off with the guy. A
lot of people did a little doghead turned the first
day of OTAs because the media got out there just
on the social media after practice and said, here's what
the first offensive line looks like. And a lot of
people out there were like, who is Jake Andrews? And
(01:17):
I just remember seeing it. I thought, I'm not surprised.
I saw him when he was at the Senior Ball
back in twenty three. I thought he had the right
temperament to play center in the system. He had played
up in New England for a year that been banged
up a little bit. He had played at Troy University
before he got to the Senior Bowl. His offensive line coach,
offense coordinator there was Kole Popovich. I think you've heard
(01:37):
of him. So what Jake Andrews tried it out with
the first unit at center. Not really surprised, but I
think there were a lot of people that were out
there that were surprised. But I got to know Jake
a tiny bit at the Senior Bowl a couple of
years ago, talk to him, ask him about his wrestling background.
Of course, he wasn't gonna remember me, and I knew
he wasn't. But that said, I knew that what Texas
(01:59):
had gotten in Jake Andrews very intriguing candidate. To start
on this offensive line. Through Out OTA's mini camps, he
was there's the number one center most of the time.
Now does that whole throughout season, don't know, But if
it does, I'm pretty confident Jake Andrews is gonna be
the right guy at center, Very confident in that. I
do think there's gonna be a competition, and that's why
(02:20):
I say it that way.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
If he emerges as the.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Starter, he will have beaten out Jared Patterson, beating out
Jew Scruggs and anybody else they try at center.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
But Jake Andrews stepped.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
In the studio for the very first time at a
good time talking to Jake Andrews kickoff interview Friday.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Joining us in a Hundai Texans radio studio for the
first time ever. It's Jake Andrews Center. Welcome, Jake, appreciate it.
Thank you all right. So you're new to the team,
not new to the NFL, though, So what are you
thinking so far? Texans practice is underway, the meetings, a
lot of new old linemen.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
What do you think.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I'm having a lot of fun right now.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
I'm just honestly just lucky to be here, blessed to
be here trying to enjoy it as much as I can.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
It's a lot different than where I'm from.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
I feel like, you know, there's I've always heard there's
thirty two teams that do business thirty two different ways,
and so I like the way they do it here,
and I'm like, I said, really happy to be here
and just try and enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
So a couple of years ago, I said this the
other day on the air. We're at this year at
the Senior Bowl. I think it was twenty three at
the Senior Bowl, and my buddy Manzerline was talking to you,
and so I saw Lance, and so I just was
gonna listen to what you had to say. And at
some point I remember saying to you, you're a wrestler,
aren't you?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
And you were like, yeah, did you know that?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
I was like interior offensive linemen that wrestle had like
a certain look. You can just tell, Yeah, how important
was wrestling to you and how did that kind of
help you in your football career?
Speaker 5 (03:41):
Very important to me, not only for football, but just
as a individual with the mental capacity of it. I mean,
if you can wrestle one on one for six minutes
straight versus anybody you know, you got to have a
little something to you, and so you developed that. And
then obviously the technical things that help you with football,
like leverage, hand position, balance, it's good feet being able
(04:02):
to do stuff like that. Obviously transition as well, especially
to the interior of offensive line play.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
And so yeah, it's been really important. I'm glad i'd
do it.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
I would advocate for everybody to at least try to
wrestle if you're a football player, no matter what position
you play, because like I said, it's going to help
you either mentally or physically hopefully both.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Right and so, yeah, so you were a heavyweight, right
I was. Yeah, so at a heavyweight, you don't have
to make weight. You could be as heavy as you
need to be, right or not.
Speaker 6 (04:30):
True.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
They used to have they used to be called super heavyweight.
So like what heavyweight is now, which is two eighty
five is the limit? And then they used to have
back in the day super heavyweight, which was anybody over that.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Oh okay, so yeah, okay, you never had a problem
making weight.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
No, not till my senior year. Yeah, I had to
cut weight senior year.
Speaker 7 (04:49):
Oh really?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Yeah, cool, because I'd get heavy for football and then
I have to cut it all back down. I'd be
like three ten for football, have to get back.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
To twenty five.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
So yeah, how tough was that? Pretty well?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
In college he was our full back at two hundred
and thirty five pounds two or twenty five pounds, and
then he would wrestle.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So the last two three weeks in football.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Year, he he would leave and go wrestle at one
seventy seven.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Yeah, it's crazy. We had We had a guy that
wrestled for in high school. They have different weight classes,
but he was one O six that was his weight class,
but he walked around at like one point fifty.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
So he had to cut all that weight and they have.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
This like hydration test where you have to be so
hydrated to make a certain weight class that you want
to wrestling, and they kind of limit you, like, hey,
you can only drop twenty pounds, you can only go
this far down, and so you know, we did that
while football is still going on. So I'm like cutting
weight during the end of football season, trying to be
able to legally drop down to two and eighty five pounds.
So yeah, it was tough, but that's that kind of
(05:48):
goes back to what I was saying, like, if you
can do that type of stuff, I mean, it sounds
crazy and absurd, but if you can.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Do that, you can you can do anything.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
So you're at Troy with Kole Popovich, right, I was, yes,
all right, So tell the listeners viewers about Cole Popovich.
What kind of coaches he what kind of guy? Has
he been around him for a while.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
Whenever somebody asked me about pop I just the thing
that comes to my mind is winning. That's all he
wants to do is win. He wants to win football games.
He wants to go home, hang out with his family,
he wants to come back the next day and start
winning again. You know what I mean. Awesome, dude. I
wouldn't be here without him. I'll go ahead and say that.
(06:31):
I wouldn't say that about a lot of people. If
there's probably only two people I would say that about,
but he's definitely one of them.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
He came to Troy my senior year.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
I've been trying since I was knee high to a cricket,
trying to play center.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
Nobody would ever let me do it all growing up.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
And then he finally came in, and I guess he
was smart enough or dumb enough, whicheveryone you want to
look at it, and he let me do it. And
like I said, without him, I wouldn't be here. He's
he's a great man, man of God, fierce competitor even
just as a coach, really smart, very detailed in the
things he does. And like I said, I'm very lucky
(07:09):
to be here with him and to have been with
him in Troy.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
So was that something you wanted to do to play
center and they would let you?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
What? What was it about playing center? Did you think
that was the best fit for you?
Speaker 8 (07:20):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (07:22):
Yeah, I mean I wouldn't have ever, you know, said
to a coach like, hey, I need to play center
if I'm going to do you know, but I always
wanted to do it because you're in the middle of
the line. I always had an affinity for leading. I
hope I used affinity right way you did perfect, And
so it always I was always just drawn to it,
you know, and always wanted to. I always want to
do it was best for the team, still do. So,
(07:43):
you know, I played guard, I played both guards, whatever,
but I did deep down have a feeling. I just
never you know, said to anybody like Hey, I think
I should probably play center.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Jake, What can you share with us about the system?
What's going to be run here in this offense? Without
giving away too many secrets to the enemy.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
The ball is gonna be run, I tell you that much.
We're gonna run the football. Tayli's doing a good job
with putting all that stuff together. We're gonna protect cj
or whoever's back there, try to make us five up
from We're gonna try to make it our lives work
to not have anybody in his lap they're touching him
at all. Yeah, we're gonna pound the rock and we're
(08:23):
gonna air it out. We're gonna keep people on their
toes and we're gonna play tough, physical football and people
are gonna know when they wake up on Monday morning
that they just got done playing in the Houston Texans.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Jake.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
You've had I don't know how many new players to
the Texans that have been and so guys are getting
to know one another. You're lining up to somebody you
never lined up next to more than likely.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
What's that been like to help foster the chemistry.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
What have you guys kind of been doing to make
sure that you guys are thinking as a group as
opposed to guys that just got to know each other
within the last month or so.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
Yeah, for me, it's easier because I ran this system
exact system, different verbiage in college my senior year, dur
my rookie year when I was in New England, I
ran the same thing with Bill O'Brien, And so.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
For me it's been pretty easy because.
Speaker 5 (09:12):
I can communicate with guys who are seeing this stuff
for the first time, right, and you know, it's easy
for me to say, hey, well, you know, we used
to do it this way, and I know what Cole
wants probably which I know what he wants.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
I know what he wants stuff to look like. And
so maybe we didn't get to it in a meeting,
maybe we didn't get.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
To talk about it during the walkthrough, but when we
get out there and I'm talking to guys about stuff
in the locker room, I can let him know, like, hey,
let's try this differently. Hey, oh he wants he wants
this to look like that. When you've got you know,
X y Z out there in front of you.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
So yeah, yeah, Jake, thanks so much for joining us.
Good luck to you.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 6 (09:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
It's a good dude right there.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Jake Andrews center, maybe guard seventh lineman, but center seems
to be his natural fit.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
There's no question about that. Now.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Not sure if Jake Andrews is gonna be the starter.
We don't know that.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
We don't know that to be true. It happened.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
I can almost ninety nine point percent promise you our
next guest, will I guess start because he's the punter,
Tommy Townsend aka Tommy Rockets, that's in the game.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
I came up with him.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
He liked that, and he's back for year two and
I had a great time last summer. I got a
chance to talk to Tommy after practice do a little interview.
I mean, we start talking about the kind of the
science of punning, and he was really interesting to hear
it from Tommy's perspective. We dive in a little bit
more to that with Tommy. You're gonna have a new
long snapper this year. Looks like it might be Austin Brinkman,
but Tommy Towns enjoyed us right here.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
On an interview Friday, Tommy town said with us, Okay,
so what do you do before training? Camp, Tommy, to
get ready for training camp in the season. I mean
you are are you out in the field punting the ball?
I mean I'm to handle this your job description at
that time of year.
Speaker 9 (10:56):
Yeah, something like that. What I like to do is
I like to get in a big competit mindset. So
a lot of the time I'll go out, you know,
leading up to training camp, the week or two beforehand,
go out to San Diego and uh, there's a good
group of NFL guys that go out there. So I
like to go out there kind of train and compete
with those guys and just kind of getting like the
right mindset of yeah, just getting ready to go, getting
(11:16):
ready to get after it.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
You know, so other punters and kickers and those kinds
of guys specialists.
Speaker 9 (11:21):
Oh yeah, specialists. Yeah, it's a it's a unique little
group we have out there. Try and go out with
some of the you know, some of the best guys
in the NFL AJ Cole Jordan Stout, guys like that.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Yeah, just just get after it. Temmy.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
You want a quote unquote pitch count during the offseason,
Like there's a certain number, it's a certain number of
punts in that leg and you don't want to overdo it.
Do you kind of have a pitch count that you
have through the summer to not even into training camp
where you're like, Okay, I kick on these days or
a pun on these days.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
I don't only punting all the time. That's gonna wear out.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
You have a pitch count as you kind of go
through the off season leading up to the season.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Honestly, not really.
Speaker 9 (11:58):
I feel like that's the time for me to really
build up my leg endurance and get ready going into
training camps. We kick a lot in training camp and
obviously the seasons, you know, it's a long year, so
that's my time to really build up the endurance and
almost kind of like exhaust myself when I'm going out
on the field, just just to make sure my legs
and shape come training camp.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
I want to get back to the San Diego thing
just for a moment here. What's the craziest thing you
guys do. Do you have like a garbage can and
who can punt into that can? The life and corner
kind of thing. Some weird competitions Tommy between you.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, so we haven't.
Speaker 9 (12:29):
I haven't brought out the garbage can just yet, but
we just do the typical like work on distance direction
and then my favorite, my favorite game is big ball.
So big ball, Big ball, so you hit the highest
distance and hang ball that you can hit, so like
basically the biggest punt possible.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
And we've got like a different little way of.
Speaker 9 (12:50):
Like calculating like distance and hang time to where like
we can come up with like a fixed number for
like what the you know, what the ball is worth formula.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Right, but yeah, right, it's fifty it's five seconds, but
you went forty eight and it was five and a half.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Or whatever the case. Maybe physics class, Yeah, okay.
Speaker 9 (13:07):
Yeah, So basically what you do is you just kind
of like carry like carry the whatever the like the
decimal point over to the backside of say it's like
a four eight, then like forty eight four eight, or
like let's say fifty four eight. Then it would be
like the score would be like ninety eight for that ball.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
But uh, yes, we'll do stuff like that.
Speaker 9 (13:25):
But I enjoy big ball because that's, uh that's kind
of my game is you know, hang the ball up,
let the gunners go work, and.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Tommy rockints, yeah, to hang it up there there. How
experimental do you get in the off season, Tommy. I
remember watching NFL films and I want to and I, God,
forgive me. It's the punter for the Ravens. Sam Na Cook, Yeah,
Sam Cook Yeah, And I remember them saying he had
about twelve or thirteen different types of punts, and I thought, man,
(13:54):
there's a lot of experimentation that goes into that.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Do you do experimentation on.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Different drops, different types of punt turning offseason as well,
or do you just focus on getting the leg ready
to make sure that you can, you know, bang it
from wherever you need to.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 9 (14:07):
I mean that's the main goal right there, is just
kind of getting you know, getting really consistent. And then
once I get there, that's when I start manipulating the
ball with you know, with different winds, like I have
to drop the wall differently with different types of winds.
And then yeah, same thing with like plus fifty area balls,
like you know, I I'll angle the ball with where
I drop it if I want to, if I want
to draw the ball, if I want to fade it,
(14:29):
or I need to like try and hold it up
against the wind. There's a lot of manipulation in the ball.
But I haven't gotten to the banana punt yet. I
don't know if I'm ready to pull that one out
just yet.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
But one of the things you and I talked about
the fact that kicking Kansas City, you kicked outside at
least eight or nine times a year, and you.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Know, outside mostly other places.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Then you come in here and you punt inside where
conditions are pristine. But you were used to adapting two
conditions punning outside. So what was it like going through
a full year of punning inside throughout the year in
an energy stadium.
Speaker 9 (15:01):
Yeah, I mean it was definitely, Uh, it was definitely different.
And that's something that I've I've spoken about this year
looking at the schedule is leading up to outdoor games.
I'm regardless of what the weather is, I'm only gonna
put outside for the week leading up to it, because like,
once you get inside in that environment, you know, it's
it's easier to adjust, and yeah, there's not as much
(15:21):
movement with the ball.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
So but I mean it's all.
Speaker 9 (15:25):
About in order to learn how to punt in the wind,
you have to punt in the wind, right, So it's
just one of those things. It's a process leading into
it and preparation is key, and how you go about
preparing it's gonna you know, get you ready for the uh,
the game coming up in those conditions.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
All right, I have a game changing idea for you
and fairwell, okay, I think I think this will become
common practice once this gets out. Now somebody must have
thought of this before. But college teams have a walk
through in the stadium the day before the game, right.
NFL teams don't do that. However, there is a crew
that goes over to the stadium to set up the
lockers and everything. What help hunters and kickers to go
(16:02):
to the stadium on the road the day before and
just boot the ball around a bit and get used
to the conditions. Or is two hours prior to the
game or whatever. The amount of time is enough.
Speaker 9 (16:13):
I mean it, it is enough. But at the same time,
that's something that I enjoyed doing. I wouldn't kick the
day before the game. But but in the past, in uh,
like when I was in Kansas City, we would go
over to the stadium and we'd walk around the stadium
on Thursdays just to get the visuals and specialists, so
the whole team. Specialist specialists just to get visuals and
(16:33):
just feel wind and just like it's all about getting
comfortable in your environment. So I mean, I would I
would love doing that if it were you know, yeah,
I would love doing that.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
I'm weird about it.
Speaker 9 (16:45):
I walked the field you know, a couple hours before
the game doing drops and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Just yeah, working on visuals and all that.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
So I got to ask you, since you brought it
up in a sense you mentioned Kansas City, what was
it like going back and playing in Kansas City after
being there for so many years, going back there and
playing there not once but twice, what was that like
for you?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
I mean, it was great.
Speaker 9 (17:04):
I mean I loved it, especially because I'm an extremely
competitive guy, even though I'm just a punter. So I mean,
I I just wanted to go out there and you know,
play the best I could, and I mean naturally I
wanted to beat him sore. So yeah, I mean I'm
really excited for uh, you know, the trip coming up
this year, another trip. But no, it was a lot
of fun getting back there. I got some great advice
(17:25):
going into that game, because that's you know, I've only
been on one team before here, so I got some
great advice about going back and playing in you know,
you're at your former team, is everybody knows that you
don't hate them, you know, so like, don't feel like
you have to go talk to everybody.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
When you're you know, pregame.
Speaker 6 (17:45):
He's like, uh yeah.
Speaker 9 (17:46):
One of my buddies told me, he's like, listen, like
everybody understands, like you don't have to go see everybody.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
You don't have to talk to everybody.
Speaker 9 (17:52):
So so that's something I tried to do, is I
try to just stay in my own zone and stay
focused on the task at hand. And that was a
great piece of advice because I could be kind of
a social guy sometimes and I'm glad. I glad I
didn't get well we attracted.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
We appreciate you visiting. Best of luck, Tommy. Yeah, thanks you,
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I love that dude, man.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
And as long as he's popping rockets and he's Tommy rockets,
it's gonna be a fantastic season. Hopefully he doesn't have
the punt at all, it'd be kind of nice. He
just punts very little this year twenty twenty five, but
you know he's gonna have to hit a couple of
key once throughout the year and a great punter we
have found over the years is it. I don't want
(18:30):
to say it's a luxury. It's something that you've got
to have and when you need it. Man, it's almost
like you know, car insurance. It's like you don't really
want to pay for it, but you know you've got
to be covered and once you have an accident, oh,
it comes in so handy.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Punters are kind of like that. Now, what about fullbacks?
Are fullbacks like that?
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Well, the one that Texans have and they got a
couple of them actually right now, but the one they
signed Jakub Johnson one of the more intriguing and interesting
people in that building for the Texans. We caught up
with him and what a story he is. Take a
listen to this interview.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Yakub Johnson joining us in studio. Your first visit to
the hun Day Texans radio studio. Well it's their first time, yeah,
and I'm really pulling for you, not just because of
the what you can do on the field, but I
want to say Yakub as a play by playing ass
I want to say that a lot.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
So I think it was so far for you.
Speaker 7 (19:23):
Good Man, good just getting settled in. I had had
a newborn in the spring, so I'm I'm dealing with that.
But yeah, man, used to this. Its been a really
cool city so far.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Yes, this is the break for you. Yes, yeah, did
you come over here?
Speaker 7 (19:36):
When I come to work, I get my sleep, man,
I get my food.
Speaker 6 (19:39):
Good time.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
I mean, that's got that you're adjusting to a new city.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
What do they tell you the three things moving, having
a child, and working and changed your job.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
You hit two of the three. But what has it
been like for you being in Houston, Yaka?
Speaker 1 (19:54):
What did you know about the Texans and what made
it the right place for you and your family?
Speaker 7 (19:58):
I mean really only LA against the Texans a few
times in my time in the league, and you know
they always defense, always showed up. So it was always
one of those games where you knew you had to
get your mind right going into it. And now I'll
see why, you know, like working extremely hard coaching staff here,
really I think got it, got it dialed in. I've
been with a few franchises in the league so far,
and this is a place where I can tell, Hey,
(20:20):
every part of the building, every part of the organization
is is bought into what you have to do to win,
and that's that's really exciting.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Man.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
What can you tell us about how football is going
down in Germany for players? Okay, you know the league
loves it there and NFL Europe back in the day
loved it there.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
But what about for players? What is playing football like
in Germany?
Speaker 6 (20:40):
All right, let me start by saying it changed a lot.
Like when I started.
Speaker 7 (20:43):
I'm talking about you got the the O line, you
got the guys a thirty two pack of beer after
the game, a couple of cigarettes getting cracked open, like
it was a it was a different experience then like
now now it's it's got a lot more professional. You
have a professional European league again that I'm I'm involved
with a little bit. But yeah, I think you have
an area where there's a lot of excitement. It's a
(21:04):
lot of growth. Like every year there's like people are
just discovering the sport, you know. I mean, like, imagine
when football first came in your life, how excited you
were about it.
Speaker 6 (21:11):
I feel like.
Speaker 7 (21:12):
All of Germany and the surrounding countries are experiencing that
for the first time.
Speaker 6 (21:16):
So it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
So we know each country and obviously it can happen
in the United States too. Kidschen Germany don't grow up
playing American football, yeah, but now it's being introduced to them.
So are we seeing a little bit in Germany? Instead
of playing soccer, you might go play American football. You
see maybe a little bit of a turnaro way. I
(21:38):
know it's hard to break down kind of something that's
systemic like soccer and those sports are a big, huge deal,
but it is American football making inroads a little bit
more and more with younger kids.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
I think that's exactly what's happening.
Speaker 7 (21:49):
And I know we have a lot of criticism for
social media and phones and everything, but I really think
that played a big part because football is not a
second most watched sport in Germany really, and kids are
sharing highlights and clips and and you know that's that's
what makes football are exciting. You see those clips, you
were like, hey, I want to I want to do that.
I want to get involved with that. And I think
(22:10):
more and more kids are starting because of that. When
when when I started, football was invisible, right, it was
kind of a sport for misfits. That's how I ended
up with football. I was trying to play soccer, but
they didn't have any uniforms that would fit me at
some point, you know what I mean. So I had
to find somewhere else if I could fit in. And
I think it's changing, it's becoming more of a mainstay
(22:30):
of really German and European culture.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
How are they Stuttgart Scorpions doing now, Yeah, that's what
I want to know.
Speaker 7 (22:37):
The Scores are still an excellent youth program. Their their
adult team kind of evolved into the Stutgart Surge, which
is like one of the competitors in the European League
of Football.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Now I like Scorpions better.
Speaker 6 (22:50):
I know, you got a nice ring to it, right,
I guess what I was saying.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
But logo is probably a scor it was we got
the stinger, you know. My gosh.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
You mentioned a little bit briefly about being involved with
the Are you involved with German team or a German league?
Speaker 7 (23:06):
What are you involved with? So I'm I'm a part
owner of the Stuctgud Surge. So I just try to
help grow that. That's that team, that franchise, and then
through that trying to grow football in that entire region.
So like I'm from the south west of Germany, stut Guard.
We're known for cars, you know, Mercedes, you know car fast,
(23:28):
fast roads, autumn and all that stuff. But I just
tried to do a kids camp there every year and
try to help the franchise, you know, be a successful.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Led to you coming to Jacksonville.
Speaker 7 (23:40):
Long journey I was at some point I was one
of the better players in Germany. I was trying to
figure out a way to get to a college. I
sent about six hundred emails to every FBS program you
check your archives. I sent you an email every head coach, linebacker, coach.
I was a linebacker at a time, position coaches, anybody
who whose email I could find in the staff directory
(24:02):
was getting a personalized email from me. I got three responses.
They said, Hey, we need to see you playing in America.
And after I graduated in Germany, I just kind of
ran out of options and called some family that I
had in Florida asked if I could stay with them
for a few months and played a season of high
school ball for the Rebolt Trojans in Jacksonville.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yeah, you not talked about this. I was coaching a
little bit after a little bit before you. But I
coached at Episcopal, knew all about Rebaul and when we're
putting the story together, I'm like, man, how do you
go Germany to Jacksonville.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Now it's not as it's not as wild as it
seems because.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Jacksonville is a military yea, so you get a lot
of guys going to Jacksonville.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Because they stay there because they're involved in the military.
So that was kind of my first thought.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
But then when you you play it that way, So
you were at Reboult for what one year? Yes, six months?
Six months, and then you go to college after that,
you got your offer after that?
Speaker 7 (24:55):
Yeah, I got my first offer was the Idaho Vandals.
I was and I was superhigh. I was like I
was getting ready to commit on the spot just because
that My whole journey was like I didn't have no
guarantee that this was going to work out. And once
I got that offer, I was like, Okay, at least
I'll be able to actually do this. But an, yeah,
later on through the season, just being in Florida, you
play against like some really highly recruited guys. The Tennessee
(25:18):
coaches were at one of the games against Baker County.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Yeah, yeah, Baker County well, yeah, that is not a
place you want to play on the road.
Speaker 7 (25:26):
Were throwing stuff at the buses and everything like it
was bad, but that stories.
Speaker 6 (25:30):
Yeah, but we had we had fun, man.
Speaker 7 (25:32):
But yeah, got the offer and then visited the university
and obviously they put you in that stadium one hundred
and two thousand people and everything, Like, I.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Was your reaction to that Neil Stadium? Unreal?
Speaker 6 (25:43):
Unreal?
Speaker 7 (25:44):
Like I thought I knew big stadiums from like soccer.
You could have never told me that a university for
university athletes is going to have like one of the
biggest stadiums in the world, and just the atmosphere and
there the whole the pageantry I think it's called around
the traditions, the band and walking into the stadium with
the whole team and everybody showing up.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Like all amateurs.
Speaker 7 (26:07):
Yeah right right, but this is I mean real, this
is before nil. Like that was the second week of COVID.
I got there and like they're like, hey man, here's
a forty dollars check. I was like, okay, okay, so
take us.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Through the transition because you no longer play linebacker. Yeah,
probably could, but don't you not play full back? And
so all right, you're a true full back doing everything there?
How did you make that transition? Where did that transition
happen to get you to the league? Playing full back?
Speaker 7 (26:35):
Coming from Germany and you know, not having the level
I would say of football knowledge that that kids over
here have just the natural instincts. I had a lot
of catching up to do in college, and you know,
they tried me out at different positions. I was at linebacker,
middle linebacker, outside, defensive end. Eventually transitioned over the tight
end and kind of stuck there. They kind of appreciated
(26:57):
my toughness and what I could do in the in
the run game, and honestly, you know, had had a
decent career. I always you go back and ask the coaches,
you know, I'm always been a hard worker, but never
could really put it all together to like become a
starter or something like that. Then went back home to Germany,
played a season out there, and I think really learned
(27:18):
a lot during that time. Got picked up by the
International Pathway program and they were the ones that were like, hey,
you know what, you should probably play fullback. Let's try
this out, And ended up working out.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Yeah, working out very well. Yakup's thanks a lot for
joining us. Best of a lot to you appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
What a really intriguing dude, Yakub Johnson is. I mean,
you're talking about some soft hands out of the backfield.
He made a nice one handed catch during OTA's mini camp.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
That okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
If you got a guy that catch the ball like
that and two hundred and seventy pounds and he'll hit
you right in the mouth, man, you've got a really
intriguing weapon for Nick Cayley. I think he's really excited.
Nick Kelly is to have Yakub Johnson here in He's
all right. We get back two other guys that have
been around, they've seen some things here with Houston Texans.
Austin Deculus and Kurt Heinez here on an Interview Friday
(28:05):
and Texans All Access.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
There right we are.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
What's happening everybody, Welcome back to this Friday edition of
Texans All Access an Interview Friday edition. If you're just
joining us on the show, I appreciate you being here
with me, your host, John Harris, Football and Olside Love
Reporter for your Houston Texans from Thenday Texans Radio Studio.
You've missed Tommy Townsend punter, Jakub Johnson full back, and
(28:28):
Jake Andrews Ovens lineman more than likely center, maybe starting center.
In our first segment, they were fantastic interviews, really a good,
good time with each of those three, and we got
two of them coming to you in this segment, starting
with a guy that played as much college football as
you could possibly play back in the day, and that
is Austin Deculus. Guy was at LSU it seemed like
(28:52):
for nineteen years and played about nineteen thousand games at LSU,
but he grew during that time, came to the Texans,
stepped away from the Texans as he was waived released,
bounced around a couple of teams, came back to Houston,
and it's back with the Texans for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
He's come a long way, he has grown a lot.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
I think there's something there with Austin Deculus, and he's
definitely very very good on the mic.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Here's Austin Deculus with Mark and myself.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
In studio with us. It's Austin Deculous. Austin, how's it
going doing good?
Speaker 2 (29:21):
How about yourself? Let's get that microphone right, right, right
up there.
Speaker 9 (29:24):
Good.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
So it's just down there were all the running all
the small running backs, but you know.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Right there, Okay, we got It feels like you were
drafted last Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
I mean, it just feels so recent. It does.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
Yet it's been a journey, he most that we're here.
You weren't here, you're with another team. Now you're back.
So what's it been like that whole path?
Speaker 10 (29:43):
I mean, like you said, it has been has been
a journey full of ups and downs, you know, uh,
being able just to see that the grass isn't always
green there on the other side, you know, being able
to go and just see all the different aspects of life,
and me personally being the first I'm living in New
Jersey or living up north. Is my first time not
living either Louisiana or Texas, so it's a little weird.
(30:06):
But the journey a lot really really helped me and
just help me mature, help me just grow up and
just be able like to add different aspects of overall
to my life and to my game.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
So how have you changed as a player?
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Because I asked that for a reason because I remember
you as a rookie and we're like, man, we've seen
you so much at LSU. We're like there's something there
where you go when you come back, and then you're
you're on a field as a six offensive line at times.
You played in that game week teen against the Titans,
like man, different looking player, gotten better and better each
(30:41):
year even though you had gone away. Why are you
different from the time at finishing LSU rookie year till now?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
How do you feel like you're different? Austin?
Speaker 10 (30:49):
I feel like just overall I'm different in the aspect
that my personally, I just don't try to make one play,
one bad play, one medium play and like continue to snowfall, yeah,
snowball into multiple bad plays, right, and then overall I
just think that as I've been in the league, you know,
I've been blessed to be able to part rooms that
(31:09):
have had amazing vets, Hall of Fame offensive lineman type
guys here different places, like the Jets, I was with
guys like Tyron Smith, being able like just to learn
from the guy that I immediately wanted to play old
line after as soon as I saw it, you know,
So just being able to just to part of that
(31:30):
journey is just being able like to pick different minds.
Just be able to be in different rooms and stuff
really has helped just overall just add to my game.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
So the systems you ran with the Jets, Saints, and
now you're back here and it's different. You got Cole Popovich,
you know, but he's the head guy now with the
offensive line.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
So how is that different?
Speaker 10 (31:51):
I mean, Coach pop He's gonna run that room. You know,
He's gonna run that room the way that he wants it.
He and the thing is he doesn't expect us to
do any thing that he doesn't think that we can do.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
You know, he has very high expectations for us.
Speaker 10 (32:05):
He just if you ask him this, he's going to
be like, you know what, we're just working on getting
better because that's his overall motto is just getting better
every day. And then I feel like it's a little
bit different just being able to go through different offenses.
I think this is like my fifth or sixth offense
I've learned within the pass going into four years.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
So but as you like start.
Speaker 10 (32:26):
To be around the game and stuff, you just to
like start to realize that a lot of is very similar.
It's just very small details. It's what makes everything different.
But everything's pretty much like borderline same.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
So so we talked a couple offensive linemen with Fasten
this because you get in into OTA's in mini camp
and it's a contact sport, right, It's like basketball, you
bag a little bit, but get to the falls collision sport,
and then that's where the focus becomes about the offensive
defensive lines because now guys are put on the patch.
So while you go through OTA's and mini camps Austin,
what's your focus? What's the biggest thing that you want
(33:03):
to work on during OTAs? Is it feet, is it
still working on the hand placement? Is it just the
new offense knowing all the pieces to it. What's kind
of the biggest thing for you going through ots in
many camps.
Speaker 10 (33:13):
I'll just say majority of just continue to just not
just know the playbook, but master it. You know, that's
always the first thing you try to do. But I
would say just every every year I try getting better
and then I feel like my tape has been showing
that year by year. But just work on consistency as
a whole, you know, just to not be able to
(33:36):
just go team plays back to back being good and
then just have that one keep on popping up so
every now and again, you know, So I feel like
just overall, just consistency and just mastering the playbook are
like my two things, right, but then overall just being
able just to be coachable and just do what pop
ass war.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
So absolutely all right, So you got married this offseason, right,
correct you too?
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah? Well it's going around around.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
So did you participate in shopping for the registry and
stuff like that or did you just leave that to.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Her all her all her smart man? Smart man? So
what did she entrust you to do?
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Were you in charge of the band flower anything?
Speaker 2 (34:17):
The show show out? That's it? You could.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
That's good, But that's different too, right now. That's that's
gonna be great for your life. Your career can really
take off now because of that stability.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Does that help you think?
Speaker 10 (34:32):
I mean, she's it's not really like it's not really
the stability is just because she's been the same woman
since day one. So there's really never been any question
on stability.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Uh, just it.
Speaker 10 (34:43):
You know, it's a little bit happier, you know, just
knowing the fact that she gets to change her last
name to mind and then you know, just we get
the we had the opportunity. We had that, that chance
just to be able to confess and like our love
for each other in front and like our family and
friends and stuff.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
So I feel like that that's really what it was.
Houston girl Louisiana girl.
Speaker 10 (35:06):
Uh, she was born in Orlando, but she has family
from Louisiana.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
All Right, he's got to be a connection there. Okay.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
I got to ask, just because I'm such a big
college football guy, your tigers this year, how are they
going to be?
Speaker 2 (35:18):
They're going, They're going all the way. I don't care. Yeah,
one hundred percent. That's Meyer is going to bring them both.
Speaker 10 (35:25):
All right, say it right here, my dog nuts bus
We trust, Yes, sir, he's.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Many receptions against A and M.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
He mounted down against a M. He can't do that anymore. Nah,
he knows, he knows what to do. He knows what
to do, and then he's gonna go. You know he's
gonna be good. Yeah, he's good for you. Long break
prior to camp, how is it spent? The first week?
Speaker 10 (35:51):
I'm right after we have our family barbecue on probably
driving to Destin, Florida for about be there for about
four days, and then come back and just hit ground
run though, so just work out. Yeah, I took all
the honeymoon and all that trip. Whenever I win, it's
for the winds though, no more, no more time off.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
So sounds good, Austin, thanks a lot for johnnyus.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
We appreciate it. Good.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Yeah, man, you gotta get that honeymoon in. You gotta
get that done. I mean, I know there are guys
that have done it different ways. And we talked to
Jay Canson. You think it was the first interview we played.
He went and got married and then came back. So
I think he got married in between OTA's and mini
camps and they came back for mini camps to miss
a day, they miss a minute, and then I think
he was going to take a honeymoon at some point.
So I got ticked that honeymoon in and uh Goodsey
(36:37):
Dawston has done that all right. Another guy that has
been just grinding from the time he got here to Houston,
but he's found a way to make it on this roster,
get another contract to stay with the Houston Texans.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
On the defensive line.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
That's got a lot of bodies, a lot of talent,
a lot of dudes, and Kurt Heinisch continues to be
a big part of everything that goes on here with
the text defensive line. And he sat in a hot
seat with Mark and myself. Here's Kurt Heinisch the domer. Yeah,
that's for Sean Pendergast.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
It's studio with us now Kurt henish on your defensive line,
part of your Houston Texans defense.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
And Kurt, how's it going.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
It's going good Man, good offseason, everything going well, practice,
all of it.
Speaker 11 (37:19):
Yes, sir, Yeah, I'm uh. I'm excited for fall camp
and to get started.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
You getting a lot of guys back from last year,
plus you bring back Sheldon Rankins into the room from
twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
It's like family reunion the defensive line room. What's up
been like?
Speaker 8 (37:32):
It's been cool.
Speaker 11 (37:34):
I mean, obviously we haven't had anyone everyone back for OTAs.
We've got some more guys kind of trickling in here
towards that mini camp, but it'll be cool to have
everybody back of the room. The dynamic between everybody, and
there's gonna be a lot of us, there's gonna be
a lot of there's gonna be.
Speaker 8 (37:48):
Some standing room only in that defensive line room. In'to
after camp. H No, but it's cool.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
It's cool to have.
Speaker 11 (37:53):
Everyone back rank. I'm the only person I really missing
his Malik. That'd be fun, fun, It'd be fun to
have him back. I'd like to see the end of
the room with everyone with him.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
To What do you attribute the defensive line room culture?
It being so good, the camaraderie, the chemistry.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
I think it.
Speaker 11 (38:09):
You know, Rod Wright has done a great job with that,
and uh, you know, just some of the leaders that
we have in the room, you know, like will we
all just kind of hold each other accountable. There's kind
of a standard that you must meet when you walk
into that room every day. Your attitude kind of gets
checked at the door and everyone you're kind of working
together for one common.
Speaker 8 (38:29):
Goal, and it just.
Speaker 11 (38:33):
It seems like, you know, you're either living up to
that standard or you're not in the room. That's kind
of just the culture that Ride's built. And it's great.
It's very competitive and you know, we get after it
where you know, we always say that when you see
the Houston Texans logo and you or you see the helmets,
you want to think of the Texans defensive line, that's
what you want to think of. When when you see
(38:55):
that that logo, you see that helmet, like when you
think of the Texans, you think of the front that
they have and that you know, we talk about we
want to be the engine of the team.
Speaker 8 (39:02):
We want to be the team. You know, you only
go as far as we take.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
You set the standard, baby, and you have.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
Yeah, you've blown up games, absolutely changed games around.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
You've been in the league.
Speaker 8 (39:14):
This is your four, your four.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
God dang man, time is flying down. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Time is absolutely flying by. So I've asked this question
a few guys. I'll ask you, if you your four,
Curt Heinish can go all the way back to rookie year,
Curt Heinish, give him one piece of advice.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (39:34):
What's the best piece of advice you can give to
rookie year, Curt Heinish.
Speaker 11 (39:37):
Man, I think being where your feet are and just
keeping your head down, notes to the grindstone, working every
single day, not worrying about what you can't control, just
worry about what you can control, and what you can't
control is how hard.
Speaker 8 (39:52):
You work in your attitude. That's what I was home.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
But do you feel like you needed to hear that?
Then I feel like you've always had that.
Speaker 11 (40:00):
Absolutely, But you know, there are times where you know
you're thinking ahead, or you know you have anxiety about something,
or you know you're you're stressed about something. I think
that for me personally, I think that I would tell
myself continue to work extremely hard, you know, I would,
you know, tell myself the the harder you work, the
luckier you get. That's what I would. Okay, Yeah, that
(40:20):
would be the advice that I give myself.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
Have you changed much in your behavior off the field
as far as what you eat, how you take care
of your body, that kind of thing.
Speaker 11 (40:28):
Absolutely, My diet now is completely different than when I
entered the NFL, and even growing up, I you know,
my I'm able to I'm in a fortunate enough position
where I'm able to afford you know very well, you know,
quality meats and vegetables and fruits and stuff like that. Uh,
you know, living a have a really good diet, you know,
(40:50):
not eating hamburgers and hot dugs a couple of times
a week growing up, you know, And there's nothing wrong
with that, but I just, yeah, my diet has changed
a lot, and my body composition has changed a lot.
So yeah, I mean That's been something that I really
have dove in on since I've been in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
So when you're training camp and as hot as hell,
how is that changing your diet? I mean, because you
burn off a lot of weight, you like, you think, man,
I need to.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Get a cheeseberger get it back?
Speaker 1 (41:16):
And how does your how does your diet kind of
change your training camp when hell hits?
Speaker 11 (41:21):
Uh, It's kind of one of those things that's you know,
if I'm trying to replenish after a really hot day,
you know, do I want to implement some more carbohydrates
to my to my meal if I know that I'm
not having as hard of a workout or it's hard
of a practice tomorrow? Do I not eat as much
carbs because I don't want to, you know, have the
(41:41):
whatever the extra carbs get stored as you know, glucase
and turning the fat or whatever. How that works. You
know that That's kind of how I look at it.
But obviously Lad Harris does a great job with with
that and monitoring your body weight and all that kind
of stuff. So yeah, it's kind of want to just
kind of take up a day by day.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
How much do you meet with Ladd throughout a season,
throughout the off season to kind of make sure that
or Ladder somebody from his group to kind of make
sure that you were staying on on track, if you will.
Speaker 11 (42:16):
I usually meet with him, probably once or twice an
off season, but once at the beginning I tell him
my goal is what I want to do, what I
want my body composition to be when the off season
is over. And then usually one during that process to
check in see how things are going, you know, run
a dexcess scan, run a couple other tests to see
how it's working out so far, and then.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
When you're eating a brisket sandwich you avoid him.
Speaker 11 (42:38):
Yeah, I do have days, and I think that there's
I mean, if you do if you just do straight
strict diet like twenty four to seven like you're gonna
it can be just so mundane and boring and this
and that, like and it just kind of sucks, right,
And like at the same time, it's like like you
(43:00):
can have days where you have like you know, uh,
a scoop of ice cream or like in uh, you know,
a cup of chocolate milk or something like that. Right,
Like it's you do have days where you have cheat
meals right like that, but you try to stay very,
very diligent and stay very.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
You said the words cheat meal. That got me thinking,
what's Kurt Heinish's cheat meal?
Speaker 11 (43:22):
Man, I'm so afraid of of I know I have
some cheat meals, but I'm so afraid of someone else
getting the edge on me and not having a cheat
meal that I I While I'm doing it, I'm like,
I get like stressed while I can't enjoy it. My
(43:46):
girlfriend and I we went to La Lucha in the Heights.
They have incredible fried chicken.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
Fried chickens incredible. Did you avoid it? No?
Speaker 11 (43:54):
We got it, and it was like I'm like, IIOK,
A couple of bites of this and I'm just like
I was more stressed out, like sick to my stomach
eating it, and I was just like, I can't finish this.
And you know, I like just one of those things.
It's like I feel like if someone's getting ahead of
me or doing something better than me, it's like, oh gosh,
you know, it's it's really hard for me to do.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
No, it makes sense. I can eat that whole bird.
Speaker 8 (44:18):
I've done it before and in the office in like
in the off season, when the season's over.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
I've done that place.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yeah, so the break prior to training camp, it's got
to be tough because we've talked to a lot of
guys and they're saying, man, you really can't take a break.
You know, you just got to keep rolling because you'll
fall behind going.
Speaker 8 (44:36):
Aftert is going in and break you get. Yeah.
Speaker 11 (44:39):
No, it's pedal of the metal. You're you're you're all
in until when your season's over. It's one of those situations.
And it, like I said, you're gonna have days where
you are gonna want to cheat, do this and that,
and you know you might have a birthday party and
niece's birthday party, and you might have a slice of
cake you know, here and there maybe once in a while,
but no, it's it's petal of the metal.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
Very good, Kurt, thanks a lot for joining us. We
appreciate it.
Speaker 8 (45:01):
Cool.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
Yes, very very cool. Okay, we finish up.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
We'll go round the NFL site sounds things happening from
around the league.
Speaker 2 (45:10):
We'll do that next on Texans All Access. What's Happened Everyday?
Speaker 1 (45:12):
We got one final segment Friday issue Texans All Access.
As we sit twelve days away from the start of
training camp eleven days away, the guys return to the building.
Both rookies and vets are due on July twenty second,
then start practice on the twenty third, essentially practice for
(45:34):
a week, A little over week fly the Greenbrier cool
off as we practice a little bit to gear up
for the first preseason game against Minnesota, come back week
in Houston Panthers arrive joint practices, preseason game against the Panthers,
and then the following week take off for Detroit for
the final preseason game, and then two weeks after that
(45:55):
a little over that kicking off against the LA Rams
in Sofi for the very first regular season game in
Los Angeles at Sofi Stadium. Now, there have been two others.
One was in Carson between nineteen one was in the
Colleague in twenty seventeen Coliseum where the Trojans play against
the Rams. But this is the first time a regular
(46:17):
season game for the Texans at Sofi Stadium, so looking
forward to that, and it won't be the only stop
in LA. There will be a second one in December
just after Christmas, taken on the Chargers in so Far
as well. News around the NFL. Chicago Bears GM Ryan
Poles signs extension through twenty twenty nine to stay with Chicago.
(46:42):
Now why is the big deal? Well, apparently it matches
up with Ben Johnson, a new head coach with the
Chicago Bears. The Bears during polls run are I think
the number is fifteen and thirty six. But he gets
an extension, and I know when you hear that, you're like,
fifteen to thirty six.
Speaker 2 (47:01):
My god, man, how do you keep a job?
Speaker 1 (47:03):
I keep in mind, you know, during the first couple
of years mal Nick was here and the record wasn't
that great, but you could see progress in the salary cap.
You could see progress in the play a little bit.
As things are going. Young players a kind of stepping up.
You know, Nico Collins had been drafted. You know, Davis
had done some decent things, et cetera, et cetera. All
of a sudden twenty twenty three and then the Dan
(47:25):
breaks for the Texans. Hopefully it breaks even more this year,
but you get the point. Ryan Poles signs the extension
with the Bears, keeping them through twenty twenty nine. I
do think the Bears will be better and the first
one I'll tell you would be Ryan Poles.
Speaker 2 (47:37):
N I kid, I kid.
Speaker 1 (47:39):
He's talked so much about that Bryce Young trade, about
everything that he did to pull that off.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
It's just it kind of stuck with me. So I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (47:46):
It seems like a good dude, Ry Poles, good luck.
I think the Bears are gonna need it in that division,
no doubt. All Right, that's gonna do it for today's show.
Appreciate Jake Andrews, Tommy Towns and Yakub Johnson, Austin Deculus,
Kurt Hims, My man Mark, all you for listen. We'll
see next time. It is always Go Texans
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