Clowney glad rehab in past, games ahead
Standing in front of his locker Wednesday, Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney was surrounded by cameras and reporters.
The former top overall pick’s countdown to his long anticipated return from microfracture knee surgery in December is down to three days heading into Sunday’s season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at NRG Stadium.
“Everybody’s ready to see me out there,” Clowney said. “I’m ready to see myself out there. That’s been so long. It’s been a long rehab. It’s been a long everything. I wouldn’t want nobody to go through what I went through, but it happens. You’ve got to deal with it. … I’m just ready to get out there. I’m excited.”
A year ago, Clowney was limited to seven tackles in four games because of a torn meniscus and cartilage issues along with a concussion and sports hernia.
Clowney will play against the Chiefs, albeit not as a starter, with John Simon to start in front of him. Clowney was a full participant in practice Wednesday, according to the Texans’ first injury report of the season.
“He’s been nursed along, and he’s a rookie, basically, in my mind,” defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel said. “So I know that he’s going to make some rookie mistakes. Hopefully, he’ll make some plays as well. We’ll just have to see how it goes. I don’t think that we can expect that he can go out there and play a whole game, though.”
Clowney couldn’t stop smiling as he discussed how much he trusts his knee and how explosive he feels. If Clowney can regain some of his old form from his star turn at South Carolina, the Texans would be thrilled.
“I feel pretty good,” Clowney said. “I don’t think the guys and the docs would have cleared me if they didn’t feel like I was looking good and feeling good, too. I feel good, like I can go out here and play and perform at a high level.”
Su’a-Filo unlikely to play Sunday
Texans left guard Xavier Su’a-Filo isn’t expected to play Sunday.
Although Su’a-Filo returned to practice Monday from a calf and ankle injury, he was limited in practice Wednesday.
“That’d be touch-andgo,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “I don’t see that looking very good right now for him playing on Sunday.”
The Texans will start Jeff Adams at left guard.
“(He’s a) very bright guy, very tough guy,” O’Brien said of Adams. “He can play four out of the five spots on our offensive line, which is not easy to do. Availability equals dependability. When you’re out there all the time, you become a very dependable guy.”
O’Brien reiterated that Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown is set to play despite an injured thumb that didn’t require surgery but is in a cast. Brown was limited in practice.
“He’s a very tough guy,” O’Brien said. “This guy is a heart-and-soul type of guy, so I look forward to him going out there and playing on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, safety Lonnie Ballentine (knee swelling) and outside linebacker Carlos Thompson (concussion) didn’t practice. But rookie defensive tackle Christian Covington (shoulder) and rookie inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney (sprained medial collateral ligament) participated fully.
WiFi timetable not yet set
The Texans remain hopeful of having WiFi service installed inside NRG Stadium prior to the end of the season, according to team president Jamey Rootes.
Rootes emphasized that the construction schedule is still being worked out, so no concrete date has been pinned down. The Texans are confident it will be ready well in advance of the Final Four and Super Bowl.
Verizon installed the antenna system for $12 million, with 783 antennas cutting down on the number of dropped calls and streamlined texting.
“We’ve experienced 10 times the download speeds,” Rootes said. “The improvement has been dramatic.”
Of the WiFi network, Rootes said: “Whether you’re tweeting, posting a picture, checking your fantasy stats, we want to make sure that when you come to this stadium, you can do it.”
Odds and ends
The Texans will pay a $112,200 practice-squad salary for each of their 10 practice-squad members. … The Texans reached an $80,000 injury settlement with reserve safety Terrance Parks when they removed him from injured reserve. … Quintin Demps has emerged as the starting strong safety and kick returner, according to the Texans’ unofficial depth chart.