Rookie wide receiver is catching on quickly
After injury delays, Coutee impressing at every opportunity
Fingertips extended, palms cupped and eyes fixated on the incoming football, Texans rookie wide receiver Keke Coutee caught pass after pass like a machine.
If the former Texas Tech star has dropped a pass since the Texans drafted him in the fourth round this spring, he can’t remember it and neither can his teammates.
“I haven’t seen him drop a pass since he’s been here,” wide receiver Will Fuller said. “He’s got some sure hands.”
Coutee is undersized at 5-9, 183 pounds, but the Lufkin native has a particular skill coveted by many players. With his ability to fit into tight areas, catch the football and get upfield, Coutee is a classic slot receiver.
“I don’t recall any drops,” Coutee said. “I may have dropped one here and there, but I feel like I have pretty strong hands for a small guy.”
Coutee returned to practice Wednesday after being sidelined for three weeks with a strained hamstring. The injury has set him back temporarily in the competition for the starting slot receiver job, but Coutee is expected to con-
tribute and remains in the running for major playing time on offense and special teams.
Coach Bill O’Brien noted Coutee has ground to make up after being hurt for so long.
“It was very tough on me,” Coutee said. “This is the longest I’ve sat out for anything. So, just to be away from the game for that long, it really set me back a little bit but I took the process on and I just got better every day.
“It felt good to be back with the guys after being in the training room for about three or four weeks. Just to be able to get back yesterday and be with the guys and actually getting to practice again, it felt good. This is the best my body’s felt in a while.”
An explosive presence
Coutee is known as a dynamic receiver in the open field capable of eluding defenders. He’s run the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds. He has recorded a 34 ½ -inch vertical leap and bench-pressed 225 pounds 14 times.
“Keke, he’s real explosive,” Fuller said. “He brings another dimension to our offense with his explosiveness.” A second-team All-Big 12 selection, Coutee caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He caught 11 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown in the Birmingham Bowl against South Florida.
Coutee played at the same school as Wes Welker, a Texans assistant coach.
Coutee returned 10 kickoffs for 315 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown. As a sophomore, Coutee caught 55 passes for 890 yards and seven touchdowns.
“I feel like I have good routerunning ability, but I still have room to improve,” Coutee said. “Great explosiveness getting in and out of breaks. So, for me, I just want to get better every single day and be the best contributor on this team that I can be.”
Coutee ranks second behind Michael Crabtree for the most receiving yards in a single season in Texas Tech school history. Now, he’s learning from All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
“I feel like he’s one of the best receivers in the league,” Coutee said. “Just for him to have that leadership like that in the receiver room is really beneficial for everyone. He knows the ins and outs of this game and how the game really goes.”
Keke on everybody’s mind
Coutee's given name is Key’vantanie. His mother shortened it eventually to Keke.
That name, though, is creating unwanted attention. That’s because of the popular Drake song, “In My Feelings.”
“Kiki, do you love me? Are you riding?
Say you’ve never ever leave from beside me,
Cause I want ya, and I need ya, And I’m down for you always.” Those lyrics are stuck in Coutee’s head. He hears them everywhere. He’s even been serenaded by teammates in the locker room.
“Oh yes, I’m really tired of the Drake song right now,” Coutee said. “Everywhere I go, it’s just, ‘Keke, do you love me? Keke, do you love me?’ I just don’t like that song right now. It’s one of my least favorites right now.”
Coutee said he would consider doing the Shiggy challenge dance if he scores a touchdown.
“I don’t know, yet,” he said. “I might pull it out just because it’s my name. So, I might pull it out soon.”