Mathieu passed on chance to sign with Jets
When the Arizona Cardinals cut All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu in March, several NFL teams began recruiting him.
The New York Jets, Saturday’s opponent at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., were one of them.
Fellow former LSU safety
Jamal Adams tried to convince Mathieu to join him in the Jets’ secondary, reaching out to him privately and on social media.
Ultimately, Mathieu signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Texans and has emerged as a key player for the AFC South leaders.
“Well, it was a conversation that we had,” Mathieu said. “Me and Jamal are real close friends. We always try to inspire each other, motivate each other. But at the end of the day, the Texans were the best fit for me.
“I just try to take the biggest challenge and really surround myself with great guys, upstairs, downstairs, locker room, training room. You just want to be around great people. There’s a lot of work we still have to do, but I think ultimately I like the group that I picked.”
Hopkins praises N.Y. safety Adams
The aggressive nature and instincts of Jets safety Jamal
Adams have made quite an impression on the Texans’ offense.
Heading into Saturday’s game, the Texans have paid Adams a lot of respect.
Adams has been a bright spot for a losing team, recording 89 tackles, 2½ sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception.
“He never gives up on a play,” Texans wide receiver DeAndre
Hopkins said. “He has a motor like you’ve never seen before. The dude’s a monster. He’s the leader of that defense. You can tell by his play.”
Fulton ‘trending in right direction’
The Texans are cautiously optimistic about the status of veteran offensive guard Zach Fulton.
Fulton missed Sunday’s game against Indianapolis because of a painful injury and was replaced in the lineup by Greg
Mancz. Fulton practiced all week, and the team is hopeful that he will be able to go Saturday.
“Good,” Texans coach Bill
O’Brien said when asked about how Fulton looked in practice. “I would say the decision would still be made closer to game time, but I think he’s trending in the right direction.”
Webster ‘thankful’ he’s now practicing
Texans cornerback Kayvon
Webster has spent far more time in training rooms than practice fields this year.
It has been a tough run of injuries.
He underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles suffered last year with the Los Angeles Rams. Webster then hurt his quadriceps in his first game with the Texans against Dallas.
He practiced for the first time since that injury this week and was designated for return from injured reserve as the Texans launched his 21-day practice window to either be activated or miss the remainder of the season.
“I feel like I’ve been in a lot of therapy since the beginning of the year,” said Webster, who signed a one-year, $2.25 million deal in August. “I didn’t think the quad was really that serious. I knew I would be back at some point, not exactly when.
“I’m just thankful to be out here now. Practice went good, it was good to be out of the training room. It felt good to be out there with the team.”
Clowney gives back with charity event
For Texans outside linebacker
Jadeveon Clowney, holding a dinner and holiday charity event was particularly meaningful.
Clowney’s event — a jingle-athon — benefited children from Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Houston and their Amachi programto help children affected by an incarcerated relative.
Clowney grew up without having his fatheraround for most of his life and was raised by a single mother.
David Morgan, Clowney’s father is in prison for a 2015 strip-club shootout in Rock Hill, S.C. Morgan spent 12 years in prison for burglary while his son, the former top overall pick of the NFL draft from South Carolina, was growing into a blue-chip recruit and football star.
“It meant a lot to me,” Clowney said of his holiday event. “I grew up in a situation similar to the kids I was helping with a single-parent home. For me to go out there and do that was great. I just like seeing the smiles on kids’ faces. To see them smiling, that was a good time.”