Special treatment awaits Lechler upon turning 40
Like wine and furniture, punter Shane Lechler gets better with age.
Playing in his 17th season, Lechler turned 40 on Sunday. His wife, Erin, provided snapper Jon Weeks with what he needed to decorate Lechler’s locker to commemorate his birthday.
“We had fun,” Weeks said. “His wife got a hold of my wife (Amanda). They gave me the supplies. The (other) specialists (kickers Nick Novak and Kai’mi Fairbairn) helped decorate it. I think we did a pretty good job.”
Lechler wasn’t prepared for it.
“We definitely caught him by surprise,” Weeks said. “It was a good one. We had a good videotape of it, but that’ll stay in the locker room. We give him such a hard time about his age every day, it’s not any different. We’re having some fun with him.
“Any time you can last as long as he has is (special). He could keep going as long as he wants. He’s just that good. To be where he’s at is absolutely incredible.”
Izzo reviving special teams
When the Texans play their preseason opener Sunday against San Francisco, fans will get their first look at the special teams under new coach Larry Izzo.
“Coach Izzo has been doing some great things, so it’s going to be nice to see how our guys are responding to it,” Pro Bowl snapper Jon Weeks said. “The biggest thing (Izzo) brings is experience.”
Izzo, a linebacker, played 14 years and became one of the best special-teams players in NFL history.
“There’s not too many things you can talk to him about that he hasn’t experienced himself,” Weeks said. “That really helps. He can talk to us as a player, and I think that’s going to take us a long way.
“He’s teaching us a lot of great fundamentals, and I really think our team is really going to benefit from it.”
O’Brien heaps praise on Still
Defensive end Devon Still, who signed with the Texans after last season, is getting established at right end and hopes to win the starting job vacated by Jared Crick (Denver).
“Devon’s had a good couple of days,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “A typical Penn State guy — good player, tough guy, works extremely hard. I’m glad we have him.”
Still (6-5, 305) is a four-year veteran drafted in the second round by Cincinnati. Since the offseason program began, he has been impressing his coaches and teammates.
“When he did play, he was productive,” O’Brien said about Still’s career with the Bengals. “He did his job well.
“He’s a big, highcharacter guy, strong at the point of attack. We thought he could do a couple different things for us. We feel like we’ve got something to really work with there.”
Miller, Clowney given a day off
Running back Lamar Miller was sidelined at practice Sunday morning, one day after appearing to mildly injure his ankle before getting re-taped and finishing practice.
Miller attended practice but was held out of drills along with outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney.
Coach Bill O’Brien characterized the inactivity as giving both players some rest rather than because of injury.
“Just a day off,” O’Brien said. “Day off for both of those guys. Just trying to monitor how many reps they get and really just try to do that with a number of different guys. Different guys will get days off here and there and just try to monitor.”
Meanwhile, rookie wide receiver Braxton Miller didn’t practice as he worked on the side with other injured players. The former Ohio State standout had an ice pack on his groin Saturday and is working his way back to full participation.
Rookie center Nick Martin was given a day off. Defensive lineman Christian Covington remains under the NFL concussion testing protocol.
Not overloading young receivers
There are 10 wide receivers in camp, with Cecil Shorts III the only one who has played more than three seasons in the NFL. DeAndre Hopkins has played three.
That means the Texans are going to have a young group of receivers when they reach the 53-man roster.
“I think you have to be careful,” coach Bill O’Brien said about how they teach so many inexperienced receivers. “You have to be careful that you don’t overload them. We get so many reps out here in practice against a very good secondary.”
Everyone is eager to see the receivers practice against and play San Francisco in the first preseason game.
“I truly believe we’ll get them ready to play,” O’Brien said. “I think once we get to the preseason games and then the early-season games, we can’t ask these guys to know the whole playbook.
“They’ve got to be able to go on the field and not have to think too much, be able to go out there and execute the play call. We’re very mindful of that.”
Griffin dreaming of California
The Texans travel to Santa Clara, Calif., this week to practice against San Francisco on Friday before playing the first preseason game Sunday.
“It’s about time we start hitting a different color,” tight end Ryan Griffin said. “We’re (tight ends) getting tired of Whitney (Mercilus )and( Jadeveon) Clowney. It’s time to hit somebody else.”
The weather in the Bay Area will be a welcome respite from the heat and humidity in Houston.
“Hopefully, a nice, sunny 75 with a cool breeze,” Griffin said. “That’s what I picture at least in my head, so I’m hoping for that.”