Stills begins area activism by meeting the police chief
HOUSTON — When Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills arrived in Houston, he expressed a desire to get involved and gain a better understanding of the community.
Stills and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo met for roughly 40 minutes this week at police headquarters and discussed community policing and Stills’ desire to launch an Officer of the Month program to recognize officers who foster a positive relationship with the community.
“Really thoughtful young man and really enjoyed meeting with him,” Acevedo said. “The issue of policing and community relations is something that’s important to him. I think it speaks to his character. I think it speaks to his maturity.”
One of the most outspoken players in the NFL when it comes to raising awareness about social injustice issues and a strong ally of exiled former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Stills is at the forefront of player protests and political activism in the league.
Among the reasons the former Oklahoma star got involved in activism was a series of unarmed AfricanAmericans being shot and killed by police around the nation.
“It was great, just the fact that (Acevedo) took the time to meet with me and have a conversation,” Stills said. “I’m really appreciative of that. I’m looking forward to being able to work with him and trying to bridge the gap between our communities and our law enforcement here in Houston.”
Hyde ably filling Miller’s void
The downhill running style of Carlos Hyde has given the Texans’ offense a different personality.
Ranked fifth in the NFL with 173 rushing yards through two games, Hyde has emerged as an excellent replacement with Lamar Miller out for the season following a knee injury.
“I like the way things have been going these past couple of weeks … something to build off of,” Hyde said. “I pretty much take what the defense gives me.”
Regardless of whether the hole is there, Hyde is capable of gaining yards. He has a tough test Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“They’ve got a good defensive line,” Hyde said. “There’s going to be some arm tackles I’m going to have to definitely run through this game.”
Lynn vs. Lynn come Sunday
For Texans assistant secondary coach D’Anton Lynn, Sunday represents an especially big game.
The Texans are playing the Chargers, coached by his father, Anthony Lynn.
“They’ll all be at the game and they’ll all be rooting for him, is what I’ve heard,” Anthony Lynn said of the family’s reaction to the matchup. “He’s the darling of the family, I guess.”
D’Anton played early in his career with the Jets when his father was coaching New York’s running backs in 2012.
“We’ve competed in a bunch of other things, but as far as football goes, we’ve always been on the same team or he’s been in my corner, so this is going to be the very first time,” D’Anton said. “We’re pretty competitive.”
Odds and ends
The Texans’ players, coaches and staff were largely unaffected by the massive flooding caused by Tropical Storm Imelda. Director of team security Brent Naccara checked on several people Thursday night to ensure their safety. … Left tackle Laremy Tunsil (ankle) is questionable on the injury report, but he expects to play.