Bama in the NFL: DeMeco Ryans Aims to Turn Houston Texans Around, Again
The No. 1 question being heard during the early days of training camp for the Houston Texans isn't about who will be the starting quarterback, who will be the middle linebacker, or how much better can the team be after finishing 3-13-1 last season. It's "What's with all the Alabama Crimson Tide guys, especially the linebackers?"
Of course that includes Will Anderson Jr., the No. 3-overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, starter Christian Harris, and the player behind him on the initial depth chart, rookie Henry To'oTo'o. There's also head coach DeMeco Ryans (plus wide receiver John Metchie III is back on the field after missing last season due to leukemia).
Naturally, they're working on a nickname for the quick-growing Crimson Tide clique in the locker room.
"We’re chopping it up," Harris said. "We don’t have a name yet, no."
Although Ryans looks like he could still play at age 39, he's instead enjoying his homecoming back to Texas, where he spent six years as a player and still has family. Fresh off winning the Lott Trophy at Alabama, he was the first Crimson Tide player drafted by the organization, and was one of the most popular defensive players in franchise history (behind J.J. Watt).
Twice named to the Pro Bowl with the Texans, Ryans turned to coaching when his playing days ended, and quickly became one of the top young assistants in the NFL. Last season was just his second as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, which had the league's top defense.
Of course the second-most asked thing at camp has been what's the difference between a Nick Saban-coached practice and one by Ryans.
“It’s not as much contact, but the attention to detail is what I see just as far as being very detail-orientated in every single play, like every single thing we do," Harris said. "So yeah, that’s the biggest [correlation] I see.”
"I would just say the intensity," Anderson said. "Moving around, fast-paced. Everybody swarming, running to the ball. I see a lot of that just coming from Alabama in here."
Now they just need to turn the Texans around. Houston won just 11 games over its last three seasons combined, the worst stretch in its 20-year history. It hasn't had a winning season since 2019, and in six playoff appearances has never made it past the AFC Divisional Round.
When the Texans drafted Ryans in 2006, with the first pick in the second round, they had yet to enjoy a .500 season. They reached that mark in both 2007 and 2008, and made the playoffs for the first time during his final season as a player in Houston, 2011.
Bama in the NFL: Houston Texans
The Franchise
American Football Conference
South Division
Team Colors: Deep Steel Blue, Battle Red and Liberty White
Founded: 1999
Stadium: NRG Stadium (capacity: 71,995)
Playing Surface: Artificial Turf
Training Camp: Houston Methodist Training Center
All-Time Alabama Players
Crimson Tide Players Drafted
| Year | Player | Pos. | Round | Pick | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | DeMeco Ryans | LB | 2 | 1 | 33 |
2009 | Antoine Caldwell | C | 3 | 13 | 77 |
2010 | Kareem Jackson | CB | 1 | 20 | 20 |
2014 | Jeoffrey Pagan | DE | 6 | 1 | 177 |
2022 | Christian Harris | LB | 3 | 11 | 75 |
2022 | John Metchie III | WR | 2 | 12 | 44 |
2023 | Henry To'oTo'o | LB | 5 | 33 | 167 |
2023 | Will Anderson Jr. | LB | 1 | 3 | 3 |
John David Mercer / USA Today Sports
Super Bowl Appearances
Major Awards/Honors
Crimson Tide NFL Team Rundown: Houston Texans
In conjunction with our revamped Bama in the NFL Database, this is the 13th story in a series examining the team-by-team history of Alabama's former players in the NFL.
AFC
NFC
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- Chicago Bears
- Dallas Cowboys
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
See Also
Bama in the NFL: The Ultimate Crimson Tide Database
Bama in the NFL: Active Alabama Crimson Tide Players by Team
