WATCH: Rookie WR Tank Dell Makes Circus TD Grab in Debut
The Houston Texans' preseason debut vs. the New England Patriots got off to a rough start on Thursday night, with rookie C.J. Stroud tossing an interception on the opening drive of the game.
That interception led to a field goal for New England, and the early lead.
However, by halftime, the Texans had earned back the lead, with rookie standout Tank Dell making a circus catch in the closing minutes of the second quarter.
And were it not in a preseason game, it might have been a candidate for catch of the year.
He went on to finish the half with a team-high five catches on eight targets for 65 yards and the touchdown - quite the debut for the 5-foot-10, 165-pound speedster.
Dell, who was selected with the 69th pick in the second round of the 2023 draft, forged his own path to the Texans, urging the franchise to pick him via his personal Twitter account.
Ultimately, his dream was fulfilled.
"I prayed for this, I told all of the coaches, I wanted to be here," Dell said. "I feel like Houston is my second home. I told them I am ready to get rolling."
And once he got his wish, Dell immediately began to impress as soon as he stepped on the practice field with Houston. So much so, that the Dell hype train began to take on some serious momentum.
And as of Thursday, at least through the first half, all of that hype seems to be warranted.
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