The Houston Texans’ defense has been lights out this season, allowing a league-low 16.5 points a game. Now, after a shaky start to the season, Houston is back in the race for the AFC South, which once felt like the Indianapolis Colts would win easily.
A big reason for Houston’s defensive success this season has been the play of defensive lineman Will Anderson Jr., who has had high expectations ever since being selected third overall in the 2023 draft.
However, Anderson Jr. is making sure to give his defensive-minded head coach, DeMeco Ryans, his flowers for his part in the team’s success.
“It’s a testament to coach DeMeco and the culture that he’s brought here and the culture that he’s built,” Anderson said, according to Fox Sports. “The way that he played defense and the way he expects his defense to be played, he’s brought people here from coaches to players that can run the defense he wants to run.
It’s just a testament to the guys he’s brought in, we all mesh really well together; we share the same mentality, and when you share the same mentality, good things happen.”
Anderson has also been great for Houston off the field, where he recently delivered bikes and helmets with the help of Raising Cane’s and the Boys & Girls Club.
“It’s a blessing and I just give all thanks to God, man. He’s blessed me with this platform and to be able to be a servant and give back in my community. Single-parent households, two-parent households, grandparents raising kids, it doesn’t matter, man. Everybody needs to feel love this season of Christmas. So to be able to partner with Raising Cane’s and the Boys & Girls Club, it’s just been a blessed feeling,” he said.
“I remember my first bike, and I wanted the opportunity to help these kids get their first bike. I have a whole bunch of nieces and nephews, so it’s been awesome to see all the smiles and joy and cheerfulness on all the kids’ faces getting their new bikes and riding them around the gym.”
Now, Anderson Jr. is focused on doing what he can down the stretch for his team.
“To go into this playoff push that we have, it’s a blessing,” he said. “I’m super excited for the challenge that we have coming up. We just got to keep executing the fundamentals, man, taking it one day at a time. Keep playing our brand football and just raising our standard of who we are the team, and just playing to our standards.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.