Texans' WR Walter understands role with team

In 2003 Kevin Walter was the 255th player selected in a draft of 262 players. The Giants took Walter with a compensatory pick in the seventh round. Of the 35 receivers selected in 2003 only 11 remain active, including Walter and teammate Andre Johnson. The former Eastern Michigan receiver, who is beginning his 9th year in the NFL and his 6th with the Texans, has made the most of the opportunity he has received. Walter has come quite the long way from the player who was cut by the Giants during the 2003 training camp. "You're right," said Walter. "It's amazing. This is my sixth year with coach Kubes. It flies by. You can't take anything for granted because it doesn't last forever." The Texans signed Walter away from the Bengals as a restricted free agent in 2006. During the past five years with the Texans, Walter has 246 catches for 3,091 yards. It's not the perfect comparison that's more catches than Vincent Jackson, Nate Burleson and Miles Austin among others. But it's not only his ability to catch the ball which has allowed Walter to become a starter in the NFL. Walter takes pride in being receiver who loves to block. "I take big time pride in being a blocker," Walter said. "Digging out a safety for the running back so those guys get big gainsI take great pride in that." What Walter objects to is the label that he's a possession receiver which is often NFL code for a guy that can't stretch the field due to a lack of speed. "I personally take it as an insult," Walter said about the possession receiver label. "That's what drives mepossession receiverthis and that. I'm a receiver all around. I feel I can run down the field and make big plays when called upon." "I'm amazed at him," said coach Gary Kubiak. "Kevin has to work really hard to be successful. It's been that way his whole career. Kevin overcomes some shortcomings with his work habits and his study and all those things. Everybody knows he'll be there every day, every play as hard as he can play. You can't have enough of those guys. And Walter's sensitivity about the possession receiver label? Said Kubiak: "Tell him not to let it hurt his feelings because they're going to call him that his whole career. But I bet he plays a long time. That's a compliment in my opinion." Even though Walter is the starter opposite Johnson, the Texans' coaches view Walter and Jacoby Jones combined as the second receiver. And combined Walter and Jones caught 102 passes for 1,183 yards in 2010. "We're all in this together," Walter said. "If everybody understands what role they have, that's what makes the offense great." When he came to the Texans Walter sometimes was compared to former Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey who played 13 seasons in the NFL, the first nine in Denver. "I grew up in Chicago and I was always a big-time Bears fan," Walter said. "Walter Payton was one (hero). Jerry Rice obviously guys like Ed McCaffrey. Those guys worked hard and spent a lot of time in the league."