HOUSTON — Houston Texans defensive end Roy Lopez has plenty to be thankful for at the moment. On Sunday, Lopez will serve as the Grand Marshal of Mardi Gras in Galveston and is currently spending the offseason alongside a handful of teammates working out following a successful rookie campaign in Houston.
But of all the things that have Lopez in a joyous state, the Texans' decision to hire Lovie Smith as their new coach has the second-year defensive tackle thrilled for the upcoming season.
"When I got the news of coach's hiring, I was very excited," Lopez said during a Zoom call Thursday afternoon. "It's nice to be able to come back and play for a defensive coordinator who is the same guy every day and that's to be the best Lovie Smith there is. It's something I grew up on — to be the best Roy Lopez I can be every day. The way you represent yourself is the mark you leave on people."
Lopez credited Smith — who served as Houston's defensive coordinator during the 2021 season — as one of the primary reasons he was able to find his niche prematurely in the NFL.
Lopez described his style of play as the archetype of Smith's defensive scheme. He established himself quickly as a dependable force on Houston's defensive front, as he registered 31 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a sack in 16 games played for the 4-13 Texans.
As part of his offseason approach, one of Lopez's objectives is to dissect Smith's mind as much as possible with the intent of elevating his game ahead of the 2022 season.
"He'll sit down and talk to you," he said. "He will critique you. But at the same time, he will show you love and make you understand what he is saying. If you ever want to talk football, you can go up to his office or call him at any time of the day. That's the biggest thing — to have a coach you can rely upon."
Lopez said every player on the team was excited when they received the news of Smith's hiring and believes he is the perfect coach to continue helping players stack days upon days in their development.
"We can play for Lovie," Lopez said. "We all are looking forward to continuing growing. Last year was a stepping stone, and we can keep growing. We know exactly what he wants. To be able to grow under Lovie would be a great success."
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