DeMeco Ryans celebrated his birthday with a press conference, Friday. That’s when the new Texans head coach talked about his young tailback, Dameon Pierce.
The former Florida Gator definitely was a bright spot for a Houston team that struggled to win three games, while tying another, last season. Pierce was a fourth-rounder who morphed into a solid tailback. If not for an ankle injury in week 13 against the Cowboys, Pierce easily would’ve surpassed 1,000 yards. Instead, he ended the season with 939.(That’s nearly twice what he gained the year before at Florida). He also caught the ball 30 times for another 165. He was a starter in the Texans backfield as soon as the season started.
Pierce is healthy now. Ryans, who turned 39, Friday, said he loves the tailback’s enthusiasm. Keep in mind, the Texans are practicing indoors, but on a field cooled only by fans. The Houston weather in late July can best be described as sultry. So if your attitude still is good through that, it’ll stay there most any day.
“Damian has been having a really great offseason from OTAs until now,” Ryans said. “He looks great and in shape. Every time he touches the ball you see the speed, you see the physicality. We don’t have pads on yet, but you can see the mindset that Damien runs with. And I love that mindset. So I’m encouraged to see his progress in year two.
“I love Damien just because of his personalty. He brings a lot of energy each and every day, he always has a smile on his face. (And) he’s always excited. Always enthusiastic about practice. He has that contagious energy that I love to be around.”
Pierce expects to gain 1,000 yards for Texans this fall
Pierce also chatted with reporters who cover the Texans. And he showed off that “contagious energy” as he talked about how he lost some of his “baby fat.” Plus, he revealed some legitimate personal goals for the season. The Texans, he said, remain a run-first offense. That might be until rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, the No. 2 pick of April’s draft, gets a feel for the passing game.
“I just try to focus on being the best me,” he said. “I come here everyday to try and uplift everybody.”
As for the goals: “I definitely want to cap a 1,000 yards. You know, that’s what I expect from me. And I’m going to try everything in my power to get that.”
More must-reads: