Laura Rutledge speaks out after interaction with Texans player

Laura Rutledge of ESPN has interviewed countless athletes in her career, but some just stand out. 

She named one on Tuesday, when she gave Houston Texans star defensive end Will Anderson Jr. a shoutout on social media after the two spoke to each other following the AFC South team’s playoff win on Monday over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.

“One of my favorite interviews ever. Never taking the opportunity to do this for granted. Thank you Will for sharing your joy!” Rutledge wrote.

Anderson was simply being himself during the interview, as he professed his faith and thanked Jesus for his strong performance and the Texans’ victory. 

The interview got more entertaining when he animatedly shared that he told his teammate, Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, before the game that he dreamed something good was going to happen on defense against the Steelers. 

In the fourth quarter, Rankins recovered an Aaron Rodgers fumble after a sack by Anderson and took the ball to the house to stretch Houston’s lead on the way to a 30-6 win.

Anderson will have to sustain that energy, as the Texans face another tough assignment in the NFL playoffs on Sunday for an AFC Divisional Round matchup against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.