What makes DeMeco Ryans the ultimate players coach is that he was once a player.
The former Houston Texans 2006 second-round linebacker spent six seasons with his original draft team before finishing out his last four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. As Ryans experienced his first cut day as a coach, the experience brought him back to when he was first starting out in Houston.
Buy Texans Tickets“Before having to give the bad news to guys, I went back to being a young player and understanding you’ve battled with all these guys in training camp through preseason games, and now you come in one day and the locker room is different,” Ryans told reporters Aug. 30. “It’s a little quieter in the locker room, some guys are missing, and I remember the shock that it gave me as a young player, because everywhere you’ve played — from high school to college — no one ever tells you, ‘No, you can’t be on the team.’ So, it’s hard to deliver that news and say, ‘No, not at this time,’ so I reflect back to me being in that position as a young player, how it affected me.”
Along with any encouraging messages Ryans may have for players lost in the numbers game, the 39-year-old expressed to the remaining players how they could still continue to be good teammates with the players technically no longer in the organization.
Said Ryans: “So, when I talk to our team, I just make sure that guys who are on our team, that they realize, still, we need you to reach out to our other brothers, and make sure we’re connecting, make sure you’re checking on the guys, making sure they’re okay. We’ll have some guys come back eventually for practice squad, but make sure those guys feel that you care about them because of the special bond that you guys have built throughout OTAs and training camp.”
The Texans kick off the regular season Sept. 10 against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
