Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith knows linebackers.
The 64-year-old got his start in the NFL coaching linebackers for Tony Dungy as part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-2000. Smith worked with an eventual Hall-of-Famer in Derrick Brooks, who was one of the catalytic forces in the Tampa 2 scheme.
With the Chicago Bears from 2004-12, where Smith was coach in his own right, the defense featured All-Pros in Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher.
Smith appreciates what Neville Hewitt has brought to the linebacking corps and has a role in mind for the 29-year-old from Marshall.
“I love everything he’s done since he got here,” Smith told reporters after the sixth day of training camp Friday at Houston Methodist Training Center. “He knows his role. He’s going to back up Christian Kirksey. As you watch practice just about every day he’s out there, he’s one of the guys that’s bought into.”
Hewitt spent his time last season working hard in the film room to pickup on traits and tendencies of opponents. The classroom work paid off as he had 10 combined tackles on just 28 defensive snaps against the Miami Dolphins in the Week 9 loss, 17-9 at Hard Rock Stadium.
The former Dolphins 2015 undrafted free agent is working on another dimension to his game that is incumbent upon all defenders in Smith’s system: cultivating takeaways.
Said Smith: “Defensive football is like getting the ball back. You see him punch it. It seems like he’s punched the ball out just about every day, but he’s a valuable backup for us. Will be in the mix as we go through.”
Hewitt played in 17 games for Houston last year, starting in five of them. The 6-2, 234-pound linebacker generated 60 combined tackles, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit for the Texans in 2021.
