HOUSTON — Now that the dust has settled, all the evaluations of the Houston Texans’ first preseason game against the New England Patriots are done. Rookie linebacker Henry To’oTo’o let the rest of the NFL see what most of the media members and fans have noticed during training camp, and that is his constant evolution of learning the game and applying it on the field.
“Henry did a great job, but again I think Henry has built up that foundation in practice,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke told the media on Saturday about To’oTo’o’s performance. “He’s been out here working the same, and it was nice to see him make a couple of plays and tackles and just being around the ball a little bit. He has a couple of things to work on to. It was a good step for him; hopefully, he keeps progressing this week.”
The former Alabama linebacker only played 16 snaps against New England but made the most of his limited time by recording five tackles. To’oTo’o was able to use the knowledge he gained during training camp from being around his head coach DeMeco Ryans, a former NFL linebacker early in the game when he was able to stop a Patriots drive early in the second quarter, making an open field tackle on running back Pierre Strong Jr. who tried to slip into the flats on third and two.
“Knowing what down it is, the possibilities of something happening, and just communicating that over and over again,” To’oTo’o said after the game on Thursday about his awareness. “So I think that was the biggest thing for me being out there and knowing this can happen and that can happen, and ultimately, that leads us to make the plays.”
“We are seeing the same stuff we have seen when he was coming out of college,” said Texans linebackers coach Chris Kiffin about rookie LB Henry To’o To’o. #Texans #Sarge @TheTexansWire pic.twitter.com/WR3wxEgXjW
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) August 13, 2023
That mindset made him a priority for the Texans when he was available in the later rounds of the 2023 NFL draft.
“We are seeing the same stuff we have seen when he was coming out of college,” said Texans linebackers coach Chris Kiffin. “The instincts he has for the ball and the feel for the game, those are things you can’t really coach. Getting comfortable in the system and on game day, just cutting it loose, and that is what he did on his first couple of snaps.
“In the run game, he saw it and triggered fast; in the passing game, he has a great feel. It was really good to see; he still has a long way to go, but for him to get that first one under his belt and feel good about it and feel good going into the next one.”
