HOUSTON — As rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud was receiving the ball from one of the assistant coaches whose job was to simulate the snap from being under center, he fumbled the exchange. Just as he was about to get on himself for the mishap, a loud voice with a country accent screamed, “It’s cool, I am right here, let’s do it again.”
That voice was none other than second-year running back Dameon Pierce, a familiar voice in the Houston Texans offense who doesn’t hesitate to speak in that deep southern Georgia accent if it helps him and his teammates improve on the field.
“Yeah, D.P. (Dameon Pierce) is amazing, man,” said Stroud, who was selected by the Texans with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. “D.P. is a dog, somebody who’s not only going to have your back running the ball, but he’s going to pass protect. More so than that, he’s just a great person. Just being around him a little, getting to know him every other day, he’s hilarious.
“He’s always very upbeat, very positive, and wants to work and wants to get better. I accept a lot of feedback from him. He likes feedback from me. We’ve just been enjoying working with each other, so it’s been a blessing to have someone like D.P.”
Pierce, who rushed for 939 yards on 220 carries, looked fully recovered from the ankle injury that kept him off the field for the Texans’ final four games of his 2022 rookie campaign.
“D.P. is amazing,” said Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud about running back Dameon Pierce. “We’ve just been enjoying working with each other, so it’s been a blessing to have someone like D.P.”#Texans #Sarge @TheTexansWire pic.twitter.com/UyEx57YQMF
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) May 24, 2023
Although he only had 30 receptions for 165 yards last season, new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik may use Pierce’s athletic ability to get him out in more routes next season out of the backfield, which is similar to what the San Francisco 49ers did with running back Christian McCaffrey last season.
