Though only eight seasons old, the Houston Texans have already been privy to ten world class athletes - these are them. (Well, not really ten, but "Eight World Class Athletes And Two Guys Who Made The Cut Because Of Numerical Aesthetics" seems a bit cumbersome for a title.) Enjoy.
1. Andre Johnson - Wide Receiver
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Lost in the Larry Fitzgerald-love around the Super Bowl was the fact that Andre Johnson is actually the best wide receiver in football. He can run every route and make every catch that Fitzgerald can, but he's also a fantastic downfield blocker and is not afraid of contact over the middle. He's the perfect combination of Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, only with none of the ego.
2. Mario Williams - Defensive End
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The "worst draft pick in NFL history" has quietly become one of the best defensive ends in football and one of the rare defensive ends who is equally good against the run and getting to the quarterback. If Mario ever got consistent help along the defensive line - so teams couldn't triple-team him on every snap - he'd easily post 20+ sacks a season.
3. DeMeco Ryans - Linebacker
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From the first game of his rookie season, DeMeco has been the most consistent defensive player the Texans have ever had. And, for many stretches of his three years in Houston, he's been the only decent linebacker the team fielded, yet he never complained – he’s just went out and dominated sideline-to-sideline.
4. Dunta Robinson - Cornerback
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From the first game of his rookie season, DeMeco has been the most consistent defensive player the Texans have ever had. And, for many stretches of his three years in Houston, he's been the only decent linebacker the team fielded, yet he never complained – he’s just went out and dominated sideline-to-sideline.
5. Jamie Sharper - Linebacker
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In the early days of the Texans, when the team still ran a 3-4 defense and the defensive line was even worse than it is now, Sharper played the middle of the field, tackling everything in sight. Somebody had to. His 436 tackles in three seasons remain the franchise record.
6. Domanick (Davis) Williams
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While he will likely lose his place in Texans history to Steve Slaton, Domanick Williams was the first "real" running back the Texans had. Back-to-back 1000 yard season had him on the verge of being a star before an injury-plagued 2005 wound up being the last season he played in the NFL.
7. Aaron Glenn - Cornerback
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A Houston native and an original Texan from the expansion draft, Glenn was the first defensive star the team had. In three seasons he amassed eleven interceptions, two touchdowns, 165 tackles, and 33 passes defended. In a secondary so bad that Matt Stevens got regular playing time, Glenn was almost a godsend.
8. Owen Daniels - Tight End
Brian Bahr
The other tight end in Texas, Jason Witten, gets all the publicity, but Owen Daniels is every bit Witten's equal in the passing game. And, unlike Witten, Daniels is not his team's first option. By playing in Houston and playing second fiddle to Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels is the best TE in football that most people have never heard of.
9. Kailee Wong - Linebacker
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When Wong retired, his 15 sacks were a Texans franchise record. He never had the tackle numbers of fellow linebacker Jamie Sharper, but Wong was definitely a playmaker, adding 33 passes defended and three interceptions to his fifteen sacks.
10. Jay Foreman - Linebacker
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The third of the early Texan linebackers to make this list, Foreman was almost certainly a "beneficiary" of playing behind a horrid defensive line. Nevertheless, he racked up the tackles and added a few sacks in his few years here. He's almost in this #10 spot by default, however, and will be surpassed by Steve Slaton or Matt Schaub or one of the other current players very soon.
