The Houston Texans added a safety in the offseason with veteran Michael Thomas.
The former Houston Nimitz High School product has taken part in the video conferencing to create a virtual offseason for the Texans, the same avenue the other 31 have to take amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a recent interview with Thomas by Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the former 2018 Pro Bowler revealed what he admires about Texans coach Bill O’Brien.
“(O’Brien) is a straightforward guy, very fiery,” said Thomas. “What I love about him is he sets the expectation, lets you know what he wants from you and how he sees you.”
O’Brien isn’t the only coach on the staff that Thomas appreciates. First-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has also made an impression on the 30-year-old, even though he has yet to take his instruction on the practice field.
“Coach Weaver played the game and understands different roles,” Thomas said. “There are superstars who are cornerstones, and there are other guys doing the grunt work. Everyone is important.”
The Texans already have a starting safety in Justin Reid, who enters his third season in the NFL with uncanny maturity on the back end. Houston signed Eric Murray, a former Cleveland Brown, in free agency, and he could take over as Reid’s starting partner.
As Jahleel Addae and even Mike Adams towards the end of 2019 proved, there are still opportunities to get involved as a reserve in the Texans secondary.
For Thomas, who went undrafted out of Stanford in 2012, the prospect of playing for his hometown NFL team is seen as a stroke of good fortune.
“It’s surreal to even think that I’m playing back at home,” said Thomas. “I didn’t know it would mean that much to me. To get a chance to be here and help this team win and play for the hometown team, it’s amazing. It’s a blessing.”