Going from college football to the NFL, one would expect the physical side of the game to be the biggest adjustment.
However, for Houston Texans rookie fifth-round linebacker Garret Wallow, the biggest adjustment he has had to make through two weeks of training camp is to the mental side of the game.
“It’s a challenge but you like that challenge,” Wallow said. “You start to really feed into that challenge and you see yourself growing day-to-day. Like I say, a bunch of the old guys have led me along the way and made that quite a bit easier for me.”
Wallow has some “old guys” to lean on in Christian Kirksey, Kevin Pierre-Louis, and Zach Cunningham, who led the NFL in tackles last season. The Texans’ linebackers figure to play a key part in the 2021 defense as Houston has gone to a Tampa 2 with new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith.
“Coach Lovie, he has a plan for us linebackers, definitely a real defensive guy,” said Wallow. “Coming in here with him, it’s been a bless and I’ve learned a lot from him. He has a lot of experience and there’s a reason why I’ve grown exponentially too, as well. I’ve got high praise for Coach Lovie.”
The former TCU Horned Frog will get his chance to make more progress with the mental aspect of pro football as Houston faces the Green Bay Packers Saturday night at Lambeau Field.
“I’m ready to come out here and put my best foot forward with the team and work as hard as I can with the team,” Wallow said.
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