New Houston Texans coach David Culley did not shy away from the 400-pound gorilla in the room.
Instead, he did what Jimmy Johnson always advised: you hit it with everything you got.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson and his disgruntlement with the organization is no secret. It is the only action Houston sports has seen put of its football team in January after a disappointing 4-12 season.
Culley fielded a question in his introductory press conference about Watson and his request for a trade, and was very candid about what his plans were with the three-time Pro Bowler from day one as the new coach.
“The only thing I knew was I was being interviewed for head coach, Deshaun Watson is a Houston Texan,” Culley said via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “That’s all I was concerned about and all I knew. He is a Houston Texan I want him to be a Houston Texan, and the reason I am in this position is because he is going to be a Houston Texan.”
If Culley can get Watson to buy in and call off the trade, it will be his first big win in the eyes of Houston sports fans.