The Tennessee Titans added another Houston Texans assistant coach when defensive line coach Bobby King took the job as the inside linebackers coach for Houston’s AFC South rivals.
With a vacancy on new coach Lovie Smith’s staff, the Texans moved to fill the position by hiring Buffalo Bills assistant defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire.
Roy Lopez, who completed his rookie season as a sixth-round pick from Arizona, met with Cesaire recently after he was hired. Joining Lopez in welcoming Cesaire to Houston were defensive tackle Ross Blacklock and defensive end Jonathan Greenard.
“It was good because being able to bring in his mind and we were all in the same room, me, Ross, and J.G. with him and he just — at first we learned about each other and where we’re from,” Lopez told reporters on Feb. 17 as part of promoting Fiesta Gras in Galveston. “But once football got into the picture, it was a different story. He stands up and you can tell he just loves football. He lives it. Being able to play for someone like that is who you want to play with.”
The type of attitude and enthusiasm Cesaire has for football will reinforce Smith’s commitment to the game, according to Lopez.
“It’s the same thing with Lovie,” Lopez said. “You can feel when someone loves football and lives football. So, you can tell he just wants the best out of us. He wants to make us the best player we can possibly be. So, we’re looking forward to playing for him and looking forward to being able to grow every day.”
The 6-2, 318-pound defensive tackle generated 31 combined tackles, 1.0 sack, five tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a fumble recovery through 16 games, 15 of which he started in 2021. However, Lopez wants to build upon those numbers, not get content with them.
“I’m definitely looking forward to getting out to on the field and be able to nitpick his brain, too,” said Lopez.