The Houston Texans are seeking to improve every facet of their game through the rest of the season, and their special teams unit will likely be among the easiest parts of the team to fix ahead of their 2023 rebuild. Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn gets a lot of the credit for scoring points for the team on a weekly basis, but special teams coordinator Frank Ross pointed to another contributor as one of his squad’s most impactful playmakers.
Fullback Troy Hairston’s exceptional play has flown under the radar amid the Texans’ 1-6-1 start, especially the time he has put into honing his skills on punt and kick coverage. Ross was asked about Hairston’s mentality that has made him an indispensable part of the special teams unit and gave a lengthy answer about his pride in the fullback’s development.
“Aside from the fact that he is a high motor, he’s not stopping in everything he does. The physicality, I think you guys have seen that from a physical point of attack at the fullback position where he brings that. Low, plays aggressive. The thing that has impressed me most so far is his willingness to try to learn. To try and take whatever assignments we’re giving him and maximize it. I probably have more conversations with Troy than really anyone. I’m trying to bring him up to speed. He knows he has a lack of experience. He was a D-end, and how he’s playing fullback and special teams.
“Things that are totally foreign, so that learning curve has been bigger. He’s embraced that challenge. There’s going to be mistakes. Hopefully the next time it comes up in the same thing he’s seen before. He’s asked about it through the week. He’s asked, ‘Hey, how can I protect against this? Or how do you see me executing that?’ He’s trying to execute and trying to ask the questions, so that hunger has been impressive. I think, this isn’t a certain, but there’s going to be a high correlation with everybody that’s inexperienced, there’s going to be a high correlation that if you come in willing to ask, willing to learn, of you having a great chance to improve. He’s done that so far.”
While it may not be the flashiest part of Houston’s rebuild, special teams play remains a critical part of any highly competitive team’s winning strategy. As the team looks toward the future and attempts to prove that they’re better than their record would indicate, watch for Hairston’s stand-out play to be a jumping-off point for the team as they seek to improve their approach holistically.