Tag: 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Class

Texans RB Cam Akers proves there’s something left in the tank during Hall of Fame game

While the Houston Texans lost on Thursday night, Cam Akers’ stock won big in Canton, Ohio.

A simple play was enough to get the sidelines talking in Canton, Ohio on Thursday night and it perhaps caught more than the attention of Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

During the second quarter of the Hall of Fame game, veteran quarterback Case Keenum took a botched snap and looked for his nearest target. Cam Akers waited in the flats to take whatever was flung his way.

From there, Akers had a choice: win with power or elusiveness. He chose the latter, spinning inside to make a pair of Chicago Bears defenders miss while picking a gain of 14.

Social media was in a blaze. Stroud, the Texans’ franchise quarterback, was ecstatic on the sideline, hyping up his running back to keep a good thing going on the drive.

He did. Akers found the end zone three plays later on a 4-yard pass from Keenum to extend Houston’s lead to 10. And while the Texans fell short in a 21-17 loss against Chicago to kick off the preseason, Akers didn’t.

He was the Texans’ biggest winner.

“Cam made a couple of nice plays that everybody saw, the plays that Cam made running the football and also with the receiving touchdown,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Cam has a very savvy way of slipping off of tacklers, making plays so I like where Cam was tonight and he showed some playmaking ability, which he has shown in the past.”

A former 2020 second-round pick, Akers finished with 31 yards of offense on eight touches and scored a touchdown. He averaged 3.7 yards per carry and picked three first downs.

When healthy, Akers has been a sturdy option on the ground for the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings. Of course, health has been a significant issue, given that he’s torn his Achilles twice since being drafted out of Florida State.

The Texans knew when they signed him to a one-year deal this offseason. Through two weeks of practice, Akers seems to have left the injury bug in Minneapolis and Los Angeles.

“I’ve been doing that since I’ve been training with these guys, reminding myself, ‘You’re still you. You still have the same abilities after two Achilles injuries,’” Akers said. “And tonight, I think it showed. It came full circle, and I want to keep doing it. I don’t want it to be a one-time thing.”

Houston, which struggled to move the ball on the ground last season behind Stroud’s offensive showcase, tried to elevate its ground game this offseason by trading for Joe Mixon and drafting Jahwar Jordan.

The Texans also see potential in third-year running back Dameon Pierce, who didn’t play on Thursday night to make room for others.

But Akers, who elected to sign with Houston over Minnesota, might factor into the equation in the running back room. He wanted to be a Texan after training this offseason in Houston. He believes there’s a foundation strong enough to win more than a division title.

“I feel like I was just walking into a winning team,” Akers said. “I just want to keep it going and do my part to keep us winning, whether it’s motivating, making plays, whatever I got to do. I just want to be that guy.”

The Texans will practice for three days in Cleveland before traveling to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers next Friday night.

Texans rookie CB Kamari Lassiter will not play in Hall of Fame Game

Fans of the Houston Texans will have to wait at least one more week to see rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter in action.

Kamari Lassiter has been one of the top standouts since the start of offseason workouts. He’s been so consistent that he’ll have time to rest before returning to practice next week. 

According to KPRC 2 Sports, Lassiter will not play Thursday night in the Hall of Fame against the Chicago Bears. The second-round pick will rest with a majority of starters heading into next week’s preseason matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

While Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said that rookies would see extensive playing time against the Bears, he also told SportsRadio 610 that starters would not be active since the team still would have three more preseason games. 

“When I look at the decision-making process of who’s playing, first thing’s first is we have an extra [preseason] game,” Ryans told Texans’ play-by-play announcer Mark Vandermeer. “So, [we] don’t want any of our starters out there playing.” 

Going off Ryans’ comments, it would appear that Lassiter has all but earned the starting No. 2 cornerback spot opposite Derek Stingley Jr. The former Georgia product was expected to compete for starting reps at the nickel position, but blossomed in the early stages of OTAs. 

So far during training camp, Lassiter has worked exclusively on the boundary with the first-team defense and thrived in man coverage. He’s garnered praise from Ryans and veteran receivers for his attention to detail and physical demeanor.

“[He’s] definitely the best young DB I’ve seen coming out of college that I’ve had the chance to go against,” receiver Noah Brown said following Monday’s practice. “He’s very sticky in coverage, very confident in his ability and I think if he keeps on the pace that he’s at, he could have an elite rookie season and an elite career.”

Lassiter, the No. 42 overall pick, shined as a starter during his three seasons at Georgia. During his final year in Athens, he held opposing quarterbacks to a  38.5 percent completion rate, the lowest among SEC defenders and fourth-lowest among FBS cornerbacks.

“He’s not scared to stand up there at the line with you,” Brown said. “He’s not backpedaling out early. He’s trying to get hands on. He’s confident in his ability and you can tell through his play.”

Kickoff from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. 

DeMeco Ryans, Texans players share thoughts on Andre Johnson’s Hall of Fame nod

DeMeco Ryans shared his thoughts on legendary receiver Andre Johnson becoming the first Houston Texans player to make the Pro Hall of Fame.

One can’t tell the history of the Houston Texans without Andre Johnson.

While J.J. Watt took NRG Stadium by storm, Johnson was the first to pave the way for a new era of football in H-Town.

It’s only fitting he’s the first Texan to call Canton, Ohio home.

Johnson, the legendary wide receiver and the Texan’s first legitimate superstar, will officially be etched in football folklore history as a member of the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. But before his bust can rest inside the hall, the Texans must play Thursday night against the Chicago Bears in honor of his legacy.

“It’s only right that we all go and support Dre,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I think for a lot of us, it will be our first time being in Canton at the Hall of Fame, so it will be a unique experience for us all and we’re looking forward to it.”

Ryans, a former Pro Bowl linebacker for the Texans, knows Johnson the player as much as the person. The two shared a locker room from 2006-11 until Ryans departed for Philadelphia.

Both served as captains on their respective sides. Johnson, who set franchise records in receptions (1,012), receiving yards (13,597) and receiving touchdowns (64), was the face of the offense en route to helping Houston clinch its first-ever playoff berth under Gary Kubiak.

When he walked off the field to breathe, Ryans, the 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year, stepped up as the leader of the huddle.

“I’m just so proud of Andre and all of his accomplishments throughout his career and for him to reach the pinnacle in football of being enshrined as hall of famer it means the world to us as an organization,” Ryans said. “I know it means the world to Andre to show all the hard work that he put into it out here on these fields and just the type of man that he is off the field in the community just speaks to the volume of who Dre is and we’re happy to support him.”

Drafted No. 3 overall out of Miami in 2003, Johnson would go on to set not only Texans’ records but league ones. Over his 14 seasons, the seven-time Pro Bowler totaled an NFL-leading 21 games with at least 10 catches and 100 yards.

Even as age became a factor, Johnson looked spry and elusive in the open field, averaging 102 catches and 1,280 yards over his final three years with the franchise.

“[Being] the first person to represent us in the Hall of Fame is a huge thing.” receiver Noah Brown said. “Andre had a hell of a career and it’s – I’m glad that he’s getting acknowledged for it.”

As the backbone of the Texans for 12 seasons, Johnson has been a staple of Houston sports and a pivotal part of the franchise’s growth. Even those who joined the team following his retirement in 2016 know the mark he left on the game off NRG Drive.

“It is cool to actually go see, this will be my first [time] that I am actually seeing [the NFL Hall of Fame] with my own two eyes,” safety Jimmie Ward said. “I am happy that I met him, and I am happy that I have a relationship with him and congratulations to Andre.”

Johnson and the rest of the Class of 2024 will be inducted at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday. Coverage can be seen on ESPN.