Tag: Christian Kirksey

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says LB Christian Kirksey has been ‘excellent leader’

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says 10-year linebacker Christian Kirksey has been an “excellent leader” for the defense.

Despite the Houston Texans being in a state of flux the past three seasons, Christian Kirksey has provided the linebacking corps with stability.

The former Cleveland Brown and Green Bay Packer has collected 217 combined tackles for the Texans through 30 games over the past two seasons. Whether it was David Culley on the sidelines or Lovie Smith, Kirksey was on the field as the unit’s standard bearer.

New coach DeMeco Ryans has spent the offseason workouts and three days of training camp with Kirksey, but it is long enough to know the significance the former Iowa product brings to the defense.

“Kirko [Kirksey] has been an excellent leader,” Ryans told reporters July 28 at Houston Methodist Training Center. “Just watching his leadership, seeing the man that he is, it’s been fun to work with him.”

Where Ryans especially appreciates Kirksey’s presence is among younger linebackers such as third-year Garret Wallow, second-year Christian Harris, and rookie Henry To’oTo’o. Kirksey isn’t afraid to share with his possible replacements tips and tricks to blossom.

Said Ryans: “He’s been great working with our younger guys, as well. Kirko is a guy who can play all three spots. So, he’s played Mike [middle], he’s played Will [weak side] and Sam [strong side], so, he’s a guy that’s smart enough to move around to multiple spots, so, he adds some versatility to what we’re doing.”

In addition to Kirksey’s versatility, the veteran linebacker is showing the rest of the corps how to approach the game.

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58 days until Browns season opener: 5 players to wear 58 in Cleveland

58 days from the start of the Browns season

The long wait for the return of Cleveland Browns football is nearly upon us with training camp starting next week. There have been 23 different players to suit up for the Browns wearing the number 58. The first to wear 58 for the team was Mac Speedie from 1946 until 1951. The number has also been worn by a linebacker that had a great run in Cleveland in Christian Kirksey.

Last season seventh-round draft pick Isaiah Thomas wore the number for Cleveland as he will again in training camp though it’ll be a battle to make the final 53-man roster. Let’s take a look at five players that have worn 58 for your Cleveland Browns.

Texans linebacker Christian Kirksey provides Uvalde High School football team with Nike Air Force 1s

Houston Texans linebacker Christian Kirksey gave Nike Air Force 1s to the Uvalde High School football team as part of his continue support.

Houston Texans linebacker Christian Kirksey surprised the Uvalde High School football team with new footwear.

The Texans’ 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee surprised the Uvalde Coyotes with new Nike Air Force 1s. Each member of the team received a pair of shoes that are customized in the school’s colors, maroon and gray.

The gift isn’t the first time Kirksey partnered with Uvalde. As part of Kirksey’s nomination for Walter Payton Man of the Year, he surprised head football coach Wade Miller and senior linebacker Justyn Rendon with tickets to Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona.

Kirksey also chose the Boys & Girls Club & Teen Center of Uvalde as the beneficiary of the NFL Foundation’s donation in his honor.

The The Boys & Girls Club of America is actively fundraising to bring a state-of-the-art, stand-alone club to Uvalde to further benefit the community by providing positive programming, mental health support, and a sense of stability and security to help Uvalde’s young people move forward.

On Oct. 22, Kirksey traveled to Uvalde nearly five months after the tragedy at Robb Elementary School to surprise the Coyotes football team at their team dinner, wherein he gave the team new Nike uniforms and interacted with the young football players.

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WATCH: Texans LB Christian Kirksey intercepts Colts QB Sam Ehlinger

Houston Texans linebacker Christian Kirksey managed to intercept Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger in Week 18.

Christian Kirksey has been a model linebacker in 2022.

The 30-year-old grabbed his second interception of the season as he picked off Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger on a third-and-9 from the Houston 13-yard line with 4:56 to go in the second quarter in Week 18 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Houston Texans linebacker’s second interception matches 2018 and 2020 for his most in a season.

The takeaway was the third of the day for the Texans, which had a fumble recovery on special teams and an interception from defensive end Jonathan Greenard.

Kirksey also had a half-sack, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hit in the first half.

LB Christian Kirksey says Texans have to prepare for both Titans quarterbacks

LB Christian Kirksey says that the Houston Texans defense must prepare for both Tennessee Titans QBs, Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Houston Texans’ season wasn’t in the septic tank just yet when they prepared for the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 30 at NRG Stadium. That has changed with Houston’s 1-12-1 record.

The Texans were preparing to face rookie quarterback Malik Willis, but had to keep in mind the possibility that incumbent Ryan Tannehill may recover quickly enough to start against Houston.

That has remained the same, even as the two AFC South rivals gear up for their Week 16 encounter at Nissan Stadium.

Tannehill was listed on the injury report with an ankle injury, and was listed as a “non-participant” in Tuesday’s walkthrough.

According to linebacker Christian Kirksey, even though it appears it could be Willis’ time again, the Texans are getting ready for both scenarios.

“We know how they both play, so, we have to prepare as if they’re both going to be playing the game,” Kirksey said. “Obviously, they have two different styles, but really we have to look ourselves in the mirror and tighten up things in on our end. That’s what we’re focusing on right now.”

Willis wasn’t actually the one who did Houston in during their Week 8 encounter. The third-rounder from Liberty went 6-10 for 55 yards and an interception while adding five carries for 12 yards on the ground.

It was Derrick Henry with his 32 carries for 219 yards and two touchdowns that strangled the Texans 17-10.

The Texans defense has done well to take playoff contenders such as the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs down to the wire in the past two weeks. Kirksey wants to see if the Texans can do the same with the Titans, frontrunners in the division with a 7-7 record.

Said Kirksey: “How can we play better ball for all four quarters, or five quarters if we go to overtime? It’s all about that. That’s been our main focus, is how can we get better. Right now, we’re trying to figure that out.”

The Texans split the season series with Tennessee last season as they earned a 22-13 win over the Titans in Week 11 at Nissan Stadium in a downpour.

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Texans LB Christian Kirksey not worried about cold weather against the Titans

Houston Texans linebacker Christian Kirksey says that the cold weather against the Tennessee Titans does not bother him at all.

Christian Kirksey knows a thing or two about the cold weather.

The 30-year-old linebacker spent the first seven seasons of his career playing in the cold weather — six years with the Cleveland Browns and a year with the Green Bay Packers.

Kirksey will renew his familiarity with the cold weather when the Houston Texans take on the Tennessee Titans Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Nissan Stadium. The forecast is mostly sunny, 19 degrees, and 10 mile-per-hour winds.

“You don’t really pay attention to the cold,” Kirksey said. “With today’s game, we have heated benches. We have the big coats. With your adrenaline flowing, you’re out there running around, you don’t really pay attention to it at some point, at least for me.”

Kirksey’s pro career wasn’t just spent in the cold; the former Iowa Hawkeye played his college career in Iowa City, Iowa, where the average low can get below 30 degrees in November, when the college season winds down. Kirksey also played high school football in the St. Louis, Missouri, area for Hazelwood East.

Said Kirskey: “I’ve been around the cold my whole career for the most part. It’s a mental thing. Just go out there, you play football as a kid, playing in the snow, you just kind of have that same mindset. We’re just playing ball outside. Don’t even pay attention to the cold.”

The ninth-year linebacker has had a productive season with 107 combined tackles, 3.0 sacks, seven tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, an interception, a fumble recovery, and four pass breakups through 14 games, all of which he has started.

7 crazy stats from the Texans’ 30-24 overtime loss to the Chiefs

The Houston Texans recorded some interesting milestones and stats in their 30-24 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Houston Texans had another late-game letdown against an elite opponent as they bungled the 30-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15 at NRG Stadium.

Despite the team not finishing the drop and slipping to 1-12-1 on the season, there were some individual performances that were worthy of recognition.

Houston’s rookie class showed up against the Chiefs and notched some interesting milestones both in team history and also for their class.

The Texans’ defense also had productive outings from key contributors.

The passing game also had a few checkpoints to pass despite not having receivers Brandin Cooks (calf) and Nico Collins (foot) available.

Here are seven crazy stats from Week 15.

WATCH: Texans LB Christian Kirksey sacks Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

Houston Texans linebacker Christian Harris was able to get a sack against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Week 15.

The Houston Texans were able to apply pressure against Patrick Mahomes.

On first-and-10 from the Kansas City 40-yard line with 8:24 to go in the first quarter from Week 15 at NRG Stadium, linebacker Christian Kirksey was able to blitz and come up with a sack of the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback.

The 11-yard loss doomed the Chiefs’ drive as they were unable to convert the eventual third-and-7.

With Kirksey’s sack disrupting the Chiefs’ drive, Houston was able to get the ball back and mount a scoring drive to take a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Kirksey has 3.0 sacks on the year, marking the first time since 2017 with the Cleveland Browns that he has recorded 3.0-plus sacks in a season.

 

Desmond King II reflects on Christian Kirksey’s nomination for Walter Payton Man of the Year award

King, a college teammate of Kirksey at the University of Iowa, told reporters that the linebacker’s nomination was a long time coming

Nominations were submitted by every team in the NFL this week for the league’s most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, and the Houston Texans selected linebacker Christian Kirksey as their representative for his work in the community this year. Ultimately, every player who is nominated is deserving of the accolade, but only one will be chosen as the league’s top off-field performer for their service.

Cornerback Desmond King II was asked about Kirksey’s nomination on Tuesday and made it clear to the media that the recognition has been a long time coming for his college teammate.

“I’ve been around Christian [Kirksey] for so long now,” King told reporters. “He was actually a senior in college when I was a freshman at Iowa, so I’ve been around Christian. Very great person, very selfless. He cares about everyone that’s around him. Definitely a leader and I congratulate him for being nominated for that award. He is definitely the epitome of being a community guy. That’s something that’s definitely stood out for him since I’ve met him.”

The praise from King is certainly warranted and speaks to Kirksey’s commitment over a series of years to making an impact in the communities he has played in. It takes a special kind of person to be put up for consideration to receive such a high honor, and Kirksey certainly seems to fit the bill.

In his nomination, the Texans cited Kirksey’s work with families in Uvalde, Texas, and his continued commitment to strengthening the team’s bond with Texas Southern University as examples of work he has put in to warrant his selection as the team’s candidate.

Fans should stay tuned to the NFL’s postseason awards as the season winds down to stay in the know about Kirksey’s chances of winning the award.