Ross Blacklock had a dream come true when the Houston Texans selected him in Round 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Fort Bend Elkins High School product was coming home from TCU in Fort Worth to play for his hometown team. The fans have embraced the 6-3, 290-pound defensive tackle as a fan favorite, even though he has yet to play a down for the franchise.
“It’s love,” Blacklock said. “I love this city until the day I leave it. It’s a beautiful place. I never have plans on leaving. Way, way after football, I’ll always be a Houston guy.”
Blacklock has been embracing the moment of playing for his favorite NFL team growing up as well as coming back to the Houston area after college. Although the experience is grand thus far, Blacklock seeks to contribute to the Texans in 2020, not simply enjoy the good feelings that have flowed since being drafted.
The rookie hopes to continue to, “just to learn all the knowledge I can, just gain trust in the vets” in his first season.
Said Blacklock: “Let them know they can trust me while I’m on the field with them, that I’ll do my job. Just keep grinding and just keep striving to be great each and every day. My main goal my rookie year is just be a sponge. Soak up everything I possibly can so whenever I’m older I can make things slow down for me and I can pass it on to the next person.”
Blacklock is playing at defensive tackle, where D.J. Reader was an imposing threat for the past two seasons. Reader signed a free agent deal with the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason, and it is up to Blacklock to be a part of the Texans’ retooling inside the defensive line. If the 22-year-old can help Houston succeed in bolstering its disruption in the trenches, Blacklock should enjoy another status of being a fan favorite.
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