Texans LB Christian Harris channels inner Nick Saban to avoid 2024 hype

Christian Harris spent three seasons under Nick Saban at Alabama, so he knows a thing or two about “rat poison” hype.

The Houston Texans have gone from being the prey to the poachers. They’re ready to feast after a breakout season in 2023. 

Houston enters July with the seventh-best odds to win the Super Bowl after going 10-7 under Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud. The Texans swung big in free agency to better their chances, landing Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. 

They also traded for proven commodities in Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs from Buffalo and running back Joe Mixon from Cincinnati. 

Yes, the stage is set for a dominant Year 2 under DeMeco Ryans, but one player is making sure to drum down the hype internally. 

“It ain’t nothing but rat poison,” linebacker Christian Harris told GoLong’s Tyler Dunne in reference to preseason projections regarding the Texans. “It’s a blessing to be in this position to have a great team that we have and we know we have a great opportunity.”

Fans of Alabama know the phrase too well after the last 17 seasons. Longtime coach Nick Saban coined the term to keep the locker room humble amid outside hype. 

What looks to be a promising season in June and July could lead to concerns come mid-October among fans, especially if Houston struggles to pick up where it left off back in January against Cleveland in the wild-card round. 

Harris, who enters Year 3 with the franchise, remembers when Alabama dropped a game against Texas A&M in 2021, leading to speculation that perhaps the dynasty was over. The Crimson Tide would go on to win the SEC and punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff. 

“Another part of that is knowing we have to put the work in. So listening to everybody’s predictions on the outside? We got to put the work in.”

Harris isn’t the first former Alabama player to reference rat poison at NRG Stadium. Ryans, who played for the Tide before Saban arrived in 2007, mentioned it following Houston’s 20-13 win over New Orleans in mid-October. 

Staying the course helped Houston win seven of its final 11 games and clinch a postseason berth. Avoiding the “rat poison” secured a win over the No. 1 defense at home in the postseason and another accolade in Stroud’s rise to fame. 

The Texans have the hype and the roster to advance deep into the postseason, but the internal sights must be set on training camp first.

Harris, one of several Alabama players on Houston’s roster, might be setting the tone in practice come next month.