Bama in the NFL: DeMeco Ryans Aims to Turn Houston Texans Around, Again

The Crimson Tide doesn't have that much of a history with the young franchise, but it could have a very strong future.

Christopher Walsh | Aug 4, 2023

Bama in the NFL: DeMeco Ryans Aims to Turn Houston Texans Around, Again /

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Alabama Crimson Tide

The No. 1 question being heard during the early days of training camp for the Houston Texans isn't about who will be the starting quarterback, who will be the middle linebacker, or how much better can the team be after finishing 3-13-1 last season. It's "What's with all the Alabama Crimson Tide guys, especially the linebackers?"

Of course that includes Will Anderson Jr., the No. 3-overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, starter Christian Harris, and the player behind him on the initial depth chart, rookie Henry To'oTo'o. There's also head coach DeMeco Ryans (plus wide receiver John Metchie III is back on the field after missing last season due to leukemia).

Naturally, they're working on a nickname for the quick-growing Crimson Tide clique in the locker room.

"We’re chopping it up," Harris said. "We don’t have a name yet, no."

Although Ryans looks like he could still play at age 39, he's instead enjoying his homecoming back to Texas, where he spent six years as a player and still has family. Fresh off winning the Lott Trophy at Alabama, he was the first Crimson Tide player drafted by the organization, and was one of the most popular defensive players in franchise history (behind J.J. Watt).

Twice named to the Pro Bowl with the Texans, Ryans turned to coaching when his playing days ended, and quickly became one of the top young assistants in the NFL. Last season was just his second as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, which had the league's top defense.

Of course the second-most asked thing at camp has been what's the difference between a Nick Saban-coached practice and one by Ryans.

“It’s not as much contact, but the attention to detail is what I see just as far as being very detail-orientated in every single play, like every single thing we do," Harris said. "So yeah, that’s the biggest [correlation] I see.”

"I would just say the intensity," Anderson said. "Moving around, fast-paced. Everybody swarming, running to the ball. I see a lot of that just coming from Alabama in here."

Now they just need to turn the Texans around. Houston won just 11 games over its last three seasons combined, the worst stretch in its 20-year history. It hasn't had a winning season since 2019, and in six playoff appearances has never made it past the AFC Divisional Round.

When the Texans drafted Ryans in 2006, with the first pick in the second round, they had yet to enjoy a .500 season. They reached that mark in both 2007 and 2008, and made the playoffs for the first time during his final season as a player in Houston, 2011.

Bama in the NFL: Houston Texans

The Franchise

American Football Conference

South Division

Team Colors: Deep Steel Blue, Battle Red and Liberty White

Founded: 1999

Stadium: NRG Stadium (capacity: 71,995)

Playing Surface: Artificial Turf

Training Camp: Houston Methodist Training Center

All-Time Alabama Players

Mark Anderson, DE, 2010
Antoine Caldwell, C, 2009 - 2012
Travis Carroll, LB, 2003
Christian Harris, LB, 2022
O.J. Howard, TE, 2022
Mark Ingram II, RB, 2021
Kareem Jackson, DB, 2010 - 2018
A.J. McCarron, QB, 2019 - 2020
John Metchie III, WR, 2022
Jeoffrey Pagan, DE, 2014 - 2015
Rod Rutledge, TE, 2002
DeMeco Ryans, LB, 2006 - 2011
Brad Smelley, TE, 2013 - 2014
DeAndrew White, WR, 2017

Crimson Tide Players Drafted

Year	Player	Pos.	Round	Pick	Overall
2006	DeMeco Ryans	LB	2	1	33
2009	Antoine Caldwell	C	3	13	77
2010	Kareem Jackson	CB	1	20	20
2014	Jeoffrey Pagan	DE	6	1	177
2022	Christian Harris	LB	3	11	75
2022	John Metchie III	WR	2	12	44
2023	Henry To'oTo'o	LB	5	33	167
2023	Will Anderson Jr.	LB	1	3	3

Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker DeMeco Ryans (35) celebrates the game-ending interception in the final seconds against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2005. Alabama defeated Tennessee 6-3. — John David Mercer / USA Today Sports

Super Bowl Appearances

None. The Texans are one of four active NFL teams that have never appeared in a Super Bowl, along with the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Houston has hosted the Super Bowl three times: VIII, XXXVIII, XLI

Major Awards/Honors

All-Pro

None

Pro Bowl

DeMeco Ryans (2): 2007, 2009

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

DeMeco Ryans 2006

Crimson Tide NFL Team Rundown: Houston Texans

In conjunction with our revamped Bama in the NFL Database, this is the 13th story in a series examining the team-by-team history of Alabama's former players in the NFL.

AFC

NFC