Texans Coach Lovie Smith Confident in Rookie Derek Stingley Jr.'s Future

Before his season came to an end due to a hamstring injury, Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith liked what he saw from rookie defensive back Derek Stingley Jr.

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans placed a pair of rookies on injured reserve Saturday afternoon.

Running back Dameon Pierce's season ended due to a foot injury he sustained during the Texans' Week 14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. But rookie cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. drew a greater concern. Stingley joined Pierce on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three consecutive games. 

He finished his first season in the NFL with nine games under his belt. But even with the premature end to his rookie campaign, coach Lovie Smith liked what he saw from the soon-to-be sophomore defensive back.

"We’ve liked everything about Derek Stingley when he has played," Smith said. "He was another one of our guys who came in behind a little bit with his injury. But now, those guys have a chance to develop their bodies and get healthy."

Stingley had a solid rookie season despite the hype created by his counterpart Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner with the New York Jets. 

The LSU prospect was the only rookie cornerback who did not allow a touchdown while registering 43 tackles, five pass deflections and 1.0 sacks.

He recorded his lone interception during the Texans' 13-6 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars when he picked off quarterback Trevor Lawrence's pass attempt to wide receiver Zay Jones.

But the end of Stingley's first year played into the common fear that nearly plagued his draft stock.

"Hamstrings are tricky a little bit," Smith said. "You don’t know exactly how long they’ll take.

When the Texans selected Stingley with the No. 3 pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, there were reasons to be concerned about his durability. Several injuries plagued Stingley's final two seasons at LSU. His most noteworthy came during his junior year when a Lisfranc injury limited him to three games.

His first injury scare came during the Texans' Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The injury occurred midway through the fourth quarter after Stingley made a tackle on Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams. He re-entered the game twice after two quick evaluations by the team's medical staff. 

Since Stingley's absence, nickel defensive back Desmond King has started in his absence over the previous four games. And while replacing the services of the rookie cornerback, King shared words of advice when Stingley first went down with the injury following the Texans' Week 10 loss to the New York Giants.

"That’s tough because I know it’s his rookie year," King said. "Keep your head up and keep working and get back healthy."

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You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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