Texans' Sheldon Rankins Reveals Past Connection to Ravens' Lamar Jackson

Houston Texans defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson were teammates at Louisville in 2015.

As the Houston Texans prepare for Sunday's regular season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins revealed a past connection to the opposition's most notable player.

"I've known (Ravens quarterback) Lamar (Jackson) since he was an 18-year-old freshman (at Louisville) and I was a senior (in 2015)," Rankins told reporters on Monday.

Rankins said that Jackson, who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2016, was a "live quarterback" before he was the starter.

"(Jackson) was gashing our first-string, highly ranked defense in practices and scrimmages," Rankins said. "We realized we shouldn't kill that guy (because he was the future). He's been damn good since I've known him and he's only gotten better."

Jackson emerged as a superstar during his second NFL season in 2018-19, as he took home the MVP award at just 22-years-old. Rankins explained how much Jackson has improved ahead of the upcoming reunion.

"He's continued to progress as a thrower and he's arguably the best runner in the league when he decides to tuck it and do special things. He presents a challenge," Rankins said. "You got to be locked into what he's doing every play. It's gonna be on us to continually attack him in a multitude of ways for 60 minutes."

The Texans signed Rankins on March 15, hoping he'd make an immediate impact by clogging the trenches as soon as Week 1 against the Ravens.

Rankins spent two years with the New York Jets after his five-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.

Rankins was a starter for a Gang Green defense that ranked fourth overall in yards allowed per game (311.1) in 2022. The former first-round draft pick recorded at least one stop in all 15 appearances last year.

The Texans will face the Ravens on Sept. 10 at 12 p.m. CT.