VYPE
Texas ranks 11th in the country as NFL players per capita
Originally Appeared on VYPE
The phenomenon known as "Friday Night Lights" does not translate to "Saturday Success" or even "Sunday Stardom."
The reasons might surprise you.
Texas is thought to be the epicenter of High School Football nationwide, and it is. Katy, Permian, North Shore, Duncanville, Argyle, Converse Judson, Lake Travis, Westlake, Highland Park… It goes on and on.
These are name brands. If you are in California or Florida, you still know these programs.
But here's the thing… For the number of GREAT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS in the state, a shocking number of athletes don't translate to the highest level.
Take the NFL. Where do you think Texas ranks in the country as NFL players per capita? Top 5? Top 10?
Nope. Try 11 th behind the likes of Hawaii, Mississippi, Nebraska and even Nevada.
Wait what?
Hence the argument.
The "Texas High School Football Player" has a ceiling. You heard it here, first.
Having worked for the first national recruiting website for over a decade and covering HS sports as a co-founder of VYPE 12 years ago, I've had some time to develop my theory.
There are tons of Texas kids on the national recruiting lists. There are so many four and five stars, right? Well, the upside is not always there.
The story continues here
Jose Altuve asked manager Joe Espada to move him out of the leadoff spot and into the second hole for the Houston Astros.
The reason? He wanted more time to get ready to hit in the bottom of the first inning after coming into the dugout from left field.
Altuve is playing left for the first time in his career after spending his first 14 major league seasons at second base.
“I just need like 10 more seconds,” he said.
The 34-year-old Altuve made the transition to the outfield this season after the trade of Kyle Tucker and the departure of Alex Bregman shook up Houston’s lineup.
Jeremy Peña was in the top spot Monday night against Detroit. Altuve had two hits, including a two-run homer, and three RBIs to help the Astros to an 8-5 win. It was the first time since 2023 he batted anywhere besides leadoff.
“I enjoy playing baseball,” Altuve said. “I love playing, especially with these guys. I like being in the lineup. In the end it doesn’t really matter if I play second or left, if I lead off or not. I just want to be in the lineup and help this team to win.”
Altuve didn’t suggest that Peña take his leadoff spot.
“I just told Joe that maybe he can hit me second some games at some point and he did it today,” Altuve said. “I just need like that little extra time to come from left field, and he decided to put Jeremy (there).”
Peña is hitting .265 with three homers and 11 RBIs. He batted first in Sunday’s 7-3 win over Kansas City — with Altuve getting a day off — and had two hits and three RBIs. He added two more hits and scored twice Monday.
Along with giving him a little extra time to get ready to bat, Altuve thinks the athletic Peña batting leadoff could give a boost to a lineup that has struggled at times this season.
“Jeremy is one of those guys that has been playing really good for our team,” Altuve said. “He’s taking really good at-bats. He’s very explosive and dynamic on the bases, so when he gets on base a lot of things can happen. Maybe I can bunt him over so Yordan (Alvarez) can drive him in.”
Altuve is a nine-time All-Star. The 2017 AL MVP is hitting .282 with four homers and 12 RBIs this season.
Espada said he and Altuve often share different ideas about the team and they had been talking about this possibility for a while before the manager made the move.
“He’s always looking for ways to get everyone involved and he’s playing left field, comes in, maybe give him a little bit more time to get ready between at-bats, just a lot of things that went into this decision," Espada said. "He’s been around, he knows himself better than anyone else here, so hopefully this could create some opportunities for everyone here and we can score some runs.”