BEST OF THE BEST
How the pin got pulled on an issue that could splinter Houston in pieces
Jan 2, 2023, 11:46 am
Who is Houston's best? Composite image by Jack Brame.
JJ Watt finds a new home in the NFC
The debate started even before we sat down for Christmas dinner. Now that J.J. Watt has announced his retirement from the NFL, his work nearly complete, is he the greatest athlete in Houston history?
Wait. What about Nolan Ryan, the strikeout king and officially named a “Texas hero” by state legislators? Roger Clemens, 7-time Cy Young winner? Brittney Griner, 8-time WNBA All-Star, 2-time scoring champion, two-time All-American, WNBA and NCAA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist? Carl Lewis, nine Olympic gold medals and one-time fastest human ever? A.J. Foyt, four-time Indy 500 winner? Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, played their entire careers with the Astros, both Hall of Famers? Jose Altuve did something that Biggio and Bagwell never did, and then did it twice?
As the debate wore on into dessert, two athletes stood head and shoulders, by height and accomplishments, over the rest: J.J. Watt and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Who you got? They both present a heck of a case.
Olajuwon spent four years at the University of Houston and 17 seasons with the Houston Rockets. His UH teams made two Final Fours, and he led the Rockets to consecutive NBA titles in 1994-95. He played more basketball games with the word “Houston” on his jersey than anybody ever.
Born in Nigeria, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1993 and helped the U.S. win an Olympic gold medal in 1996. The Dream is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was first-team NBA six times, Defensive Player of the Year two times and league MVP in 1994. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in blocked shots and now the Defensive Player of the Year award is named for him.
Put it this way, he was drafted No. 1 overall by Houston in 1984, ahead of Michael Jordan, and nobody thinks the Rockets made a bad choice. Foreign-born players seem to win the NBA’s MVP award routinely these days, but Olajuwon was the first.
J.J. Watt’s career stats are eye-popping, too. Drafted 11th overall by the Texans in 2011, Watt quickly developed into an unparalleled defensive force in the NFL. He was named first-team All-Pro five times and won Defensive Player of the Year three times. He led the league in sacks two times and forced fumbles once. He even caught three touchdown passes in 2014.
Watt never was named NFL MVP because, well, that award typically goes to an offensive player. The award has been handed out the past 65 years – only once to a defensive player, Alan Page in 1971.
Statistically, Olajuwon gets the nod as Houston’s best. But should popularity and accomplishments off the playing field enter the discussion? If yes, then we must do a recount.
While Olajuwon was a titan on the basketball court and beloved by fans for his talent, his connection and involvement in the community don’t compare to Watt.
Watt was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year in 2017, partly for his fundraising efforts after Hurricane Harvey devastated parts of Houston. That same year he won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, the sport’s most prestigious honor, for representing “values of respect, integrity, resiliency and responsibility on and off the field.”
Before games, Watt walked around NRG Stadium playing catch with young fans. His commercials for H-E-B made him a celebrity. Watt hosted Saturday Night Live in 2020 and appeared in the films Bad Moms and Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. He once played congas at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion while Jimmy Buffett sang Margaritaville. We don’t know if Watt is a Republican or Democrat, but he’s so admired that it’s difficult to imagine anybody beating him for mayor of Houston.
So who wins? Who is the greatest athlete ever in Houston? Olajuwon has the numbers, but Watt plays a more popular sport (OK, maybe not at the moment in Houston). The NFL is bigger and more important than the NBA, MLB, and NHL combined. That counts.
Here’s how revered Watt is. Two years ago the best player ever for the Texans made it known that he wanted off the team, get me outta here … and Houston fans took his side.
With 100-percent of precincts reporting, let’s call it a dead heat for greatest, while Watt doubles up as most popular.
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.