As the longest-tenured player on the Texans, Duane Brown doesn't take being an NFL starter lightly.
This year, No. 76 seems to have some extra fuel as he works his way back from his Jan. 6 quadriceps surgery.
"Definitely, definitely," Brown said in an interview with Texans Radio. "I'm always very self-motivated every offseason but this year, I'm trying to do something that's not very easy. It's a significant injury that I suffered in January and to be able to come back from that and play at the level, and even better than I've been isn't an easy task at all so this has made me dig deeper inside of me to find what I need to get there."
The All-Pro left tackle suffered a season-ending quad injury in the first quarter of the 2015 regular season finale against Jacksonville. It was the toughest injury of his eight-year playing career, but Brown diligently returned to rehab and the weight room as soon as he was off crutches.
He gave fans a glimpse of some of his workouts via Instagram.
As for his return to the football field, Brown has a singular goal, to get back to 100 percent for the 2016 season opener.
"We're just taking it a day at a time right now," Brown said. "Training camp would be great but my main objective is to be there Week 1, to line up against Chicago. As the months go by, we'll see where I am but it's hard to say that right now."
LT Duane Brown's time as a Texan and Virginia Tech Hokie is chronicled here in photos.
