Breakfast: "Like a caterpillar"
When Antonio Smith signed with the Texans less than two weeks ago, his mind was racing. He wanted contribute to the team as soon as possible, but he had not played in a game since Super Bowl 50 in February.
Despite the desire to get up to speed quickly, Smith felt the exact opposite.
"Like a caterpillar," Smith said last week. "I'm rolling slow."
 Getting back into football shape wasn't going to happen overnight, but time was limited. Four days later, the Texans defensive end was playing in the Week 4 game against Tennessee.
"I just made it up in my mind," Smith said. "I'm going to keep sawing at wood, just keep chipping away at it. Each day do as much extra as my body will let me do and then each week, the way I see it is, my body will be getting better throughout the season where everybody else in the league will be breaking down."
Mentally, Smith had to catch up as well. The 12-year veteran had to learn a new system that wasn't unfamiliar, but had terminology that was either new or meant something entirely different than what Smith had known.
"It's ups and downs," Smith said. "The systems I've been in my whole career basically use the same names for things. This is like a whole different terminology for a lot of things. Some of the things they use for terminology, I used for 12 years and it meant something totally different. So, I have to kind of break my mind from that."
In less than two weeks, Smith has seen action in two games for Houston since J.J. Watt was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a back injury. Even in his limited snaps in third-down situations, Smith has been effective. In Sunday's 31-13 loss at Minnesota, Smith recorded two tackles, a half-sack, and a single-game season-high two quarterback hits. 
"He did a nice job on the center," head coach Bill O'Brien said Monday. "He is getting in better football shape. He's a great guy in the locker room. Really, really happy to have him."

When Antonio Smith signed with the Texans less than two weeks ago, his mind was racing. He wanted contribute to the team as soon as possible, but he had not played in a game since Super Bowl 50 in February.
 
Despite the desire to move quickly, Smith felt the exact opposite.
 
"Like a caterpillar," Smith said last week. "I'm rolling slow."
 

Getting back into football shape wasn't going to happen overnight, but time was limited. Four days later, the Texans defensive end was playing in the Week 4 game against Tennessee.
 
"I just made it up in my mind," Smith said. "I'm going to keep sawing at wood, just keep chipping away at it. Each day do as much extra as my body will let me do and then each week, the way I see it is, my body will be getting better throughout the season where everybody else in the league will be breaking down."
 
Mentally, Smith had to catch up as well. The 12-year veteran had to learn a new system that wasn't unfamiliar, but had terminology that was either new or meant something entirely different than what Smith had known.
 
"It's ups and downs," Smith said. "The systems I've been in my whole career basically use the same names for things. This is like a whole different terminology for a lot of things. Some of the things they use for terminology, I used for 12 years and it meant something totally different. So, I have to kind of break my mind from that."
 
In less than two weeks, Smith has seen action in two games for Houston with J.J. Watt placed on season-ending injured reserve with a back injury. Even with limited snaps in third-down situations, Smith has been effective. In Sunday's 31-13 loss at Minnesota, Smith recorded two tackles, a half-sack, and a single-game season-high two quarterback hits. 
 
"He did a nice job on the center," head coach Bill O'Brien said Monday. "He is getting in better football shape. He's a great guy in the locker room. Really, really happy to have him."