Brian Hoyer and T.J. Yates didn't just meet this week when the Texans signed Yates to be the backup quarterback.
"Actually, we were roommates at the Manning Passing Academy when we were both in college, so I've known him since then and have played against him several times," Hoyer said Wednesday. "So, we say the usual hello, before and after the game. Yeah, I am familiar with him and he's a good guy."
It was 2008 and the two were sharing a dorm room in Thibodaux, Louisiana where they were both working as counselors at the Manning Passing Academy. Yates was a sophomore at the University of North Carolina. Many collegiate quarterbacks served as counselors for the aspiring high school quarterbacks who attend the annual camp, put on by the Manning family.
"Me and Brian, I think we ended up on the same delayed flight, sat in the airport together for a couple hours, ended up being roommates at the camp and we kept in touch over the years," Yates said. "Played against him a couple times throughout the years in the NFL so we kept in touch."
The Texans signed Yates as a free agent to the active roster on Wednesday. Yates returns to the Texans after being honored as the AFC Player of the Week and helping the team clinch its first AFC South division title in 2011.
