Head coach Gary Kubiak spoke about coach Bruce Matthews' impersonation of Elvis in his post-practice remarks to the media on Wednesday.
Members of the team spoke to the media on Wednesday following the Texans' morning practice. Following is a transcript of their respective interviews.
Texans head coach Gary Kubiak
Texans WR David Anderson
Texans WR Andre Johnson
Texans CB Brice McCain
Texans head coach Gary Kubiak (morning practice)
(on today's morning practice) "We practiced really well today. It's what you've got to be able to do, got to bounce back. Good news is that they understand, they understand the difference in what we got done yesterday and what we got done today, so it's what it's all about."
(on the picture at cornerback) "Well, we really worked with six and a half guys this morning. Q (CB Glover Quin) came back to practice, so you have all young players other than (CB) Fred (Bennett). There's a lot of good things going on, and basically what's going to take place is you're going to see reps for them like first and second teamers. So there's so much to evaluate, but it's a great opportunity for those young men. It's a little bit of a scary situation for us as a team but we'll see what happens. Sometimes you find players that way."
(on whether shifting S Eugene Wilson to CB is an option) "Yeah, Eugene is an option to go out there but it's not good for our team to move Eugene right now. We had a long discussion last night. Eugene is doing a great job, he's becoming a leader on our defense. We don't need to do that to the big picture right now, so that's an option if it were week 4 or week 5 but not right now."
(on if this is an opportunity for CB Fred Bennett to emerge as a leader) "It is. It's funny how things work. Fred has been kind of up and down, he's had some chances to start and not start, and all of a sudden he goes into this camp as a starter and all of a sudden now he's the lone veteran standing, so it is a chance for Fred to lead the way with the group. Fred is having one heck of a camp, and I think he's adjusted to what (defensive backs coach) David (Gibbs) wants very, very well. Opportunity knocks."
(on the difference between what he sees in CB Fred Bennett now compared to the past) "Well, Fred is just more mature. Fred is a pro. I think he's in the best condition he's been in, so that part is easy for him, and I think that he really feels like what (defensive backs coach) David (Gibbs) is asking him to do fits his game, so I see some confidence in him."
(on how today's practice was compared to yesterday's) "Very good. We responded. We practiced good today."
(on the timetable for CB Antwaun Molden to return from injury) "I think he's still a little ways away. We said a couple of weeks when we got started, we're not quite a week yet. We'll see. We were hoping for two weeks. Right now, I'd say he's not ready yet."
(on talking to QB Rex Grossman about his role before signing him) "When I called him, the day I called him, I remember sitting in my backyard saying, 'You know, I don't know what you have going on. But the thing I can offer you is an opportunity. We're not going to promise you anything, we'll give you a chance to kind of get going in this league, we'll coach the heck out of you, and there's a need on our team for another guy to come in here and compete.' And when he said, 'Coach, that's all I want,' I told him to take a few days to think about it. He said, 'I don't need a few days. I want to come,' so it made me feel really good about it."
(on offensive assistant Bruce Matthews' decision to enter into coaching) "Well, it's been a joy for us…I won't use the word 'coaches'…but as people to be around this guy. He's a special, special human being, and he's got a lot to offer to these young guys. They respect him, listen to him. I don't know if you know it, but he put on an Elvis skit the other night in the (meeting) room, so I'm telling on him. Pretty darn good. So it's been a joy. It's great to have him around."
(on the details of Matthews' skit) "Other than singing some Elvis and wearing a nice white suit, I don't know."
(on when the team will know how long C Chris Myers will be out) "Well those high ankles (sprains), I don't think you know. You'll see two weeks, you'll see four weeks. With Chris, I'd work more towards the short end, but that's just me knowing him. I had Chris in Denver, he had a high ankle sprain in Denver on me, when I think he was a rookie. That's one of the reasons he made our team, his toughness that he pulled off in that camp. I know we can count on Chris, but I can't put at timetable on it."
(on whether C Chris Myers' injury would require surgery) "No, all indications are to me that he's fine and that we'll rest it, rehab it and get him back out there."
(on any additional health news from practice) "(TE James) Casey got kicked in the shin, and (RB Arian) Foster felt his hamstring tweak so we pulled him out."
(on what he wants CB Fred Bennett to do to become the player he wants him to be) "Well, here's an opportunity for Fred to be a leader, too. All those young guys are looking at him, basically six young guys watching Fred. That's unusual to be in year three and be the big veteran in the group. That's another challenge for him. So we'll see, but he's done a good job."
(on whether he projects CB Glover Quin going above CB Brice McCain on the depth chart) "Nobody is going to be first or second. They're just all going to compete. They're probably going to line up first or second on a given day. After Fred, they're going to all compete and we'll go from there."
(on CB Brice McCain's camp so far) "He's gaining confidence every day. Gaining confidence every day. Good looking player, doesn't make the same mistake twice. He's making a nice push, so it's going to be interesting."
(on CB Brice McCain's speed) "Well it's obviously a big benefit for him. Having to play a little more physical in the pro game is probably the biggest challenge, but he's got all the skills."
(on FS Brandon Harrison's camp so far) "Brandon is having a good camp. He and (FS) Dominique (Barber) work together now as good as they ever have before. Brandon is playing the ball probably better than he ever has before. The preseason will be a big season for those two players."
(on TE Anthony Hill's injury status) "Anthony was on two crutches yesterday, one crutch last night and he practiced this morning, so Anthony made a lot of progress in the last 24 hours. He's doing well."
Texans head coach Gary Kubiak (afternoon practice)
(on the injury status of RB Arian Foster) "He kind of tweaked his hamstring a little bit. We looked at it at lunch and it didn't look too severe, so day-to-day would probably be the best way to explain it."
(on others doing work as punt returners) "(WR Darnell) Jenkins will do it, (CB Glover) Quin will do it, (WR) Glenn Martinez will do it. We've got about five or six guys who'll get plenty of reps, and it'll be very competitive, because it could have a lot to do with those last roster spots as far as how much a guy helps in that area, so we'll see. We'll give them all a chance."
(on CB Brice McCain as a kick returner) "Oh yeah, McCain was back there, too. I forgot him. He's very fast, he's done some of it in college. He's got his hands full right now at corner, but we'll give him an opportunity. We'll wait and see how it goes in preseason."
(on options at cornerback with CB Jacques Reeves out) "(CB) Glover (Quin) practiced this morning, so he's fine, so it's good to have him back. Obviously, our eyes are open as we look around at some of the guys who are out there and what's going on around the league, but we like these young guys we have here, so we're going to keep pushing. That's part of training camp, we'll find a way to get through it. But you've always got to be prepared, because practices could shut down real quick."
(on what he's looking for from the young guys at cornerback) "Well the good thing is that they're going to be able to show their abilities, because they're the guys who are out there. Other than (CB) Fred (Bennett), it's a bunch of inexperienced guys out there battling for jobs. The whole football team will be watching. If they make plays, a guy goes out there and if you're (CB) Brice McCain, you go out there and cover (WR) Andre Johnson for the next 10 days, you're going to get noticed, so it's great opportunity for all of those guys."
(on when scrimmaging your own team begins to get boring) "They're tired of it already. But that's usually the way it goes the first week of camp. It's physical, it's against each other, they're tired, they're wearing on each other, but we've got to push through until Saturday, and next week we're starting to play every week, so our frame of mind and how we do things changes, but we've still got a lot of work to do, we've got a lot of teaching to do here over the course of the next few days."
(on the injury status of TE James Casey) "He got kicked in the shin. He's alright. He's OK."
Texans WR David Anderson
(on his attitude) "I learned to do what I do well, and I guess that's what sticks. You can't really get rid of a guy who wants to make plays as long as they make them so that's just what I've been doing and that's what works."
(on how it feels to succeed) "I guess there's a sense of, like you overachieve but at the same time, you know, it's an expectation you have for yourself, and when you do make it, it's a feeling that no one was there helping me, everyone was doubting me and when you do make it it's just a bigger sense of gratification that no one can take away from you. I came out here and I competed every day and I made it."
Texans WR Andre Johnson
(on how he feels about being one of the top receivers in the league) "You put a lot of work in to get where you're at and that's something I never forget or take for granted. Just as you can be one of the top guys in the league or you can be one of the bottom, you know, I don't take that for granted. That's something that I want people to keep saying. 'Andre Johnson goes out and plays the game right, he plays as one of the top guys in the league.' I'm going to continue to carry myself that way, come out on the field and work as hard as I can every time I'm out here and not take it for granted. You never know, one play and your career could be over."
(on the progress of training camp) "It's always around day four, five. You finally get the pads on and things like that. When you put those pads on, the body starts to get a little tired and you just have to find a way to get through. You have to keep a positive attitude, block out any distractions and just attack it."
(on what camp will be like next week with the Kansas City Chiefs game to look forward to) "It'll be a lot of fun. The guys will be excited to go out and play a game. You know, us veterans, sometimes we hate preseason. It'll be great to go against somebody different."
(on if he paces himself during preseason) "No, I don't pace myself. I just go out and play. We only get so many plays during the preseason, I just go out and try to make the best of my opportunities."
(on how he feels this training camp) "This is the best I've felt coming into training camp. Like I said before, coming in, as the time got closer, normally I work all the way up until training camp, take a day off and then come out for practice. This year, I did it a little different, you know, I work out a day, take a day or two off and then go back and workout. I gave my body a little time to rest from all the off-season workouts and things like that. Coming into training camp, this is the best I've ever felt since I came here."
(on how confident the offense is since all eleven starters are returning) "Yeah, it is. We're very confident, you know, we know what we can do. The thing we have to do is just to eliminate the mistakes. I think that's the biggest thing that hurt us the last year, turning the ball over and the penalties. We just have to also get positive plays when we're in the red zone, score touchdowns and not kick field goals."
(on if any rookies have impressed him) "To be honest, you look at all the rookies that are out here and all those guys are very talented in their own way. A lot of those guys are out here making plays for us. I'm very excited about this group of guys that have come in. I think that they're competitive, you know. I get to go against (CB Brice) McCain everyday since (CB) Jacques (Reeves) has gotten injured. One thing that I like about him is that he never backs down, he's going to keep coming every play whether I beat him or I don't, you know, he's going to keep coming. He's having a lot of fun with it, because he feels like it's making him better. He told me today after practice, he likes it, he likes going against me because it's just making him better. You can tell he's enjoying his time out here and all those guys also. I think these guys are going to help us out a whole lot this season."
Texans CB Brice McCain
(on which veteran corners are serving as mentor) "Everybody, I pick everybody's brain. There's not just one dude that I talk to. I talk to the safeties and receivers. I talk to everybody, I just want to know everything. I don't want to go throughout my day without knowing anything. If I have a question, I'm going to ask. I'm not going to go through my day with a question unanswered."
(on the players who are injured, CBs Glover Quin and Jacques Reeves) "I've watched Jacques, even when he was with the (Dallas) Cowboys. He reminds me of myself, like I said it's unfortunate that he got hurt. I watched him a lot though. The last time I watched him at practice I got to pick his brain. GQ (CB Glover Quin), that's my roommate, my friend, my buddy. He's almost back so that's good. I'm going to talk to him everyday when he gets back and really encourage him to come out here and compete with me."
(on biggest improvements and what he's developing the most) "Being consistent, being consistent in my job and coming out here and competing everyday. I'm getting better everyday at competing with everybody."
(on watching CB Jacques Reeves and being a Cowboys fan) "I was everybody's fan, like I said I pick everybody's brain. I picked a corner from every team and watched them and not just the best corners either. I found something they did well and tried to instill it in myself. I try to put myself in a position to where I'm always learning new things."
(on if he watched CB Jacques Reeves in high school) "No I just watched him when he played with the Cowboys because I was in the area. I was able to get the film and I just studied his moves. I wanted to learn everything I could so that I wouldn't come into the NFL not knowing anything."
(on being drafted by a Texas team) "Well really I was excited just to have been drafted at all because a lot of my friends didn't. I was very fortunate to be able to have been drafted by Houston because I'm from the Dallas area so my family is only 3-4 hours away. So that's good."
(on going up against the wide receivers on the team) "Oh it's great. It's a great experience because you get different types of receivers everyday. You get everyone from (WRs) Andre Davis to David Anderson. There are different types of receivers that you come out here and compete with."
(on getting nervous) "No, I don't get nervous. This is what I do. I've been playing too long to get nervous. I've been playing since the second grade, so no, I don't get nervous."
(on military background) "No, it's a saying that my coach back at Utah use to say: "Soldiers go down, pick up the rifle and keep on going." We go to war with guys everyday, it's a battle everyday. So I think it's a good saying to use."
(on what he's most excited about) "I'm most excited about coming out here to play football. I get to come out here and compete everyday and do what I love."
(on picking the jersey number 41) "Terrence Newman, he was one of my favorite corners growing up. Like I said I watched the cowboys because of (CB) Jacques Reeves and Terrence Newman. He used a certain technique that I loved and I worked on that, so I picked 41."
(on if he emulates Terrence Newman on the field) "Yeah."
(on learning to hate the Cowboys) "Man, I'm just focused on the Texans. The Cowboys are the Cowboys. Right now I don't really hate a team. When it's time to play them I'll be ready. I don't have any bitterness towards anyone, I'm just ready to play."
(on the injuries giving him opportunities) "It's a tremendous opportunity for me to be able to come out here and play. I just do what I want to do which is to come out here and play. It's a blessing to be able to come out here. I have to bring my "A" game everyday and on every snap. That's what I love to do."
(on not expecting the injuries to happen) "I'm a competitor; I came in expecting to compete for a job anyways. Even though it probably was out of my reach, which it was out of my reach. I will compete every day to get a response, that's just how I was raised. I didn't think, "Wow I'm in there now." I just picked up the rifle and kept on going and keep on fighting."
(on guarding WR Andre Johnson) "Ah man, like I said I have to bring my "A" game everyday and if I don't he's going to make me look bad. I just have to focus."
(on making the most of this opportunity) "I just believe that God does things for a reason. I prayed everyday for an opportunity and he gave one."
