Chris Myers is about to crack the century mark in starts. On Sunday against Buffalo, the ten-year veteran will start his 100th game as a center for the Texans franchise.
"I don't think we talk enough about Chris Myers - he is a true professional," head coach Bill O'Brien said Wednesday. "This guy, from the day we arrived here, has been fantastic for this organization and this coaching staff. He comes in early. He works extremely hard. He's a leader. He stays after practice. He's out there right now. I think he's still out there doing center-quarterback exchanges with Fitz (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and Ryan Mallett. This guy is a pro's pro."
Myers, who was acquired in a 2008 trade with Denver, also currently holds the NFL's longest active consecutive games streak for an offensive lineman (139) and active consecutive starts for a center (114). In 2012, he made franchise history when he became the first Texans offensive lineman ever to be elected to a Pro Bowl.
Myers' ability to play center at such a high level has impressed O'Brien. According to the Texans head coach, it is one of the most difficult and increasingly important positions on offense to learn.
"There are so many different looks that they have to see on a down-to-down basis," O'Brien said. "You go from even to odd to diamond, which is center-covered and both guards covered, to overload pressure, to double-edge pressure, to three-up-the-middle pressure; there are so many things that the center has to control with his call based on what the protection call or the run call is. When you have a guy that's a really bright guy that really understands those things in conjunction with the quarterback, that's a good combination. Chris (Myers) is a guy that is a very bright guy and right from day one like I said, he picked up on our system. He worked hard on it and he's getting better and better with it every week."
As for Myers celebrating his streak, he admitted that he just found out about the milestone.
"I wasn't keeping track by any means," Myers said. "Someone mentioned it the other day. It's a pretty cool light thing. Little side note."
