Texans mini-camp begins tomorrow, and things are going from no football to a lot of football in a hurry. The team hasn't been on the field together for football activity since 2007 (Dec. 30 in the home win against Jacksonville, to be exact), but the players dive into two-a-day practices in what will probably be 90 degree heat (not to mention the humidity) all weekend long. As Texans strength and conditioning coach Dan Riley pointed out to me in the team weight room today, the hot weather conveniently is deciding to arrive for the first time all year just in time for everybody to enjoy football practice to the fullest.
The first practice Friday is at 10:00 a.m. on the outdoor fields at the Methodist Training Center. The team will break for lunch and meetings at 11:30 a.m., then come back for the second practice of the day from 3:30-5:00 p.m. The Texans will follow the same schedule on Saturday, then wrap up the first mini-camp of 2008 with a 9:15 a.m. session on Sunday.
We'll be keeping a close eye on key position battles (OLB, CB, LT being a prominent few) and the much-anticipated debut of the 2008 Texans draft class (plus the seven undrafted rookie free agents), who all arrived at Reliant Stadium today for physicals and headshots for the 2008 team media guide. I got a chance to speak with most of the rookies today, and they're wide-eyed and ready to show what they can do on the football field. They'll get their wish tomorrow.
- Nick Scurfield
