Notes and quotes from the ninth day of practice at 2012 Houston Texans Training Camp presented by XFINITY:
Watt working: Defensive end J.J. Watt was not among the Texans' three starters who returned to practice from injuries on Monday. Watt dislocated his left elbow last Thursday and will be out for at least a couple of weeks, but he is progressing well in his rehab. "He's doing excellent," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "Heck, he was doing some push-ups in the training room yesterday. But we knew that; he's so driven in everything he does. He's so upbeat because he knows he's going to be ready to go and we'll see where we're at here as we get to the middle of the preseason. Hopefully, he can come back and play some of the preseason, but obviously the goal is to have him ready for Miami (Week 1 on Sept. 9)."
Too hot: Inside linebacker Mister Alexander and defensive lineman David Hunter, an undrafted rookie from the University of Houston, left practice on Monday morning with heat issues. Kubiak said he hopes both players will be back on the field on Tuesday morning.
Jackson staying confident: Cornerback Kareem Jackson said he has learned "a lot" from Pro Bowl cornerback Johnathan Joseph, who signed with the Texans last offseason from the Cincinnati Bengals. Jackson is one of the Texans' most heavily-criticized players, but the 2010 first-round draft pick made noticeable strides last season as he helped the Texans rank third in passing defense. "I come out every day and I work," Jackson said. "J-Joe has seen the work that I put in, as does everybody else that's out here with me. I'm not really afraid of the criticism. I'm facing it every Sunday that I go out on the field. As long as I'm accountable to these guys on the field with me, that's all that matters."
Quotes of the Day
"The more you build your confidence up, the better you play, and the better you play, the more swag you have. For us, we're just going to go out and practice and improve each and every day. Once we get out on Saturday and make some plays, that's when we open up the can of swag and just go out and be ourselves and play hard and show the fans and everybody else what we're made of." – CB Johnathan Joseph, on the defense's confidence level
"I think it went well. The first period I was able to get in, I was able to catch a pass on the first play. Matt (Schaub) looked at me and was like, 'It's just like riding a bike.'" – WR Andre Johnson, on returning to practice from a groin injury on Monday morning
"Oh, man. Today, I think it might be 60 in Seattle. I don't know what today is (in Houston); it just says 'hot' on the temperature." – RB Justin Forsett, on the climate in Houston compared to Seattle, where he spent the previous four seasons with the Seahawks
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