Linebacker Xavier Adibi is the third Texans draft choice to sign with the team.
The Texans announced Wednesday that they have signed fourth-round draft pick Xavier Adibi, the third Texans draft choice to sign.
"My dream since I was a little kid was to be an NFL player," Adibi said. "So it felt very good to sign my contract with the Texans and concentrate on just football now."
Adibi (6-1, 236) was the 118th selection in the 2008 NFL Draft from Virginia Tech. Adibi helped keep the Texans streak alive of taking a linebacker in every draft since the team's inception. Houston has taken nine linebackers all-time, and Adibi thinks he can contribute immediately to a young Texans' defense.
"I think I can bring a lot of energy," Adibi said. "I'm somebody who can get after any tight end or running back on the field and chase the ball from sideline-to-sideline. I'm also someone who can make plays."
{QUOTE}Adibi, a native of Hampton, Va., started 40 games during his collegiate career, recording 291 tackles (133 solos) with 11 sacks. He caused five fumbles and recovered another that he advanced 35 yards for a touchdown.
During his senior season, Adibi was the second linebacker in school history to earn first-team All-American honors, joining Mike Widger in 1968. Adibi started at right inside linebacker, leading the team with a career-high 115 tackles. He picked off two passes for 71 yards, including a touchdown. The Hokies' defense ranked third in the nation in scoring defense, yielding a mere 16.07 points per game.
Adibi recovered from a hamstring injury he suffered in May and impressed Texans linebackers coach Johnny Holland with his athleticism during OTAs. During training camp, Adibi will serve as a backup for a unit that has been starting Zac Diles, DeMeco Ryans and Morlon Greenwood.
"I'm just going to go into camp and work as hard as I can, especially on special teams," Adibi said. "I know they are going to have me play a lot on special teams. I'll try to help the team on that, as well as on defense. I'm going to give 100 percent all the time and have fun.
"I already love coach Holland to death. He'll stay out there all day with any one of his players. That's just the type of person that he is. I feel very honored to be coached by him and to play behind DeMeco Ryans."
Sixth-round safety Dominique Barber and seventh-round quarterback Alex Brink already have signed with the Texans, leaving tackle Duane Brown (first round), cornerback Antwaun Molden (third round), running back Steve Slaton (third round) and defensive tackle Frank Okam (fifth round) as the team's only unsigned draft picks.
