We're off and running with 2020 Training Camp. The Texans are working in a very different environment that J.J. Watt said was sort of like a Terminator movie set, complete with facial recognition doors and personal tracking devices.
Meeting virtually with the media Saturday, he and Deshaun Watson expressed confidence in the way the Texans were handling season prep during the pandemic. And from a football standpoint, they're eager to take the field in a bid to have their greatest season.
Watt had what he described was maybe his best off season of workouts ever, mostly because "there was nothing else to do."
Watson talked about how Brandin Cooks has been sharing knowledge about working with Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Jared Goff. He was also optimistic that Will Fuller was ready for a gigantic season (Side note: John Harris told us on Texans Radio how Fuller had bulked up. A look at his Instagram page will certainly verify this).
The team is still in the ramp-up process and isn't scheduled to have a padded practice until August 14, the original date for the first preseason game. So far (everybody knock wood) there have been no reported positive tests but Watt pointed out that without a true bubble it might be tough to pitch a perfect game in this category.
The key is that the players and coaches discipline themselves to stay away from high exposure situations when they are away from the building. Baseball has seen suspended games but that's a sport that can deal with make ups or adjustments easier than a once-a-week sport.
This will be a different season for your narrator too. I am outside the tier system because there are limited spots and because being close to the team would mean I couldn't be in the radio booth on Sundays. John Harris will be our man with the best access (along with two video studs, Tyler Suddarth and Nick Patterson) but he's on the sideline and our shows are done remotely.
We are constructing a radio platform at the practice facility that I've dubbed the VanderBryant tower, in honor of Bear Bryant's famous practice tower. John and I will do training camp shows with him on the practice field sideline. The platform is actually outside the fence line. I will watch from above and afar.
We're less than two weeks away from us really letting you know how the new guys, young guys and all the guys look on the field. And we're about five and a half weeks away from the opener.
There are far more serious things going on in the world right now but if you're reading this, you'll agree that we could all use some Texans football in our lives.
Let's keep praying you and yours and all of us stay healthy and can enjoy the season.
