DeMeco Ryans’ Influence on the Texans
The National Football League is chock-full of talented players but talent alone is not enough to win in the NFL. A great leader in an NFL locker room gives the players a reason to play and instills accountability on the team. In the span of one season, Houston Texans rookie Head Coach DeMeco Ryans took one of the worst teams in the NFL to the divisional round of the playoffs by inspiring his players through his relentless pursuit for greatness.
Like a great commander leads troops to victory in battle, a head football coach rallies their players to victory on the field. Leadership is a key part of turning a good team into a championship caliber team. Under Texans’ previous Head Coach Lovie Smith, this direction and orchestration was lacking. After three losing seasons and four head coaching changes, Owner Cal McNair decided to make a change.
Kliff Kingsbury and Sean Payton were Early favorites in the Texans’ head coach search. Both coaches have proven success in the NFL, but had problems controlling previous teams. On January 31, 2023, the Texans shocked many with the hire of former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans. Ryans was a rising star defensive coordinator for the San Fransico 49ers with only two years of experience.
The DeMeco Ryans effect in Houston is undeniable. When Ryans became the head coach of the Houston Texans, he said his goal was to restore pride in the Texans fans. Ryans led the Texans to a regular season record of 10-7, securing the AFC South division and getting a berth to the playoffs. In the playoff game against the Cleveland Browns, NRG Stadium rocked and roared with eager fans. After the defeating the Browns, it was clear that Ryans had helped restore the pride of Texans fans.
Based on this past season, it is clear that Ryans has been able to inspire this young Texans team to play as a unit. “He commands that excellence.”, said Rookie Linebacker Will Anderson Jr. who went on to say, “The way he cares about his players… I know it makes us just want to keep playing for him.” Looking forward, this looks like only the beginning of Ryans’ and the Texans’ success.
