Houston Texans: Top 30 players in franchise history
By T.A. Mock
12. player. 10. . MLB. (2006-11). DeMeco Ryans
DeMeco Ryans was the Texans second-round pick in 2006. The middle linebacker from the University of Alabama was overshadowed by his first-round draft mate heading into the NFL. More on that guy later. However, that didn’t stop Ryans from balling out as soon as he stepped foot on an NFL field.
Ryans’ rookie season in 2006 was phenomenal and he quickly became the one that was outshining his draftmate. He had a league-leading 125 solo tackles, two takeaways, 3.5 sacks, and seven passes defended. That incredible performance netted him NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Ryans wasn’t a one-year wonder, as he kept performing at a very high level for the Texans for the next five years following that rookie of the year season. He became the leader of the defense and held that role the rest of his time on the team.
His play earned him two Pro Bowl berths during his time with the Texans. For his career in Houston, he managed 636 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 10 takeaways, six fumbles forced and 26 passes defended. He finished up the final four years of his career playing for the Philadelphia Eagles.