Houston Texans: A superfan’s notable experience at NFL Draft in Nashville

The Houston Texans have some of the best fans in the business. One superfan gives a terrific account of his experience in Nashville recently. How was it?

The Houston Texans have finished up the NFL Draft and the prospects that they picked this offseason would highly-regarded as some of the most promising that I’ve seen in years.  Every major position was addressed; and although Brian Gaine won’t tell you that they were drafting for a need, it was clearly obvious that they were doing so.

When the Houston Texans selected Kahale Warring in the third round, I had to scratch my head considering the plethora of tight ends the team has on the roster now but I understand that this team could potentially get better with him in the fold, especially with his speed, versatility and athleticism.

But enough about the picks, as there will be plenty of time to talk about that as we meander through the offseason.

Let’s talk about the NFL Draft — which is rotating their sites on a yearly basis now — that was held in Nashville for the first time in league history.

Nashville is a terrific city to visit — I was just there back in September for the Week 2 matchup against the Tennessee Titans — and it truly doesn’t disappoint if you’re a fan of music period, let alone Country Western.

As always, the Broadway Street strip is definitely the place to be and unique smell of beer-battered BBQ coupled with sipping the sweetness of some fine Tennessee whiskey along the banks of the Cumberland River would make any traveler revel in joy.

The NFL transformed the already-bustling district into an entertainment mecca to appease fans alike.  And according to Pepe Garza — dubbed Toro 2.0 and good friend of mine for nearly two decades — says it was an experience that was second to none.  He regularly travels for the draft and has a ton of stories to tell.

What all happened during his trip?  Or shall I say what didn’t happen?  Toro sat down with me to chat about his time in Music City and what it has to offer.

Here’s a picture of Toro 2.0 in his threads, ready for battle in front of the KPRC Channel 2 news cameras:

Now let’s get to the questions:

BP:  What was your most memorable experience about the draft?

Toro 2.0:  We were in the inner circle this year, so running into so many other superfans and just seeing all the passion for the NFL was amazing.  I really had a great time. But here’s the highlight to it all — after DeAndre Hopkins announced the Houston Texans first second-round pick, [which turned out to be Lonnie Johnson Jr.] he came over to us, hugged my fellow superfans Mary Fox and C.J. and landed me a high five!

BP: What could’ve been improved with the fan experience in Nashville?

Toro 2.0:  I felt that the stage could have been bigger to allow more fans closer access, having it on

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Broadway was nice but Thursday night — which was the opener — it rained and if you were one of the several thousand out in the open, it was uncomfortable as it was a little chilly as well.  I saw many fans opting to leave and only four picks had been announced when the rain had started, which continued through the night.  The outdoor weather for Friday night was a lot better, I might add.

So all in all, it seems like it was a positive experience…

Toro is also pleased with how the Houston Texans drafted this offseason and he’s most excited about Tytus Howard, the team’s first-round pick out of Alabama State.  He has drawn many comparisons to former Texan Duane Brown so it will be interesting to see how he pans out!

Although I didn’t attend the draft this year, I had those same concerns about fans while watching on television.  It looked like the rain was coming down at the very beginning but had stopped as things got well underway in the first round.  But the NFL slyly masked that happening with the quick-switching of the television camera angles.

Nashville is a rustic, yet regal city to experience as a tourist and I’d recommend it to anybody who hasn’t been.  When asking Pepe about local cuisine recommendations like Hattie B’s Hot Chicken off 19th near downtown, he replied eagerly: “yes, please!”

He was grinning from ear-to-ear in regard reliving his accounts in Smashville and he’s already exclaiming his excitement to attend the 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas.  So it’s time buckle up, lock it in and place your bets on the Entertainment Capital of the World as I’m sure it won’t disappoint.

Where can you find Toro 2.0 on social media?  Follow him at @swaguy34 on Twitter/Instagram and Barkley Flamenco on Facebook!

Let’s go Houston Texans!