91 days until the Texans' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No. 91?
The Houston Texans are less than 100 days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Los Angeles against the Rams at SoFi Stadium and we're counting down the days until a victory ensues on the west coast.
Texans Wire will each day tell you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and pick the player who ensured the number best during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let's take a look at who has won No. 91 since the inaugural season in 2002.
Texans players to wear No. 91
No. 91 currently belongs to Folorunso Fatukasi, who returned to Houston on a one-year deal earlier this offseason. He was Houston's best interior run defender for a unit that finished top 10 in run defense en route to another AFC South division title. He's been a solid depth piece since joining the Texans in 2024, recording 24 tackles and one sack last season.
Is Fatukasi the best player to wear No. 91? The list isn't filled with many faces of the franchise-type players, so come back after this season to find out how well he improves to compete for that title.
DL Foley Fatukasi (2024-present)
DL Hassan Ridgeway(2023)
DL Roy Lopez (2021-2022)
DE Carlos Watkins (2017-2020)
DE Devon Still (2016)
LB Jason Ankrah (2014)
DE Ricky Sapp (2013)
NT Ra'Shon Harris (2011-2012)
DT Amobi Akoye (2007-2010)
DL Seth Payne (2002-2006)
Best Player: Seth Payne
Akoye had a case for the title since he was a first-round pick, but he was also expected to become a staple for the franchise as the youngest player ever drafted in the first round. He finished with 10 sacks in four years while Payne, a first-round pick in the expansion draft of 2002, had 9.5 after a promising stint as a rotational player in Jacksonville.
As the eighth overall pick in the expansion draft, Payne finally had his chance to start. Over four seasons, he started 46 games, helping Houston become a franchise on the come-up. That has to carry some weight , right?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
34 minutes ago
- USA Today
Texans OT Cam Robinson suffers lower-body injury during drills at The Greenbrier
The Houston Texans' offensive line can't afford to take another hit following the trade of five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Too bad fans can't wish for reality to set in. According to reports, offensive tackle Cam Robinson left practice early at The Greenbrier in West Virginia on Monday with a lower-leg injury in team drills. While he was able to walk off the field, it was clear he was in pain while favoring his left leg. He did not return to practice. Tay Ersery, who has seen most of his reps at the right tackle spot, shifted over to the left tackle role while Tytus Howard switched back to right tackle in place of second-year starter Blake Fisher. Juice Scruggs shifted inside to the right guard role while splitting reps with Ed Ingram in place of Howard. A former second-round pick out of Alabama, Robinson inked a one-year deal worth up to $14 million this offseason to replace Tunsil following his trade to the Washington Commanders. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars before being traded at the deadline last season to the Minnesota Vikings as a temporary replacement for injured left tackle Christian Darrisaw. He played in 11 games during his time in Minneapolis, helping the Vikings finish with the second-best record in the NFC while clinching a playoff spot, though his on-field play was mixed. While protecting Sam Darnold, he allowed four sacks and 49 pressures during his seven starts, including a career-worst 12 pressures in the wild-card round loss against the Los Angeles Rams. The Texans are already thin at offensive tackle, having Trent Brown begin the season on the PUP list. With Fisher not getting a chance to start in place of Ersery with the position switch, Houston might view him as a long-term swing tackle with minimal upside. This isn't to say Robinson is expected to miss time, nor should the Texans be hitting the panic mode yet, but a loss for Robinson at any point of the preseason is massive regarding the development of the offensive line long-term.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
In offseason work, Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. prioritizes physical play, on-ball skills
On a newly released podcast episode of The Young Man and the Three, Jabari Smith Jr. shared a few of his priorities entering his fourth season with the Houston Rockets. 'I'm more physical, more decisive, (and) stronger with the basketball,' Smith told host Tommy Alter and New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III. Regarding his offseason work and points of emphasis, Smith continued: Obviously, ball handling is gonna be better, (and) more consistent. I'm in the weight room, I'm lifting weights, I'm getting bigger. There's no reason I shouldn't be trying to run through people (and) trying to attack. It's just something I want to get better at. After missing time in January and February with a broken hand, Smith played off the bench for the remainder of Houston's 2024-25 season due to the emergence of rising star Amen Thompson. But the offseason trade that brought All-Star forward Kevin Durant to the Rockets sent out a pair of starters (Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks) to the Phoenix Suns, which opened up an additional starting lineup slot that Smith is expected to fill. So, for the 22-year-old drafted at No. 3 in the 2022 first round, there are likely to be new opportunities in 2025-26 — and Smith's offseason work is all about ensuring that he's better prepared to take advantage. The complete conversation can be viewed and listened to below. A 6-foot-10 forward, Smith averaged 12.2 points (43.8% FG, 35.4% on 3-pointers) and 7.0 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game last season. He remains one of Houston's most valuable and versatile defensive players, as well. Smith, Durant, Thompson, Fred VanVleet, and Alperen Sengun are the projected starters for the 2025-26 Rockets, who enter among the NBA's championship favorites after a 52-30 campaign in which Houston finished with the No. 2 record in the Western Conference. Besides adding Durant, one clear reason for optimism is continued growth and development from young players, with Smith near the top of that list. More: After Kevin Durant trade, Jabari Smith Jr. likely to rejoin Houston's starting lineup This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. prioritizing physical play, on-ball skills
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
In offseason work, Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. prioritizes physical play, on-ball skills
'I'm more physical, more decisive, (and) stronger with the basketball,' Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. says of his offseason points of emphasis. On a newly released podcast episode of The Young Man and the Three, Jabari Smith Jr. shared a few of his priorities entering his fourth season with the Houston Rockets. 'I'm more physical, more decisive, (and) stronger with the basketball,' Smith told host Tommy Alter and New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III. Regarding his offseason work and points of emphasis, Smith continued: Obviously, ball handling is gonna be better, (and) more consistent. I'm in the weight room, I'm lifting weights, I'm getting bigger. There's no reason I shouldn't be trying to run through people (and) trying to attack. It's just something I want to get better at. After missing time in January and February with a broken hand, Smith played off the bench for the remainder of Houston's 2024-25 season due to the emergence of rising star Amen Thompson. But the offseason trade that brought All-Star forward Kevin Durant to the Rockets sent out a pair of starters (Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks) to the Phoenix Suns, which opened up an additional starting lineup slot that Smith is expected to fill. So, for the 22-year-old drafted at No. 3 in the 2022 first round, there are likely to be new opportunities in 2025-26 — and Smith's offseason work is all about ensuring that he's better prepared to take advantage. The complete conversation can be viewed and listened to below. A 6-foot-10 forward, Smith averaged 12.2 points (43.8% FG, 35.4% on 3-pointers) and 7.0 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game last season. He remains one of Houston's most valuable and versatile defensive players, as well. Smith, Durant, Thompson, Fred VanVleet, and Alperen Sengun are the projected starters for the 2025-26 Rockets, who enter among the NBA's championship favorites after a 52-30 campaign in which Houston finished with the No. 2 record in the Western Conference. Besides adding Durant, one clear reason for optimism is continued growth and development from young players, with Smith near the top of that list. More: After Kevin Durant trade, Jabari Smith Jr. likely to rejoin Houston's starting lineup
