A former linebacker for the Houston Texans, 39-year-old DeMeco Ryans is today the head coach for the same franchise. Playing in the NFL is an experience that many people would love to have, but very few actually get a chance to do. The same thing can be said about coaching as seeing your hard work and knowledge of the game getting passed down gives a different sense of satisfaction altogether.
DeMeco Ryans has the privilege of doing both. The former linebacker was born in the city of Bessemer, Alabama in 1984. Since his high school days, he was playing football and was good at tackling. Earning a three star rating, Ryans attended the University of Alabama playing for the Crimson Tide.
Showing improvement year by year, Ryans finally earned the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. In the 2006 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans selected him with their first pick of the second round thus beginning his NFL journey.
DeMeco Ryans Head Coach Houston Texans
Although Ryans started out coaching various other positions, the Texans have given him his first opportunity at the head coach job. As a first time head coach coupled with the fact that the Texans are struggling to win games at present, the job ahead of him will not be an easy task.
However, there has certainly been some positivity coming out of the Texans franchise as the head coach and management were very aggressive in going after two top players in this year's draft. With the second overall pick which they already had, the Texans selected quarterback C.J. Stroud to lead the team. They then traded up with the Arizona Cardinals in the third spot to draft outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr.
As of now, the Texans have played two of their three preseason games and even the team has won one and lost one. In spite of the fact that it is just the preseason, Ryans has a lot of work cut out ahead of him if he is to improve on the Texans' 3-13-1 record from last year.
DeMeco Ryans previous coaching experience
Prior to signing with the Texans in January of this year, Ryans was working with the San Francisco 49ers from the 2017 season onwards. The former Texan player started his coaching career as a Defensive quality control coach before becoming the inside linebackers coach in the very next season. After the departure of former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in 2021, the job was handed over to Ryans and he did not disappoint.
The 49ers continued to dominate the defensive side of the game and the team performed admirably under their new coordinator. By the end of the season and before the start of 2022, there was a lot of buzz regarding a potential head coach position opening for Ryans. It seemed as if the Minnesota Vikings were interested but ultimately there was no move.
Last year was an even more emphatic one for Ryans and his defense. The entire unit as a whole finished in the top five in multiple categories in the league. They were the second best defense against the run and fifth best against the pass. His tremendous work earned Ryans the PFWA Assistant Coach of the Year Award and once again he was hot property for teams looking to hire a new head coach.
As per reports, the Texans, the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers and the Indianapolis Colts were all interested in signing Ryans. Ultimately, it was the Texans who signed him to a six year deal.
FAQs
A. DoMeco Ryans was born on July 28, 1984, and is 39 years old as of August 2023.
A. DeMeco Ryans was a linebacker during his time in the NFL.
A. DeMeco Ryans played for the Texans and the Eagles in his 10 year career.
A. The Houston Texans have signed DeMeco Ryans to a six-year deal in January 2023.
A. For his 2006 NFL season, DeMeco Ryans won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
