Texans All AccessAn announcement, a Draft predicament and more | Texans All Access
Hello, Texans, Welcome to the show Friday Night, and we are rocking getting ready for It's not really a football weekend. It's just a weekend because we have draft weekend coming up in less than two weeks, so we're still getting ready for that. We're always preparing for the off season activity, including but not limited to players getting signed and or extended, and we'll get to all that tonight. Also tonight, Brett Stewart, director of youth football Development for the Texans, We're going to talk about flag football.
In the area.
Maybe your kid is playing it, maybe your daughter is playing it for her school, because that has been happening and it's an Olympic sport coming up in twenty twenty eight. So we'll get into that a little bit later on in the show. It's Mark Vandermere with John Harris and Johnny Away. We go, how you doing tonight?
Good? It's Friday night.
Like you said, it's the weekend, but you know, yours truly has got some work to do.
That's what this weekend will be all about. But it's great.
My wife is back for the weekend and then she'll be back after a work week, so I'm really excited about that, So there'll be a lot of work getting done, but then a lot of fun as well. It's just absolutely gorgeous, which is really good as well to celebrate this weather in April, because you know, once we get to August, we're gonna.
Dog cuss this weather because it just gets brutal.
Man.
I was out observing Clement's high school girls flag football practice yesterday and I have done done that for a couple of weeks, and who was getting ted toasty? Not training camp levels, believe me, not at all, But I'm thinking, geez, it's April. Can we calm down a bit over here?
Now?
Sunday I had my I was coaching my flag football team, and it was not chilly, but it was nice. It was fresh, you know, and then maybe unseasonably cooler, and then yesterday, but whatever, it's Houston weather. It's just gonna do this to us, and we just got to get into it. I just know that by the time we get out there for OTAs, we're gonna get those first few real blasts of the year, and that's gonna be interesting. I'm eager to find out what, if anything the team does for training camp. Last year, they had the Hall of Fame game up to Cleveland, spent a week there practicing. I thought that was good for the team. Demiko Ryan said it was good for the team. Wondering what they're going to do this year, if anything, but I would expect them to do something and I can't wait to find out because we can't wait to get to cooler weather. I do love camp at NRG Stadium, NRG Park, at the Houston Methodist Training Center in front of the fans. It is awesome, but they do need a break as well. They got to weigh that out right.
Yeah, absolutely, I mean I think that's one of the things that last year. I don't think people realize even though it was, you know, a week to ten days ahead of what you would normally start, you think, you know, that's not that much time, but it really was. It made the season that much longer, you know, starting the weekend or starting the season the training camp ten seven to ten days before then you have thirteen straight games in the regular season and then you go to Divisional playoff round. So it's a lot That was a long season. So hopefully no Hall of Fame game so you can start the twenty six twenty seven to twenty eighth somewhere around there, and hopefully there is a trip somewhere just to kind of get to some cooler weather. You know, we've done that before, and I think I think that helps because you may not think about it in January, but I think it all has a cumut of effect.
And the number of days that you spend in that heat.
I think where's guys down opens them up and makes them susceptible for injury. And you got to fight through that, and guys do for the most part. But I just think that amount of time that am I of work you can get done. I remember when we went to the Green Bars. It was DJ Readers my first interview. I think it's seventeen or eighteen, and I got done.
And even before we started the interview, DJ Reader was like, bro, I'm not dying. He goes that's a first, and I was like, I know.
And that was kind of the common theme of at the end of practice, you still could get things done because guys weren't out.
There for survival. They were out there to get work.
Done because it was seventy seven degrees or whatever it was, as opposed to you know what we have in Houston, so I think that plays a major role.
So we'll see. It would be nice just to get out of that heat for a little bit.
I think there's camaraderie that's built amongst the guys to Ohio.
Last. We'll see where it all ends up.
But you know, other than that, just kind of ready to get this draft over with, get to OTA's a mini camp, and then get to the desert because after that training camp starts.
Well we've talked about this also and we'll get to the news of the day, but during the season, and it doesn't affect you and I as much or anybody covering this team because you don't see the bulk of practice. You just see the individual work and stretching before then you go inside to air conditioning. But man, September October, it's still freaking hot out there and they're practicing in the.
Middle of the day. But that's what they have to do.
They want to get the body clocks right for the game times and that sort of thing. Okay, news of the Day Jel and Petrie extended now when Nick Casario came in, when they started to rebuild this thing, and look, some of this got going before Dimiko Ryan's got here to be the head coach in twenty twenty three. When we talk about Derek Stingley Junior, when we talk about Petrie himself, when we talk about Amy and Pierce, players like that. You know, not everybody's gonna get extended before their fourth year, but some will and some are being extended. And you look at it this way, Johnny, that means you've made good decisions when you have these sort of I don't want to call them luxury problems, but they're good problems to have because it meant you did some good things in those particular drafts. Well, Petrie gets extended, you're gonna have to pay a bunch of guys on this football team you already are you continue to add to it. That means the pressure's on to stay healthy. But it's a good thing because it means the players are contributing. But Petrie himself, Johnny, this is a great story Stafford, Baylor and Texan forever well, at least for now, for the next number of years.
And it's really good to see.
It is great to see.
I remember in twenty twenty two, Jalen had played that year. In twenty twenty two, his rookie year, I think you had five interceptions and was really just all over the place.
I mean, he was everything you really wanted.
And he got a concussion in that last game against the Colts, that Week eighteen game against the Colts, and after we had come in after the win, he's there just wrapped in a towel and a towel over his head, just like getting excited for everybody, And I just remember, like, that's the kind of guy that we have to build this thing around. The energy he has, the way that he is relentless attacking the football. But I think in twenty twenty four, the addition of Kamari Lassiter helped put Jalen Petrie in the position for him, which is kind of a nickel linebacker, kind of nickel will linebacker hybrid where he could just use his forwardness and just play forward and go and just attack and be relentless. But I also think that the game slowed down for him a little bit in that he was making better decisions. And look, JP's never going to be a lockdown, you know. I think everybody points to the Devonte Adams touchdown against the Jets. You go back and watch it, you realize that JP slipped or got pushed down or whatever. But that said, it's it's that's not his core competency. What his core competency is is playing that role, blitzing, playing the run, covering tight ends, covering certain slot receivers.
Those are all things that he can do.
And when you take and put him into that role that he was last year, he fit hand in glove Mario last and played outside, that fits him. So now you've got two players with one draft pick, kind of like the Titans. The Titans going out and signing Dan Moore at left tackle, that moved jac Lake them to his natural position to right tackle. So in like one signing, they got two players. Basically, I feel like that with Kamara, they went out and got Camara. That allowed them to then put Petrie into this role where he could I would say freelance, but he could be much more aggressive near line of scrimmage. He's thinking the number of big plays he made throughout the year. We missed him in the playoffs. We missed him in that game against Kansas City. I think he would have been valuable in zone coverage against Kelsey. I think he would have played the run. I think he would have been helped wu on some of the shorter stuff. And yeah, Kansas City didn't do a lot to us that night, but the guy that killed us was Travis Kelcey, and maybe in zone coverage Petrie could have been a little bit bigger help than what they had on the field at that point. So I just know you're bringing back a guy that fits you. Think about Nico Collins, Derek Stingley, Jalen Petrie.
There's a relentless nature in the way those guys play.
They get after you in so many different ways, and they're such great teammates as well. It's very clear if it wasn't with the Nico Septimore clear signing. You come in, you play hard, you do what you're asked to do, and you make plays. You'll be kept around this organization, You'll be given a fair contract, you'll want to be around, you want to be here, and you know the best is ahead of those three players. I mean, look, Nico signed that deal and then he went out and had an even better season in twenty twenty four, and he had twenty twenty three.
Derek Stingley, he signs the deal.
He goes right back to the weight room, and we'll see obviously what he's in the field, but I think he's just gonna get better and better. I think the same is there for Jalen Petrie because they have found his fit as being that kind of nickel linebacker hybrid player that is kind of positionless but gives a lot of impact to this defense.
When you look at that draft class, Mechi's part of it, Christian Harris is part of it, Damian Pierce is part of it, and look, we love all these guys. Harris has had trouble staying healthy, so that's an issue for him. Pierce is obviously not the bell cow back, but he's an important part of this team. But this is a pivotal year for him contractually. Kenyan Green's already been traded, but the top of it is Stingley and then you look at Petrie, who's the third pick for the Texans in that class.
So that's pretty good right there.
That you get to extend two of your first three and they're both part of back to back to Vision title seasons. So we'll see how Harris and Pierce end up, and Metchi as well. Those three players right there, Look, they'd love to get extended right now, but in all likelihood that's not going to happen. I guess there's room for anything, any kind of possibility, but it's probably not going to happen. But they'll get their chance, Johnny to make their case before they hit the market next year.
Yeah, And I think.
Christian seemingly the way that he had finished twenty twenty three. Remember twenty twenty two, he missed the first half of the year. Then you started seeing some really good things. Twenty twenty three he comes back and second, your guys, I'm learning to defense. So it took a little while, but second half of that year, you're like, man, this guy is making plays. Holy cow, we are building around this guy for the future. And then twenty twenty four, you know he's hurt and that opens the way for Henry toato to step in.
And I think the one thing that Henry.
Showed that increases his value is when AZ's was out, Henry had to play the mic, and in playing the mic, he was in charge of all the communication. He was in charge of everything going on the field. And I remember to Miko saying, we asked him, like, coach, how was the communication with.
Henry how did that go?
And he goes, we didn't have a miss assignment the entire game against the Dolphins, and that was Henry's first time to wear the green died a fave recalls, So you know, Henry kind of, you know, made up for Christian not being there. But Christian's got that speed, he's got that athleticism.
You just like to see him stay healthy and see what he can do.
And that's gonna be whenever you start talking about the contract for Christian Harris kind of like it was with Nico a little bit.
It was like, man, Nico didn't stay healthy.
The first two years, then he stays healthy in twenty three, got rewarded.
You know, Christian can stay healthy. You hopefully he'll be rewarded.
Because when he gets on the field and he knows exactly what he's doing and he's dialed in, well, he's as good as we could have at linebacker. But now you've got a competition there. Now you got Henry, you got disease, you got EJ. Speed, got Christian. So whichever two guys come out of there as the starters, man, holy smokes, that unit's going to be as deep as any for this team.
Going forward.
But yeah, I think there's a possibility that Damien could be in that mix, depending on what they do at running back and what more he can bring to it. You know, the return game has been a big factor, but you'd like to see a little bit more of the actual offensive game with him. But I do think there's a chance that one of those two guys could definitely be extended. But obviously it kind of goes without saying this is a big year for them, but biggest to just stay healthy, stay healthy, and be on the field and be available and then see what you can do at that point.
Okay, other stories, we'll get to them later, but let's get to this regarding the Houston Texans, because we promised this last night and we were talking about the draft. Of course, two weeks from tonight, we'll know what the Texans do in the first round, whether they trade the pick, move up, move down, pick somebody at twenty five.
I would say that's probably the likeliest.
Who said, I think a couple of gms have weighed in to say, I don't anticipate a lot of movement in this first round. Are you are you buying or selling? I don't anticipate a lot of movement in the first round. Johnny, what are your thoughts on those comments?
Well, I think what they're saying to me, Mark is there's no good read on this first round because the Browns and Giants need quarterback. But are they You know, the Browns just signed Joe Flacco today. That's not going to stop them drafted quarterback number two. But I think last year it was easy to see, Okay, quarterbacks are going to go one, two, three. Well that's you know, three of the thirty two picks. You know they're going one, two, three. So and they did it was Kayleb Williams, Jayde Daniels, and Drake Man.
They wan want two three this year.
You don't know that, you don't There's been a lot of talk about Schor not going at number two, Shord not going at number three, Jackson Dart maybe being one of those two guys. But I don't think you either want them to go at two or three. So I think you got kem Ward. I think we know that. I think the next two picks are Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter in what order, we don't know. Then it changes and then it gets to the Patriots at four. And this is where to me, the draft goes completely sideways, because if the Browns and Giants kind of hold to a we're not drafted quarterbacks. Now, the Patriots have all kinds of things they can do. They could draft Will Campbell to tackle. They could draft Mason Graham, the defensive tack from Michigan. They could have a complete surprise and be the first one to maybe lock in Arma Membu, the tackle from Outamazou.
So I think you don't. The quarterbacks, you know, last year was a lot they're gonna on too. Three. We don't know exactly what's happening. We want two and three.
We do know probably one, two and three we kind of have a read on, depending on what the Browns and Giants.
Do with quarterbacks. But if they take a quarterback at two.
Or three the Browns or Giants, the whole thing changes because now all of a sudden, sitting at say quarterbacks, and the Browns take Sanders at two, now the Giants have their pickup Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter, and then one of those two is gonna end up with.
The Patriots, like dang it.
So that to me kind of changes everything this draft of what the Browns and Giants do. Now, my gut tells me if I just think logically.
I don't think either one of them are gonna take a quarterback.
I think they're gonna try and play out what they've got and then take a quarterback at the top of the second round. And then that leads too and three as Carter Hunter Hunter, Carter, whichever order, and then the draft really starts at four. But I feel like there are so many Just go down a list of players and there's so many different Like Tedero McMillan, people are concerned about whether you know, he gave up on some routes last year, you know, kind of quit on some routes. Will Campbell oh or as arms long enough to play tackle? What position is Calvin Banks play? How healthy is Josh Simmons putel attendant? You know, you've got all these different kind of injuries, and you know factors.
Where does Shnor Sanders fall?
Is somebody gonna take Jackson Dart head of Shador Sanders, who's completely lying about what they're gonna do. Ashton genty could go to any number of teams in the top ten, top twelve. How many running Backs are gonna go in the top fifteen because Marion Hampton might be a name that has heard there. So that to me gets really you know, makes it really exciting.
But I also feel like NFL teams are not.
Completely set with how their boards look one against the other, like I think, and this is the case, but I think it's even more so this year.
I think the boards are going to be less similar across NFL teams.
This year, more so than any other year, because you have some of those things that you're factoring in, you know, the off the field concerns, the injuries, some of the on field concerns about effort, maturity, those kind of things are popping up for some of these guys. So I think that's making this first round kind of a jumbled mess, which to me, I'm sitting at number twenty five, Mark, I like that. Let it be a jumbled mess. Two or three guys that we didn't see coming, Yeah, let them get drafted. Just keep pushing good players down to us at twenty five.
One sentence answer. If you were say the Giants, and you have your pick of either abdual Carter or Hunter Dravis. Hunter needs a side tax needs a side. Those two guys are right there. Who you takeing have.
Duel Carter and I tray Cavon Thibodeau and I bring it out Dual Carter. Okay, And so I kind of feel I get some back from my buck there because I got to have Dual Carter number one, Travis Hunter number two. So if I'm gonna go buy my Rankins and Harrison one hundred, I'm taking up dual Carter. I put them opposite Brian Burns. I ship Thibodeaux out. I get some draft capital back, will be it this year next year? And I think what you have with Carter is gonna say anything. Thibodeau is always going to be talking to the press and all that. Carter's quiet does his job. Thibdau ship him out. It's a draft capital draft ab dul Carter.
Okay, another one for you, now answer it Booker or Golden. At twenty five, they're both there, Johnny Tyler Booker and Matthew Golden in this hypothetical.
Who are you gonna take?
So? Why why are you doing this to me?
Because you know you know that I had said that my two Vonte mc no matter what are Matthew Golden and Tyler Booker.
Right, they're both there. Now. I have Golden rated ahead of Booker.
However, you know me, I value the trenches a little more than I do everything else, and so if I can get Booker, I'm taking Booker. I'm sitting there at twenty five and I'm taking Booker. Now, the athleticism party didn't test all that well. I should say this, just because guys don't test well doesn't mean.
They're not good athletes.
I mean, the guy's three hundred and twenty five pounds, he can move, he can adjust, He's agile to a degree.
I don't worry.
About that too much. You know, it's you're going against grown you know what men. Yeah, inside, so I think that's tough. But I've taken Booker. I've got Booker, I got Golden ahead of him. But Booker, to me, I want to satisfy the trenches. So I'm going with Booker in that situation.
Okay, sounds good. All right, We'll get to the Flacco story a little bit later. Next up, Brett Stewart, director of youth football development for the Texans. We'll get into the conversation with him about what's going on in your community with Flagg football, and then and we'll get to some of the other stories of the day on some broadcast stuff as well. It's all happening here on Texans Radio. If you're just joining us, Where have you been? Have you been late to class tonight?
Oh?
My gosh, now I get it. People, tune in, tune out, do whatever. Catch it on the podcast later. It's Texans Radio, Mark VanderMeer and John Harris with you late for class? Did I trigger some people with that?
My gosh. You know.
I finally discovered the secret to doing much better in school midway through my college career, which is attend class. You know, if you go, it really helps. I told this to my kid when he left for college, because even he was saying, and he's a high achiever, he was saying, I don't think I got to go to that one. I said, you know what, when you go, it really helps, really helps when you attend class. Don't get the notes later, make the professor see you sit up front, be visible.
You never know.
That could be the difference between rounding up and rounding down as far as a grade goes, plus you pay attention, it really decreases the time you have to do homework later. This is what I've discovered in going to school, especially since I to sort of support myself or really contribute heavily to my education in the last couple of years of college. Best thing that ever happened to me, well one of them, but we don't have to get into that right now. But speaking of school high school girls flag football is a thing now in the state of Texas. It's not a UIL sport yet, but it's rising fast. This is an Olympic sport in twenty twenty eight men and women now for girls women college sports, Well, it's coming around, Naia.
Brett Stewart's going to tell us about that.
He's the director of Youth Football Development for your Houston Texans and flag football programs have been exploding now. Brett's been around for a long time in this organization, helping out with coaches and programs and youth football and all of it in the greater Houston area and beyond.
And we had a chance to catch up with him.
This is good stuff from Brett about football in your area. Brett, how's it going?
Good to see him going good, going good? I think this is.
Your first visit with us.
It is.
I used to, you know, kind of help behind the scenes with you back in the day, Mark, So it's kind of weird being on Mike now.
I know, I know, but you've been working with youth football in one way, shape or.
Form for a long time with this organization. I mean, how long has it been.
Gosh, I'm losing count I was talking to somebody earlier. I think I'm going into my fifteenth season.
Wow.
So had the opportunity to kind of start here and as an intern, the training camp intern back in twenty eleven, and now, you know, being able to kind of stick with the organization and build and grow has been pretty pretty cool.
Bro.
What's been the most rewarding aspect of what you do dealing with the many youth football coaches that are here in the Greater Houston area.
Yeah, I mean so many different things, right, I think for me, it's really just having the opportunity to really directly impact the growth of the game through the programming and the events that we do. One of the things, specifically, I know you y'all are pretty familiar our senior showcase that we have the opportunity to put on each and every year has just been really for me, is just so impactful and probably our most impactful event that I think we have an opportunity to do on the youth football development side. And given that opportunity to those young men to be able to pursue their dreams of going to college and playing at the next level has been awesome for me.
That's a great place to start because I know we want to talk flag football, such a heavy emphasis on that, but the Senior Showcase, it's kind of a combine for Division two Division three universities by and large and maybe some naia.
Can you explain it to us a little bit for the listeners who might not know.
Yeah, so you know, each year we have the opportunity to host it's essentially a high school combine, if you will, for high school football senior So a lot of your guys who don't necessarily have a D one offer, they're looking for kind of that last opportunity to get seen and get a scholarship and play at the next level. We provide that outlet for them to come out to our facility and get seen by anywhere from forty to fifty colleges from all over the country and then in turn, they get a chance to showcase their skills and then get scholarships right there on the spot. So I think last year we had over four hundred and sixty seniors that were out there throughout the day, and we had nearly fifty colleges and several of them got offers there on the spot.
So it was pretty pretty cool.
I'm the spot on the spot. You want to come to college? Yes, sign here.
It's pretty cool.
I've been there, Bret to see that where I've seen a coach talking to a young man and you can just see they shake hands and coach walks away and young man's like, oh my god.
Like in some of.
These are maybe universities or colleges that people aren't aware of or even out there, And I think that's the greatness of the event is Hey, you just show up and show what you got and you might be introduced to a college university didn't even think about going to. But it's gonna give you the opportunity to a pay for your school and play ball at the same time.
Absolutely absolutely, And for a lot of those guys who you know so much talent here in the city and here in the state, a lot of guys with that talent, they get overshadowed. So being able to give them that outlet and for them to go and see, hey, I can get I can't play at the next level, I can't get a scholarship, and for them to get that there on the spot is really awesome for them.
Brett Stewart, director of Youth Football Development for the Houston Texans, joining us. All right, we talked about the guys. Let's talk about the girls here, girls flag football, which is exploding around the country really, Brett, I was at the NFL annual meeting last week and they talked about how many high schools are getting sanctioned programs now, but the Texans heavily involved in getting this to be a UIL sport.
How do they get started? Where are we at? What can you tell the listener?
Yeah, super exciting times in the world of flag and girls flag specifically, I mean huge priority for us from a Texan standpoint, and all over the league, all over the country and for us we started our program back in twenty twenty three. We actually started out with eight high school teams. A lot of them were those private schools, art schools, and for us it was really just just trying to kind of get our foot in the door and kind of get started. And then last year we had an opportunity to expand our program and partner with Hi s D.
We added twelve of their schools.
His D, you know, being the largest district in the state and obviously in our area, was a great opportunity for us to show our commitment and show the rest of the area of you know, what we're doing and how we can get it started and kind of be that that that template, if you will, for the rest of our city. And so from there to where we are now, we've grown exponentially, which is super exciting. So we've been able to expand into all of the his D high schools. We'll be supporting girls' flag there as well as Fort ben Is is D A leaf some additional schools around the area as well, and not just here in Houston, but we're we've taken it to now it's statewide. So touching on what kind of what Mark mentioned about us wanting to make it a UIL sanctioned sport, we want to show that, you know, not just in the NFL market, not just in Houston, but statewide. This thing is growing in there's interests. So we'll be supporting a pilot out in Austin. So we have several school districts that have come on board as well as, in conjunction with the league, a.
Pilot out in El Paso. So wow, really cool.
Brett, What was or was there you talked about? You know, you had eight, then you went to HISD schools, there's twelve. Then all of a sudden it grows exponentially. Was there kind of a trigger point for that to happen or just the understanding by girls out there that hey, there's another opportunity for me to play and I love football.
We didn't have it well, now we do.
Was there kind of a trigger point for that or was it just kind of gradually going where it was supposed to go.
Yeah, I would say that it's gradually just growing and progressing. I think with the work that we were doing with starting those pilots, I think that more interest is kind of naturally coming, and then obvious the support that you know, we have in our building around it, for organizational standpoint, is really kind of driven us to where we are. So the support that we have from leadership from the top down, from the mcnairs to our leadership, and then I think all of that kind of culminates together to kind of lead us to where we are with this exponential growth.
All right, So if somebody's listening, who might be with a school that doesn't have it, How does it get started? What's the genesis of this? Who coaches these teams? Because and I know you and I have talked about.
This, Mike, who.
I actually know the answer to some because I observed Clements practice last week and it was very cool. They have two coaches. But it's not like I've coached flag football in this league or that league, you know, and I've done some it's youth league stuff. But we're talking to high school girls who are good athletes here.
So is their training? How does all that work? Brett?
Yeah, And I think that's really part of the excitement around it.
Right.
There isn't a set way, there isn't a set model. Yet we're building this thing from the ground up now. And it was really given a lot of opportunity to coaches, whether they be coaching another sport or coaching football or what have you. Gives them an opportunity to either coach football if they weren't or be able to continue to coach football. So our recommendation is we do our season during the spring. We provide all of the resources and access that you need to be able to start it. So for a coach or a school that's looking to get involved, we have our Girls Flag Interest form on our website. We promote that so that way we know who is interested and we can get in contact with them and help them start a program. And then from there, once we get you into the program, we're able to assist with a lot of different resources and a lot of it has to do with the coaching education piece, right, So for those coaches, if you haven't coached football, and even if you have, flag is a totally different sport, so totally so you need to kind of be educated and armed with that information so that way you're able to kind of coach these kids up and feel like you know what you're doing and kind of get that program started. So we host those coaching clinics, we host officials clinics, all those different things. We provide access to different resources to connect with other coaches who've been a part of the program or even around the state. So we do our best to make sure that we're providing all the access and resources from a coaching standpoint, being able to get those athletes what they need as well to get them going as well, and all that to just make sure that we're getting these programs up in Rolling.
Brett playing of season is great and having a great record and all that kind of stuff, but being able to play for a championship is really really cool. So the UIL aspect of this getting it to be a UIL sport a how difficult is that be? How many hoops do you have to kind of go through? Is it a political process?
Like?
How much does it take to get this to become a UIL sanctioned sport?
Yeah? I mean, and John, I mean it is a process.
Yeah.
Right.
So we have the opportunity to present at the UIL Legislative Council meeting back in October and we were able to kind of share an update of kind of where we are and obviously the desire that we wanted to be a sanctioned sport.
They were very receptive to it.
I think for us right now, the goal is just to continue to build that grassroots participation and show that the sport is growing, not only in Houston, but throughout the state. So that's kind of where we are and we would definitely plan to continue to have those conversations with them, and obviously, you know present there's another meeting coming up in June where we'll be able to share kind of our progress and goals and kind of plans to support going forward. So all of that, just the meetings and you know, continuing to show the growth and just connecting to make sure that we have all the stakeholders as well on board across the state. I think all of that will, you know, put us in a good position to get us to where we want to be.
Brett Stewart, director of Youth Football Development for the Texans with US, I think the startup costs. Look, nothing's free, nothing's inexpensive, but relatively it is right because it's footballs, it's flags. You need a field, you need the officials.
You need all that.
But it's not like you need a ton of equipment to where it's not like hockey or tackle football or something like that.
Right, Yeah, you're you're you're absolutely right, And Mark, I mean that's the beauty of it as well, is it isn't a lot of cost to get started. You have a football, you get some flags, you get some kids, and you got a team. So from there you're able to really kind of get going and obviously all the other pieces that are around it to actually operate a game. You got to have that stuff anyway, right, You got to have the officials and the facility to be able to do it. But there isn't a lot of equipment that you're going to have to run into similar to like a baseball or you know, men's tackle football or anything like that.
So that really kind of alleviates a lot of the barriers to entry for this particular sport.
But as you and everybody were embarking on this mission, I know in other places there has been like Florida flag foot a girls like football has been around for a while.
It is an.
FHSAA sanctioned sport in Florida. Was that a place or where there are other plays that you looked at for Okay, we don't have this here, We really haven't gotten this going here?
How do I get started?
Where did you kind of look for kind of the starting point to kind of get going and maybe hey, this state does it this way, or this city does it this way. Was there a point at which you looked at other locations and thought, they do it this way, what's kind of model what we do after them? Or were you just diving in and going, hey, this is what I think we should do given the parameters of the way girls flight football works.
Yeah, I mean for us and for me specifically here with our program. Definitely looked at a lot of the other states that have already achieved sanctioning, a lot of you know, other clubs that were also starting programs around the same time, so kind of connecting with them and trying to get some best practices.
But obviously, you know, this is Texas. We do things a little bit different.
You know, all that information is helpful, but really just kind of have to dive in a little bit and try to get a lay of the land of our landscape and what we would have to do here in Texas specifically. But definitely it is a plus to be able to lean on some of those different best practices and things, but our landscape is a little different here in Texas.
So Brett mothers and fathers listening. I've got a daughter and I'd like her to get a scholarship someday to a university, So that is becoming a reality.
That will be a reality soon, I think. But where are we at.
Right now, because I know Naia started with this, but I know we're making some progress here with the universities around the country.
Yeah.
Absolutely, And that's the thing that along with just the exponential participation growth, there has been a lot of growth on the collegiate side as well, whether that's you know, the nj CAA or you know in Aia becoming an emerging sport in the NCAA. All of that stuff is now kind of culminating together to kind of build this ground swell for the player pathway. So there's probably I would say fifty plus colleges now that are beginning to offer it as a varsity sport. So that's great, specifically here in Texas now, you know, I know Texas Wesleyan is coming on board to offer it on Concordia University out in Austin. So you're really starting to see a lot of different schools that are bringing it on. And now that along with what we're doing in the high school space, building that next level for them to go to in college and then ultimately kind of as we all know, an Olympic sport in twenty twenty eight, So there's a true pathway for girls to play, which is really exciting.
Okay, I'm gonna ask you a really weird question, but I'm sure there are a lot of people listening. When they hear the word football, they think eleven on each side, tackle, one hundred yard field, that's what they're thinking about football. How is flag football different? Players on the field. Obviously you're pulling flags instead of tackling those kind of things, But how brett is flag different than the tackle football that most people are.
Used to seeing.
Yeah, I mean we kind of talked about it earlier. It's football, but it's a lot different. So for us, it's seven on seven yep, So seven on seven flag. We play on a you know, fifty by thirty field and just kind of looking at how that kind of progresses, right, I mean at the collegiate level, they're playing seven on seven. So for us, it's important for us to kind of model that because that's the pathway that these girls are going into.
But the Olympics is Olympics, I mean the five five on five.
Yes, it's a little bit different, and they follow kind of those international rules. But for us, it's important to be able to provide more girls an opportunity to play. So aside from you know, the next level, having that seven on seven tie in, we want to get more girls on the field, and ultimately that gives us an opportunity to give more girls on a team. And so if they continue to grow up into the Olympic level, then I think they'll be able to adjust to five on five.
They all want the ball, Brady, everybody, they all want the ball.
Well, so you seven on seven, like more kids get the opportunity eligible, they get the opportunity.
To get the ball.
Trust me, they keep tracking. Is like you get a catch and you get a fifty by thirty field.
Seven on seven could get a little clogged a little bit, I would I would imagine, oh yeah, a little bit with seven on the other because you could play a heavy zone.
But everybody's eligible.
Right including whoever snaps the ball. That person is eligible.
And there that's a key position right there. That's like the inboundery and basketball.
Yeah, make make sure you cover them exactly.
You run the under route and send everybody run the under route with the center.
Now you got something you could have.
Some fun with some things like that, and that's so to that, right, that's where the strategy and kind of making sure these coaches kind of understand the flow of gameplay, the dimensions of the field, and that's where the creativity comes into play.
Exactly right, absolutely, So should NFL players be playing in the Olympics opinion question?
Wow, I don't know if I'm qualified to speak to speak on that. I'll lead that up to the Olympic Committee.
Yeah, I know they'll be good.
I mean, they'll be good if they do it and commit to it anytime you need time, I'm definitely you even it's like you're basketball and American basketball, and I watched a group of Americans go over and try and.
Play Euro style basketball with the Euro step on. Couldn't do it. Couldn't do it. There's there. They're just body, couldn't do it game that way. They weren't used to it.
So it will take a while to change the way you play the game of football. That's why I think leave the flag stars. Leave those guys that are stars in flag football. Leave them in his the USA team.
Okay, what I thought that Brett had no comment on it. They went on the record.
That's fine, that's my CONT's yours.
It's a lot of different nuances to the game.
See Brett's with me on it.
Who's the quarterback for Team USA on the men's team or that really popular guy wins Man. He got a lun Oh yeah, they snap it. The quarterback can't run, but you can snap into somebody hands to the quarterback. I know, we can throw a run and now we get something.
That's what you gotta do.
Cool stuff. It's fun to watch. I watch it sport.
I think this is fantastic. I know, Brett, we've talked about this before.
This is absolutely awesome that you've been doing this, uh and been at the forefront of it, and to see the growth in it. I think that's the most incredible thing. Like if you start something like okay, where is this gonna go? To see it grow, like you said all the way out tell pass, I mean, that's really really cool.
Yeah, they're gonna write songs and make movies about you. Brett.
That's right because you were at the forefront of all yours awesome edge.
Yeah.
I don't know about it about all that, but I'm just really appreciative for the opportunity to be able to help provide this access for these girls to be able to play the game.
The McNair's are so into it.
Hannah McNair and you know, she's huge at the youth league sports. I mean, I think she runs like six teams herself in various sports for her kids and other kids, and she loves this stuff.
And why not.
This is so good for our community, for the girls, for athletic opportunities.
It's excellent. Brett, thanks a lot for joining us.
Awesome, thanks for having me.
There's Brett Stewart, director of Youth Football Development for the Houston Texans, and little inside for you.
He won the Internal.
Spirit of the Bull Award about a year and a half ago. That's the employee of the Year basically, and he's done such a fine job.
I really deserve that.
That doesn't get much publicity, really doesn't get any outside of the building. But I thought it was worth mentioning with Brett because he's such a great contributor to the community that way. And yes, I do coach flag football for my kids. I've done it since my older son played. My younger son is twelve. I'm still coaching and we'll see how the rest of that goes. I love coaching that sport. It's a fun sport to coach. Everybody can get involved. There's a way to get the ball to virtually everybody. Seven on sevens tough with these girls teams because everybody's eligible. Center included, so everybody's eligible and there's no actual blocking, so you got to give everybody a role. A lot of it is deception and decoy and that kind of thing. Some people don't like to do that, but it's very important to the success of the team. You do what's right for the team, right, all right? Coming up, I'll get Johnny's reaction to Brent Musberger going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame winning that Pete Rosell Award. That is cool stuff. He really deserves it. You are looking live. He was such a part of everybody's NFL life life for so long. Hosting the NFL Today, which is really the first pregame show. I don't want to say if it's kind, but you could say of its kind, and it was the one that was the standard setter in the industry as everybody wanted to develop those shows. But it's not the best studio show ever that got its notoriety in another way in another sport, and it bid farewell to its current format.
Last night.
We'll talk about that, among other things like Joe Flacco going to the Browns. That's all coming up here on Texans All Access. All right, final segment here at Friday night. Great to have you with us here on Texans All Access. Mark VanderMeer and John Harris with you. Johnny, you mentioned it in segment number one. Joe Flacco is now a Brown And not that I feel sorry for Browns fans, but the level of celebration today and a lot of it tongue in cheek.
Yet, there was some hope in.
Brown's camp because Flaco's back, and they had this run of success with him in twenty twenty three, even though they flamed out in the playoffs badly here at NRG Stadium.
That's how bad it is in Cleveland right now.
Joe Flacco at one hundred and four years old, gives you hope going into the twenty twenty four five season, even though they know that he's probably he might not be the starting quarterback. They have Kenny Pickett as well, they might draft a guy or whatever, but he could be.
He could be your guy, Johnny.
Yeah, he could be, And I don't think it's horrible. I think they paid him one year, like four million bucks. I mean it's not too much.
I would imagine Brons fans are like, hey, what would have happened if we had kept Flacco for twenty twenty four, building off of the playoff season in twenty three? What if we gave Flacco the whole year at twenty four. Well, now you have the opportunity of twenty five. I think that the one thing it does do, I think it rules out Kirk Cousins. It's no Cousins, But I think what it also does is they'll take a flyer in the second round. The Flaco signing had everything kind of coming to.
You for me.
Takes Cousins out, It more than likely means no quarterback at number two.
I just don't see that happening.
I think it does bring up quarterback in round two at the top of round two to see if you can't find Jackson Dart there or Jaylen Milroe there and just probably make something happen there. But I definitely think it's taking out quarterback at number two, opening them up for Travis Hunter.
Abdul Carter at number two.
So I think that's setting that in stone for the Browns by signing Joe Flacco. Now, it doesn't mean if Flacco's gonna be the full time starter, and it doesn't mean that, you know, maybe they could take a quarterback at number two. I just feel like it hasn't been leaning that way. If you're gonna take a guy at number two, he better be absolutely, without question, the guy that you think is carrying your franchise franchise for the next decade. And I don't think any quarterback in this draft really like cam Ward's the only one that really does that. So after that, I feel like you're gonna have to manufacture something with shador and or Jackson Dart. So I don't think that's worked it at too. But I think Hunter Carter are the two elite players in this draft. Grab one of them. You got Flacco now gives you good insurance. Then you go and you draft a Milroe or Jackson Darter or even Chador the top of the second round, and I think you're starting to move in the right direction. Here's the other thing too, You draft the quarterback at number two, say it Shador and you bring him in, maybe he wins a couple more games than you're expecting, and now all of a sudden, you're picking tenth in a draft that probably should have a couple of really good quarterback options. So not saying you tank, not saying you tank, but you want to get a premier quarterback. Arch Manning, Leonora Sellers. Those are two of the top quarterbacks of twenty twenty six and they would look very good in Cleveland Browns fans' eyes, as more so than what the quarterbacks are this year in this draft.
I'll tell you what. Jalen Milroe is the sneaky hot pick in this draft, and it's like Jalen Hurt's second round pick. He's been to a couple of Super Bowls one to one. A lot of people overlooked him obviously fifty third overall, but man Milroe could be that kind of guy in this draft. Okay, a couple of things. Brent Musburger, he wins the Pete Roselle Award, so he's a Hall of Famer and longtime coming.
Great stuff. Comment on Brent.
The best, I mean, it's the voice you grew up with, though that I grew up with you know from NFL today all the way through doing Raiders games.
I mean, he's the voice. He was that guy, you know.
I mean watching the Celtics documentary, you hear Brent doing the opens. Oh they're so good, They're so good. You just remember that great time of Lakers Celtics. In the NBA, he's just the best, absolute.
Best, absolute best. And inside the game, it's never gonna be the same. You know, we're gonna have Charles and Kenny, ESPN, everybody's making the migration. However, it's not gonna be the same as the TNT crew.
And they had an ice farewell.
It's funny how the NBA season because college basketball ended kind of late, the way the calendar is and everything. You get baseball opening a week before. Remember when baseball would open the night of the Nation Championship And it just seems so religious.
Now we overlap. It's all out of the barn.
But anyway, TNT said goodbye to those guys last night, and that was kind of sad. I think this is the best studio show ever. And I'll tell you why, because the NBA, as great as the NBA can be, it's not the NFL, right, So, and it's not college football. It's not college game Day where you have the anticipation of college football that day, you know, one of twelve of the year, and I know you have postseason. Of course, uh NFL. Every NFL week is like the NCAA tournament. And then some man, this is TNT sometimes on a Thursday night late night. Those guys go nuts. They really let their hair down, so to speak. I think it's the best studio show.
I think so too. I've loved Game Day, you know that. But and I think game Bate has had a renaissance bringing in Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. I think that's really helped. But this show, it was funny at times, it could be informative. I felt like Ernie Johnson was the absolute point best point guard there there was and there is. So I hope they get something done, but you're right, it's not gonna be the same. But I happened to see Mark about probably ten minutes before the show started, the inside the NBA sopranos ending yes, yes, yes, so good die. It was so funny. I was absolutely dying. I mean that they added humor that sport, and they had transcendent personalities obviously. I always you know, Kenny Smith for me was the guy because he was a rocket. But the chemistry that they had, and I thought they screwed it up with Shaq. I was really concerned that they had screwed up that chemistry. But over time you realize the chemistry was just ambraified that much more because Shaq was in there.
I'd like Shack better than Weber, so that was a good addition for them overall, no doubt. All Right, that's gonna do it for the show tonight. Thanks so much for listening. Thanks to Brett Stewart for being on the program. And next week more on the Draft. We're gonna have Death Pain very special, lengthy visit with Seth that you are not gonna want to miss about the life of Seth. Yes, Life of Seth sounds like a mini series in the making. Anyway, Thanks for listening. Area forty five coming up next to a great weekend, Go Texans.
