The anticipation and excitement had been building up since April.
Every open training camp practice held at Houston Methodist Training Center has been jam-packed with fans hoping to catch a glimpse of him on the field.
He was dressed in full uniform in the first preseason game against the New Orleans Saints but never played a snap.
On Friday, Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith finally gave the fans what they have been waiting for in their 24-20 preseason win over the Los Angeles Rams. A chance to see former LSU cornerback Derek Stingley on the football field in live action against an NFL offense.
“The plan was to play him this game,” coach Smith said in his postgame press conference. “That was good to get him his first action.”
Stingley, who was selected third overall by the Texans in the 2022 NFL Draft out of LSU, wasn’t tested at all in the Rams’ first drive but saw some action come his way during Los Angeles’s second offensive possession of the game.
“That was good to get him his first action,” said Texans HC Lovie Smith about rookie CB Derek Stingley Jr. playing in his first NFL preseason game. #WeAreTexans #TexansWire #Sarge @TheTexansWire *Video courtesy of Houston Texans* pic.twitter.com/uMsqwYztj0
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) August 20, 2022
Rams quarterback John Wolford found wide receiver Lance McCutcheon for a 22-yard gain on the first play against Stingley. The rookie was caught staring at the quarterback as the play developed, allowing McCutcheon to cross his face and find the soft spot in the zone.
If one thing has stood out in Texans training camp, it has been the ability of Stingley to process information quickly and correct mistakes he makes on the field. It was a trait that has stood out to most Texans coaches on the defensive side of the ball.
So, it was not surprising to see Stingley have his first pass breakup of the game against McCutcheon as Wolford tried to connect with him again on the third play of the series.
Stingley showed no early lingering effects of the foot injury from 2021 that required him to have Lisfranc surgery and only allowed him to appear in three games.
“First, we just wanted to get him playing time,” said coach Smith when asked to go into detail about the plan for Stingley. “The plan was to get him 10 plays. I think he got 15 plays. That’s out of the way. We’ll keep increasing his minutes. He’s a good football player.”
The former LSU All-American will have another opportunity to get more snaps on Thursday in the final preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at NRG Stadium before playing in his first NFL regular season game against the Indianapolis Colts in the Texans 2022 season opener.
