Linebacker DeMeco Ryans and defensive end J.J. Watt only overlapped for one season (2011) with the Houston Texans, but together they would go on to cast long shadows over the organization for years to come.
Watt stuck around Houston from 2011-20, becoming by leaps and bounds the greatest player in franchise history and punching his eventual ticket into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. After a dysfunctional two-year interlude, Ryans became the Texans' coach in 2023 and instantly turned around the franchise.
The result? A 45–14 blowout win over the Cleveland Browns in an AFC wild-card game Saturday. Houston's victory prompted NFL Films to recirculate a video from Watt's last NFL game on Jan. 8, 2023, where his Arizona Cardinals lost 38–13 to Ryans's San Francisco 49ers.
"Go make Houston great."@JJWatt to DeMeco Ryans last year 💪 @HoustonTexans pic.twitter.com/ezwzTeCZQl
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 14, 2024
As Ryans (then the 49ers' defensive coordinator) congratulated Watt on "a great career," the player requested one favor of the coach.
"Go make Houston great again, huh?" Watt said to Ryans, who laughed.
Ryans was formally hired 23 days later, and the rest is history.
Mission accomplished.
