Most football players will tell you that going into any game, the adrenaline is rushing through their veins, and a sense of nervousness is pumping through their bodies until they get out on the field.
For Houston Texans rookie offensive lineman Kenyon Green, his body may have felt as if he had drunk four energy drinks as he awaited his opportunity to get on the field for his first snap in an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Buy Texans TicketsHis time finally arrived in the second quarter when he was inserted into the game after the Texans’ defense was able to cause a turnover against the 49ers.
“I was just trying to get that first hit, after that I felt like I calmed down a little bit,” said Green when asked about his emotions coming into the game for the first time this preseason.
“I am focusing on getting better and wherever my team needs me to play. Whether that is second-string or starting, I am there,” said rookie OL Kenyon Green when asked if he had shown enough in the final preseason game to be named a Week 1 starter. @TheTexansWire @K_Green_01 pic.twitter.com/jRxA3jrz62
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) August 27, 2022
The 15th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft gave the Texans fans and coaching staff a glimpse of what made him a two-time Consensus All-American at Texas A&M as he dominated San Francisco’s defensive lineman Alex Barrett on three straight downs.
Just getting on the field was a long, tedious process for Green as he had to deal with complications from off-season knee surgery that caused him to take limited snaps during training camp. To make matters worse, he suffered a concussion during practice and was held out of all activities for precautionary measures.
Green, 21, said that the game speed was a little faster than the college game, but he could get comfortable with the more reps he had. As the first regular season game against a divisional foe, Indianapolis Colts, is getting closer, the Atascocita native is not concerned about whether he is named a Week 1 starter. His only goal is to do whatever the team needs to be successful.
“I feel like I am just getting better and not focused on that,” Green said when asked if he had done enough to prove to the offensive coaching staff that he deserves to start at right guard. “I am focusing on getting better and wherever my team needs me to play. Whether that is second-string or starting, I am there.”
