Davis Mills’ interactions with Mark Ingram were brief.
The Houston Texans signed Ingram in 2021 free agency to beef up their running back stable, but eventually the club traded him to the New Orleans Saints, the team that picked him in Round 1 of the 2011 NFL draft.
As Mills was integrating into the Texans’ offense as a rookie quarterback, he was able to spend time around Ingram, whose energy level is comparable to that of a current Houston running back: Dameon Pierce.
“I haven’t seen someone recently with that much juice,” Mills told reporters Wednesday. “Maybe the last guy that you can compare him to is Mark Ingram, just kind of when he was here last year you feel like that same energy and stuff, just how he changes the mood of everybody around him everyday.”
Ingram didn’t have a big year with Houston as he carried 92 times for 294 yards and a touchdown. As the Texans’ season was going off the rails, Houston dealt Ingram back to the Saints to give the 11-year veteran another shot at competing in the postseason. Receiver Brandin Cooks, who was Ingram’s teammate with the Saints from 2014-16, appeared devastated when the running back returned to the Crescent City — just to demonstrate what type of impact Ingram had on the Texans’ locker room.
Like Ingram, Pierce is finding ways to infuse an optimistic spirit inside NRG Stadium.
Said Mills: “He’s always very positive and energetic. He displays that and does the same thing out on the football field when he’s making plays. So, we’re excited to see what he can do.”
Curiously general manager Nick Caserio would not get into comparisons between Ingram and Pierce earlier in the offseason.
Pierce will have a chance to show what he can do for the Texans’ running game as they open up against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at NRG Stadium.
