After the Houston Texans’ first practice of training camp on Thursday, a reporter mentioned to defensive end Will Anderson Jr. that the former Alabama All-American looked bigger.
“I think last year I was 248 (pounds),” Anderson said, “and about the time we got to the Ravens game, I was just like, ‘I just can’t last.’ I felt like I was getting tossed around, so I kind of bulked up a little this offseason. Tried to keep my speed – well, I did keep my speed. So I’m like 263 now. I feel good. Some people still say I don’t even look big, so I appreciate you for that. …
“My biggest thing, I just wanted to get bigger, stronger, faster, and I think those were the areas that I really improved on and have more mobility and flexibility to be able to get in some of the positions to bend a little better, to get off blocks a little better and to use my hands a little better, so those are all the areas I feel like I’ve been taking the necessary steps to continue to keep improving.”
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Anderson said he could hardly have missed meeting his fitness goals between the end of the Texans’ offseason program and the beginning of training camp – thanks to his five older sisters.
“They’ve been on me this offseason,” Anderson said. “They’ve been on me. I had to wake up early every morning just to get away from them, man. They’re like, ‘When you going to go work out? When you going to do this?’ And I said, ‘Can I just do my schedule? Can I have my schedule?’
“But I love my family to death, and that’s why I appreciate them so much because not only do I push myself, but they push me as well.”
Houston added Anderson with the third selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he received the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year awards presented by The Associated Press and the Pro Football Writers of America as the Texans won seven more games -- plus a playoff contest -- in 2023 than they had in 2022.
Anderson said he felt more confident heading toward Year 2 because he had a season of experience with the Texans’ defensive playbook.
“I would just say within the system, like not reading, not thinking and just going and being free and just playing my freest,” Anderson said, “and I think this OTA and going into this training camp I kind of feel that I’m more free. I know the system, I know what I can do, I know what I can’t do, but I can be myself within the system.”
Anderson said he also would carry a different attitude into the 2024 season.
“I feel like my focus,” Anderson said when asked for the biggest difference between the rookie and the Year 2 versions of himself. “My focus is less on what everybody has to say and more on God. I think my biggest thing is knowing, like I always tell y’all, my approval comes from him. Ultimately, everything I achieve in this lifetime, I’m putting him first because he’s the reason why I’m here. And I think that’s the difference. This year, man, I’m like, ‘God, whether it’s a good game, bad game, anything, you’re going to get the praise and glory for it. I’m going to let you use me however you want to use me each game.’ And I just want to be a servant, be a leader and be a blessing to my teammates to help them out in any type of way. That’s my whole thing coming into this year: ‘God, however you want to use me, I just want to be a blessing to this team.’ …
“I think it’s just a maturity, and just diving deeper into the word and spending this offseason more in church and more in the Bible and learning myself more and just seeing how the outside world is and learning like, ‘Bro, like –.’ And once you get to that spiritual level, I think it’s like, ‘Bro, like, God is your ultimate goal. He’s the one that wakes you up in the morning.’ Some person in somebody’s basement don’t wake you up in the morning. Their opinion doesn’t matter. My thing is I want to put all my focus there and let God handle the rest.”
The Texans became the first in the NFL to hold a full-team practice at training camp as they prepare to kick off the preseason against the Chicago Bears in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1.
Houston starts its regular-season schedule on Sept. 8 against the Indianapolis Colts.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.