Arian Foster is the Texans' 6-1, 229-pound starting running back. He’s also a father of one (a daughter, Zeniah Egypt Foster) and a former philosophy major at the University of Tennessee who enjoys writing music and poetry.

Once a week during the 2010 season, I’ll check in with Foster for whatever “Words of Wisdom” he feels like sharing. It might be brief, it might be long-winded, it might be poetry or it might be prose. I don’t know, and I don’t think he does, either. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Weekly Words of Wisdom with Arian Foster - Friday, Sept. 3:

“If the work you do is average and you put out average effort but expect anything else more than average, you are clinically insane.”

Check back for another installment next Friday. Let Arian know what you think in the comments section below or on Twitter @ArianFoster.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak announced today that kicker Kris Brown will be released, putting the team’s kicking game at the feet of Neil Rackers.

When the transaction is made official on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT, it’ll be the end of an era for Brown and the Texans.

Brown was the last remaining original Texan on the roster, having signed with the team before its inaugural season in 2002. At the time, the Southlake native was a free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers and entering his fourth NFL season out of Nebraska.

Over the next eight seasons, Brown participated in all 128 games in Texans history. He leaves as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 767 points, and it’ll be a while before anyone passes that mark. Wide receiver Andre Johnson is next on the list with 256 points.

Brown leaves a legacy off the field as well. He and his wife, Amy, are actively involved in the Houston community. The “Kris Brown’s Kick Club,” established in 2003, raised money for the Texas Children’s Hospital Charity Care Program. Brown annually participated in the Texans’ TACT program, which provides free game tickets to groups of local children. He also served on the NFL Charities Super Bowl Service Committee and serves on the board of directors for the Lymphoma Leukemia Society.

Kubiak said that cutting Brown was one of the toughest decisions he's ever had to make as a coach.

“It was miserable,” Kubiak said on Friday. “I don’t know how to put it any different. Kris and I had a lot of conversations throughout my time here, and of course he’s been here a lot longer than I have. We’ve had some great conversations; we’ve had some tough conversations on Sunday nights, but I respect him as a man. He’s a great person.

“I respect his career; I know he’s going to continue to have a good one. I think he also knows my job and what I have to do. So from that standpoint, I think we had a very good conversation and wished each other the best. Our paths will probably cross again someday. That’s the way it works. It’s a tough day.”

Though the 2009 season was the worst of Brown's career, the 2008 season was his best. He had no shortage of highlights in his tenure with the team.

Brown made 10 game-winning field goals in eight seasons with the Texans. Three of them resulted in him winning the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award, as detailed below:

Sept. 26, 2004 – Week 3 at Kansas City: Brown made a 49-yarder with two seconds remaining to beat the Chiefs 24-21 at Arrowhead Stadium. He was 3-of-3 on field goals on the day, converting from 28 and 49 yards before the game-winner. He also had one extra point.

Dec. 24, 2006 – Week 16 vs. Indianapolis: A 48-yarder as time expired gave the Texans a 27-24 victory over the eventual Super Bowl Champion Colts in Gary Kubiak’s first season. It’s the only time the Texans have beaten the Colts in 16 tries. Brown also made a 42-yarder in the game and kicked three extra points.

Oct. 7, 2007 – Week 5 vs. Miami: With one second remaining, Brown made a career-long 57-yarder to beat the Dolphins by a score of 22-19. Brown was five-of-five on field goals in the game and had one extra point, accounting for 16 of the Texans’ 22 points. He tied an NFL record by becoming just the third kicker in NFL history to make three field goals of 50+ yards or more in one game, which included two from 54 and the game-winner from 57.

Finally, here's a look at Brown's stats from 2002-09:

Totals
172-of-223 (77.1 percent) on field goals, 251-of-253 (99.2 percent) on extra points

Field goals from…
…1-19 yards: 3-of-4 (75.0 percent)
…20-29 yards: 52-of-56 (92.9 percent)
…30-39 yards: 49-of-61 (80.3 percent)
…40-49 yards: 54-of-74 (73.0 percent)
…50+ yards: 14-of-28 (50 percent)

Field goals season-by-season
2002: 17-of-24 (70.8 percent)
2003: 18-of-22 (81.8 percent)
2004: 17-of-24 (70.8 percent)
2005: 26-of-34 (76.5 percent)
2006: 19-of-25 (76.0 percent)
2007: 25-of-29 (86.2 percent)
2008: 29-of-33 (87.9 percent)
2009: 21-of-32 (65.6 percent)

Texans coach Gary Kubiak didn't announce all of the Texans' roster cuts on Friday, but he did announce a few. The full list will be released Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.

Notes from Kubiak's 3:30 p.m. press conference:

• Kubiak said that veteran cornerback Jacques Reeves has been released. Linebacker Danny Clark has not
• Kubiak confirmed that kicker Kris Brown has been released in favor of newcomer Neil Rackers. Kubiak said the determining factor between the two kickers was kickoffs, which he said favored Rackers
• Wide receiver André Davis (hip/tailbone) “looks like he's headed for injured reserve,” according to Kubiak. The Texans are likely to keep five wide receivers.
• Kubiak didn’t expressly say it, but rookie Dorin Dickerson looks like might have made it as the fifth receiver. Here’s what Kubiak said, with a hearty laugh, when asked if he’s worried about other teams picking up Dickerson should the Texans try to put him on the practice squad: “I’m not worried about that at all. It’s not going to happen.”
• The Texans worked out free agent running backs Derrick Ward and Justin Fargas today. There are issues at running back with Steve Slaton dealing with a toe injury and the uncertain roster status of Jeremiah Johnson (who also has a toe injury) and Chris Henry.
• Quarterback John David Booty will be released, although Kubiak expects to add another quarterback to the roster or practice squad at some point. That third quarterback, Kubiak said, could be Booty.

Congrats to fullback Vonta Leach!

On July 30, he officially completed the requirements to receive his Bachelor of Science Degree in Family and Community Services from East Carolina University.

Vonta recently received a game ball from ECU and a letter from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, congratulating him on his success.

In the letter, the Commissioner acknowledged the hard work, dedication, and persistence it takes in achieving this goal while managing the demands of a professional football career. He stated how pleased he was that Vonta was able to utilize the Continuing Education Program through The NFL Player Development Department.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak will discuss roster cuts and more in a 3:30 p.m. CT press conference Reliant Stadium. Watch it live from your computer right here on Texans TV.

The Texans have to trim their roster from 75 players to 53 by Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.

Some players who don't make the final cut could re-surface on the Texans' practice squad. Running back Arian Foster and defensive ends Jesse Nading and Tim Jamison were on the practice squad in 2009 after being released in the final round of cuts. All three wound up on the Texans' active roster.

It's been almost a year to the day since running back Arian Foster was cut by the Texans. As an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee, he ran for a team-high 16 carries for 49 yards in the Texans' Sept. 4, 2009, preseason finale at Tampa Bay, and was released one day later.

Foster has come so far in a year’s time that he didn’t even play in last night’s preseason finale against the Buccaneers. That’s because he’s not only secure with a place on the roster, but a place in the starting lineup.

“It’s humbling, man,” he said in the locker room last night's game. “You’ve been on both sides, so you kind of realize what everybody’s going through mentally and physically out there vying for jobs. I know what it’s like. I felt what they were going through, and it makes me work just as hard because I know how easily it can go from great to bad, bad to worse. However you make it in this league, you’ve got to make sure you stay there.”

A day after he was cut in 2009, Foster was signed to the Texans’ practice squad. He was called up to the active roster 10 weeks later and wound up rushing for 216 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games of the season. He averaged 6.0 yards per carry this preseason to solidify his standing atop the depth chart.

He's not resting on his laurels, still playing with a chip on his shoulder from going undrafted and treating every play like it’s his last. But after last night’s game, did Foster get a sense of how just far he’s come?

“I mean, you see it; yeah,” he said. “You see it. It’s a big deal. But at the end of the day, it’s a short walk from the penthouse to the doghouse, so you’ve just got to keep on pushing.”

After a 10-yard pass from John David Booty to rookie tight end Garrett Graham, the Texans have a first down at their own 47-yard line with 5:47 left to play. They trail 24-10.

The Bucs just called a timeout, giving us a brief break in the action. I've got to run down to the field in advance of postgame interviews, so that concludes tonight's in-game blog.

Tune into Texans TV on HoustonTexans.com after the game to watch Texans coach Gary Kubiak's press conference live from Reliant Stadium.

The Bucs extended their lead to 24-10 with 7:28 left in the fourth quarter. Here's how it happened:

The drive: 6 plays, 90 yards, 3:18. Ended with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Rudy Carpenter to Arrelious Benn. Connor Barth made the extra point.

The score: On first-and-10 from the Texans' 21-yard line, Carpenter lobbed a deep pass to the left for Benn. With Jacques Reeves in tight coverage, Benn made a sensational grab, seemingly prying the ball off Reeves' helmet with one arm, for the score.

The set-up: Carpenter started the drive off with two passes for 50 yards, one to wide receiver Preston Parker and one to tight end Ryan Purvis. Those plays were sandwiched around a five-yard neutral zone infraction penalty on DelJuan Robinson. Robinson, who also stuffed running back Clifton Smith for a two-yard loss on the drive. Carpenter also had a 16-yard pass to Parker one play before the touchdown.

The big play: Carpenter to Parker for 29 yards on the first play of the drive. It was a deep pass to the left sideline. Reeves was in coverage.

The Texans trimmed the Bucs' lead to 17-10 with 0:02 left in the third quarter. Here's how it happened:

The drive: 17 plays, 73 yards, 7:38. Ended with a 21-yard field goal by Neil Rackers.

The score: Plain and simple. Jon Weeks snap, Matt Turk hold, Rackers kick. Good.

The set-up: Quarterback John David Booty was 6-of-11 for 51 yards on the drive, which started at the Texans' 24-yard line. Booty moved the chains on fourth-and-three from the Bucs' 40-yard line with a six-yard pass over the middle to tight end James Casey. He then converted on third-and-five from the 29 with a six-yard pass to wide receiver Bobby Williams. Running back Chris Henry picked up six yards for a first down on third-and-three from the Houston 16. Booty looked for Casey on third-and-goal from the three, but his pass to the left sailed incomplete.

The big play: Booty to Casey for 18 yards on the third play of the drive. Casey has eight catches for 81 yards, which are both the highest marks of the 2010 preseason for the Texans. (UPDATE: 9:20 p.m.: Casey's eight catches are a new Texans preseason record).