Guard Kasey Studdard has shown that he can fill in as a starter if needed this season.
Kasey Studdard gained some valuable experience this preseason as the starting left guard in place of the injured Chester Pitts. A former sixth-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft, Studdard attended the University of Texas.
He spoke to HoustonTexans.com recently about this preseason and how he's progressing.
1. The offensive line is missing some of its key starters due to injuries and you've replaced Chester Pitts at left guard. How has it felt to be in the starting lineup?
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"It feels good to be out there with the starting lineup and just getting to feel how they play and everything like that. I'm just enjoying it right now."
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*2. What do you think your biggest strengths are that you bring to the team?
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"I like to play every down as hard as I can like it's my last play, and I like to hit. I guess they say I'm nasty or something, but I just like to play hard and hit people."
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*3. Coach Gary Kubiak said some positive things about you after the game at Kansas City. How would you rate your performance? Where can you improve? *
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*"The film doesn't lie. I did what I had to do, but my technique on a lot of plays was wrong, so that's what my biggest thing is, just working on my technique. I got my guy blocked, but there's easier ways of blocking and better ways to help out the protection, so I know there's a lot to work on. I did OK, but I know there's a lot I need to get better at."
*4. You had a key fumble recovery in the game. Can you explain the play?
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"It was just a screen right and I was running down the field and just trying to get an extra block in and the ball popped out so I just ran and jumped on it."
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*5. How do you feel the offensive line as a whole held up in the first preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs? *
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*"I thought we played real well, but we all know, as a unit - because we all work together as a five-man unit - that there's a lot of things to improve on. That's what we're going to try and work on every day."
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*6. Your fellow Texas Longhorn, Frank Okam, made some big plays in the game. What have you seen out of him throughout training camp? *
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"I think Frank's been playing real well. He's a big body out there. He's big and strong, and he's got his weight down. He's been out there playing hard like he knows how to play and I'm proud of him."
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*7. What advantages are there to practicing against the Saints during the week instead of going against your own teammates every day?
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"It's a good break for us instead of just hitting each other all week. It's a good break to be able to go out there and practice against another team and everything like that. It's a fun couple of practices we get with them and you just get to feel what they're like instead of just watching film on them."
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*8. How excited are you for the first home game of the season this weekend? *
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"I'm excited to be able to get back out here in Reliant and hear our fans roaring. It's going to be a fun time."
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*9. You're now going into your third season with the Texans. How confident are you as a player and in your position on the team? *
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"In the NFL, you never have a secure place, so you've just got to go out there every week and day-in and day-out and show them that you can play. That's the biggest thing in camp. There are no days off."
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*10. Before entering camp, did you set any goals you wanted to accomplish before the season began? How successful have you been so far?
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"Just to get better and show the coaches that I can play. I can play on Sundays if they need me. That's my biggest thing, just showing them that I can go out there and that I can play (in this league)."
