Second-year center Nick Martin's rookie campaign ended in disappointment. After a promising offseason and training camp, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury that would place him on Injured Reserve before Week 1.
But this week, Martin returned to the practice field for the start of OTAs.
"That was the first season I've missed," Martin said Tuesday. "It's tough but I just tried to get better any way I could, especially mentally. It's just awesome being back out here."
With his rehabilitation behind him, Martin feels confident in his recovery.
"The ankle is good to go," he said.
Unable to practice last season, the Texans 2016 second-round draft pick focused on what he could do. He spent his first year learning the system, attending meetings, and preparing mentally.
"The biggest thing is stay up with the playbook," Martin said. "We have a large playbook and it's an awesome offense. I was just trying to stay with it as much as I could, learn the in-game routine, run game, pass game, how we go about it. Everything."
Check out some of the best shots from the first week of Texans OTAs.
