Christian Covington was elated to be a Texan. The Rice University product said it was "a dream come true" to get picked in the sixth round (216th overall).
"To be able to go to a school such as Rice and to have a team such as the Houston Texans who are just right down the street, to be interested in this way, this is a dream come true for me," the defensive lineman said.
The Vancouver native was back home in Canada with his family, and at one point during his conference call with the Houston media, he held the phone up to a roaring crowd.
Covington is recovering from a knee injury he suffered last autumn against Florida International. But he was quick to point out that it wouldn't prevent him from being ready to practice soon.
"I'm full go, ready to go," Covington said on Saturday. "I'm fully recovered with that. Obviously, I know when I get back to Houston there will be re-evaluating my knee but from what I've been doing these past couple of weeks in the offseason I'm ready to get the ball rolling."
Covington and the rookies will soon be in Houston for next week's three-day rookie minicamp, which begins Friday. While they won't practice with defensive end J.J. Watt and the veterans next weekend, the opportunity to do so later in May has the former Owl excited.
"Everywhere you go you hear J.J. Watt," Covington said. "To be able to actually have a chance to be able to be on a team with him right now, that in itself is motivation for me to be able to come and perform with my best every day."
After redshirting in 2011, Covington flourished in 2012 and 2013, before the injury in the fall. He's the first Rice interior defensive lineman picked in the draft since Cornelius Walker was a Kansas City third round selection in 1976.
The Houston Texans roster in photos. (Updated 4/8/2021)
TE, Jordan Akins, #88
DL, Auzoyah Alufohai, #98
DB, Cornell Armstrong, #30
OL, Beau Benzschawel, #62
DL, Ross Blacklock, #90
OL, Justin Britt
DB, Terrence Brooks
TE, Pharaoh Brown, #85
OL, Cohl Cabral, #72
OL, Marcus Cannon
WR, Randall Cobb, #18
DL, Maliek Collins
WR, Chris Conley
WR, Brandin Cooks, #13
WR, Isaiah Coulter, #82
WR, Keke Coutee, #16
DB, Keion Crossen, #35
LB, Zach Cunningham, #41
LB, Tae Davis
DL, Brandon Dunn, #92
LB, Duke Ejiofor, #53
WR, Alex Erickson
K, Ka'imi Fairbairn, #7
QB, Ryan Finley
OL, Hjalte Froholdt, #77
LB, Jonathan Greenard, #52
LB, Kamu Grugier-Hill
LB, Nate Hall, #48
DB, Vernon Hargreaves III, #26
OL, Charlie Heck, #67
RB, Dontrell Hilliard, #27
OL, Tytus Howard, #71
RB, Buddy Howell, #38
RB, Mark Ingram
TE, Ryan Izzo
LB, Jordan Jenkins
RB, David Johnson, #31
DL, Jaleel Johnson
DB, Lonnie Johnson Jr., #32
P, Cameron Johnston
DB, Desmond King
LB, Christian Kirksey
DL, Shaq Lawson
RB, Phillip Lindsay
LB, Jacob Martin, #54
OL, Justin McCray
LB, Whitney Mercilus, #59
WR, Steven Mitchell Jr., #11
DB, Terrance Mitchell
WR, Donte Moncrief
DB, A.J. Moore Jr., #33
WR, Chris Moore
DB, Eric Murray, #23
LB, Hardy Nickerson
DL, Charles Omenihu, #94
DB, Jonathan Owens, #36
LB, Kevin Pierre-Louis
RB, Scottie Phillips, #40
TE, Paul Quessenberry
DB, John Reid, #34
DB, Justin Reid, #20
DL, Derek Rivers
WR, Andre Roberts
DB, Bradley Roby, #21
OL, Max Scharping, #74
DB, Tremon Smith
OL, Jordan Steckler
QB, Tyrod Taylor
DL, Vincent Taylor
LB, Joe Thomas
DB, Tavierre Thomas
OL, Cole Toner
OL, Laremy Tunsil, #78
TE, Kahale Warring, #81
QB, Deshaun Watson, #4
LS, Jon Weeks #46
