The Texans helped to bolster their pass rush, signing former Patriots outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin on Monday. Colvin, a 10th-year pro, sat down with Texans TV's Brooke Bentley to answer fan questions in a three-part interview. Enjoy Part 3.
7. Jorge Pacheco: Chicago drafted you in 1999. And you played there for four years as a defensive end. Did you like playing in a 4-3 defense?
Rosevelt Colvin: I did. At that time, I was a young guy in the NFL. I was playing with Warrick Holdman, a Texas A&M graduate who played with me for four years there. Brian Urlacher came in my second year. We were young guys just trying to make a name for ourselves, and we did that. That first year Brian came in, 2000, and in 2001 we were 13-3. We were on a high because we weren't supposed to do that. It was an enjoyable time.
The city of Chicago, when it comes to sports towns, it's one of the greatest sports towns you can have as far as the fans are concerned because they are loyal. Regardless of if you're up 20 or down 20, they are going to be there. They are going to cheer you on. It was a great experience. It was close to home. My sister lives in Chicago, so it was very beneficial to be a part of that, a great organization. It was definitively a great time. It is part of who I am as an NFL player and I'll never forget it.
{QUOTE}8. Brando (Corpus Christi, TX) What position are you more comfortable playing: linebacker or defensive end?
Rosevelt Colvin: The position that would be more natural to me would be defensive end just because you don't have to think as much, as far as run or pass in the direction that you are going. As a linebacker, you have to know run or pass because if you are dropping into coverage, you can't go forward. If it's a run, you can't go backwards. As a defensive lineman, just going forward literally every play, it takes the equation out of it. But at the same time, you take more of a physical pounding. As a 3-4 outside linebacker, you sort of get a mixture of both because you are up on the ball and dealing with the tackles. Whereas a 4-3 linebacker off of the ball, like DeMeco Ryans or Morlon Greenwood, when you are off the ball you take more of a collision standpoint from guards or fullbacks.
I feel comfortable in both. I think I can do both. People have sort of labeled me as a defensive end/outside linebacker in a 3-4 because the league has sort of transitioned to (using) the more athletic linebacker. If you're not running a 3-4, then your linebackers are 6-0 or 6-2, 230, 225-35 pounds that can run with anybody on the field. I don't necessarily think I'm a slow guy, but I'm not a fast guy. What they are looking for at that position, it varies. I think I can give them emergency help either way. I think I can give them a proven veteran either way, as well. Hopefully, we can make it work out.
9. AJ (Clear Lake, TX): How do the Texans intend to use you in their defense?
Rosevelt Colvin: Like I said, I've had experience in every defense at the positions. I've played off-the-ball 4-3 linebacker. I've played on-the-ball 4-3 linebacker. I've played outside linebacker in the 3-4. I've also played the defensive end position. So I think it gives the team options. It keeps you from being so stale and so stagnant. It gives guys like Mario Williams – it opens up things for him because now you can't just pinpoint or predict that he's going to be here or he's going to be there – or are we going to double team him. Because now, we have other guys who can do different things and you have to keep track of those guys. I think we'll wait for the next four or five weeks to go by, as we have more discussions with the coaching staff and get to training camp. And, hopefully, in training camp I can see more of a defined role for myself. But I am open to whatever, and I think I am versatile enough to accomplish that. I just have to make sure I get the system down and be ready to roll.
10. Micah Kessler: Talk about your foot injury and how healthy you feel going into training camp.
Rosevelt Colvin: All my injuries sort of have been crazy. My last injury in college, I injured my shoulder in a bowl game. I played with that for four years in Chicago. I ended up having surgery after I left Chicago, so it wasn't an issue. But, then, my second game in New England, I broke my hip and that was sort of a fluke injury because people don't just break their hips every day. I've been able to return from that. Then, this past season, I broke a small cuboid bone in my foot. It was just a matter of letting it heel and rest.
Since the process of me getting up and trying to rehab and do everything that I need to do to prepare myself for the season, everything has been going well. We haven't had any setbacks. The foot is feeling well. It's not necessarily 100 percent, but we are moving towards that direction. I'll take this last month and a half before training camp comes to continue to prepare myself the best way I can.
The heat here will definitely help an older guy because you don't have to worry about your joints or your bones that you may have aches and pain with or you may have broken to be expanding or to tighten up, so to speak. As you play in colder climates, everything gets more brittle. I felt real good running out there today. The warmth – it's sort of like a sauna, taking a jog in a sauna. I feel healthy, I feel good enough to go out and play a game. We just want to remain healthy the entire season.
