The Texans rookies have now been through a pair of 2-hour long practices at the Houston Methodist Training Center. But those four combined hours are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to how they've been challenged in Houston.
"Every day there's probably three meetings per day," head coach Bill O'Brien said. "And then, in between the meetings, there's either a walk-through or a practice. So they have to apply the new things that they've learned to the next stage."
But the grind isn't limited solely to schemes, formations and plays. O'Bren and the Texans assistant coaches are a "staff of really good teachers". In line with that idea, the rookies have been grilled on a variety of subjects that aren't limited to their responsibilities on the field.
"We test them on many things," O'Brien said. "We test them obviously on X's and O's according to their position and their unit. We test them on their knowledge of their teammates. We test them on knowledge of the organization. We test them all the time."
And it's not in the form of a pencil-and-paper, multiple choice style exam.
"I think it's important in a three-day camp like this to continually work their mind," O'Brien said. "Not just stand in front of them and talk to them and show them film. Let them talk a little bit. 'What do you know? What have you studied?'"
Speaking of the importance of education, third-round nose tackle Louis Nix, III left today to walk at his graduation from Notre Dame. O'Brien stressed the importance of that accomplishment and ritual.
The Texans will conclude the rookie minicamp on Sunday.
