Rookie Steve Slaton had his best game on the biggest stage by torching the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football.
December was a month to remember for running back Steve Slaton, who was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month on Wednesday.
Slaton led all rookies and ranked second in the NFL with 508 rushing yards (4.7 avg.) on 109 attempts with three touchdowns in December as the Texans posted a 4-1 (.800) record. The 5-9, 197-pound running back led the league with 687 scrimmage yards (508 rush, 179 receiving) for the month and posted three consecutive 100-yard rushing games in December (130, 120, 100) against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans, respectively.
Slaton also led the AFC with 24 rushing first downs for the month. In Week 13 on Monday Night Football against the Jaguars (12/1/08), Slaton recorded his highest rushing total of the month with 130 rushing yards and tied a career-best with two rushing touchdowns. The Pennsylvania native led all rookies and ranked second in the AFC with a franchise record 1,282 rushing yards in 2008.
The third-round draft pick (No. 89) from West Virginia finished the 2008 season with the rookie rushing record (1,282) and was nominated for NFL Rookie of the Week honors on eight occasions. He also was named the Week 13 AFC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against the Jaguars on national television.
Slaton's first recognition of the season was in Week 5, when he earned NFLPlayers.com Rookie of the Week honors after gaining 93 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns in the Texans' 31-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Reliant Stadium.
Slaton is the second Texans player in team history to earn NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month. Running back Domanick Williams (formerly Davis) won the award in October 2003.
After taking a break to recover from the season, Slaton plans to get back to the weight room to prepare for an ever better 2009.
"I have to work harder. I have to do more than I did this year," Slaton said. "(I am going to) just work on my technique. There's a lot of guys out there with different types of techniques, so I think I can work on it and attack them early."
