The Texans have waived running back Steve Slaton and signed running back Chris Ogbonnaya to the active roster from their practice squad.
A third-round pick from West Virginia in 2008, Slaton was a rookie revelation with a franchise-record 1,282 rushing yards. He led the AFC with 1,659 yards from scrimmage that season, averaging a team-record 4.8 yards per carry and setting a team rookie record with 10 touchdowns.
In 2009, Slaton suffered a nerve injury in his neck that eventually caused him to lose feeling in the tips of the fingers in his right hand. The injury coincided with him averaging 3.3 yards per carry and fumbling seven times in 11 games before being placed on injured reserve. He had a C-5 cervical fusion operation in the offseason to repair the injury, then spent 2010 as the Texans' third running back and part-time kick returner.
Slaton totaled seven carries for 20 yards this season before being let go. He finishes his Texans career ranked third in team history in rushing yards (1,832), second in attempts (425) and third in rushing touchdowns (12). He averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
Ogbonnaya was the Texans' leading rusher in the preseason with 192 yards on 54 carries (3.6 average). He also had seven receptions for 77 yards. A Houston native who played at the University of Texas, he was a seventh-round draft pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2009.
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