Through 3 states, Texans duo strengthens connection

Two Texans flourished in West Virginia on Tuesday, in large part to some work they did in Pennsylvania. The tri-state connection between quarterback Tom Savage and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was crisp on the first day of training camp at The Greenbrier. That left the Pro Bowl wide receiver with a smile on his face. "Oh, first day, couldn’t have went better," Hopkins said. "I think Tom and I completed every ball he threw.”That duo spent some time this summer in Philadelphia, working out and working on chemistry. "We got together a couple days in the offseason up in Philly," Savage said. "We’ve just been throwing, and we talked probably every other day this whole offseason. I think it’s huge just to kind of get to know the guy and be on the same page with him.” Hopkins, who caught 78 passes for 954 yards last year, agreed. “That’s big because he’s the quarterback," Hopkins said. "He keeps the ship running and I’m the No. 1 wide receiver. Everything goes through us and Lamar Miller and other guys out there that are the key players on this offense.”In addition to work on the practice field, the two also bonded by talking about life on the home front. "More so just about me and him, what’s going on in our lives," Hopkins said. "His daughter, my daughter, stuff like that. Just communicated a lot throughout the offseason.” The work Wednesday impressed head coach Bill O'Brien. "I thought Tom had a good day," O'Brien said. "He did a nice job of completing passes, getting us into the right play, things like that." Savage, Hopkins and the Texans will practice again on Thursday at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.