Keke Coutee never really liked school, but he loved football.
On Sunday, Texans fans fell in love with the rookie wide receiver out of Texas Tech. His 11 receptions set an NFL record for the most by any rookie in an NFL debut since the NFL/AFL merger.
The Texans saw potential in the Lufkin native during the scouting process. Wes Welker also didn't mind that Coutee was a fellow Red Raider.
"Obviously, his speed, his quickness, really good hands, really good burst, really good in and out of breaks," Welker said. "He had a lot of the intangibles that you look for in that position. It's kind of translated over to the field and then, obviously, we knew that he was going to be tough and smart coming from Texas Tech. So, that was always a plus."
Welker, now in his second season as an offensive and special teams assistant, played 12 seasons in the NFL and holds the record for most receptions by an undrafted player in NFL history (903). The learning curve is steep for slot receivers, according to Welker, making Coutee's transition from college to football even more impressive.
"Any player at that position that's had any sort of success has had to have a little bit of that fearlessness," Welker said. "Not only that, really kind of understanding the coverages and understanding when you're going to take that hit and be able to protect yourself and the quarterback be on the same page with you."
Coutee, who played three seasons at Texas Tech, put up eye-popping numbers in his collegiate career too, averaging 109.9 receiving yards per game. Against the Colts, Coutee hauled in 11 passes for 109 yards.
"He's a very prideful guy and wants to do a great job out there and wants to make plays," Welker said. "That's what you want at that position. He still has a long ways to go, but everything he's shown and what he's done so far has been encouraging. Hopefully he just keeps on building on that."
The Texans will host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 5. Kickoff is set for 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC and SportsRadio 610.
The Houston Texans traveled over to Lucas Oil Stadium to defeat the Indianapolis Colts for Week 4 of the 2018 NFL season.