The coaches sound very high on DeMeco. I can't wait for football season to start. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3953184.html June 8, 2006, 9:45PM Ryans gets jump with dual skills Athletic ability, intelligence allow No. 2 draft pick to progress quickly By MEGAN MANFULL Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Once rookie linebacker DeMeco Ryans proved he could grasp the Texans' defensive system quickly, the coaches decided to take advantage. Training camp is still more than a month away, but Ryans is learning nearly every linebacker position and vying for a starting job. Instead of being weighed down by the responsibilities, the 21-year-old is dealing with them just like he did everything in college. While becoming a consensus All-American for Alabama last season, Ryans also excelled academically. He received his degree in business management in December after just seven semesters. A slew of athletic awards during his collegiate career are matched by an almost equal number of academic honors. "My mom always focused on me getting an education and how important it was for me to get good grades," said Ryans, who is 6-4, 236 pounds. "I just stuck with that through elementary and into college. She really instilled that in me and really did a great job." Hitting RBs, books Martha Ryans, who has spent much of her adult life working in a steel plant in Alabama grinding metal for cars, never stopped stressing education even when Ryans' football career started to take off. He didn't become distracted, either. Instead of staying out late with friends in college, Ryans forced himself to return to his room and study. It wasn't always easy. "You have to pull yourself back and discipline yourself with time management," Ryans said. "Know what's important and what's going to take you farther in life. Football can take you only so far. But no one can take your education away." That approach has helped Ryans on the football field as well. His coaches have been impressed with how quickly he is grasping the system. Aside from playing weakside linebacker in the Texans' regular package, Ryans is also working at middle linebacker. Wise beyond his years Ryans is as poised as a veteran when he receives calls from defensive coordinator Richard Smith and then relays them to his teammates during practice. "He's been able to handle a lot of things on the defensive side," coach Gary Kubiak said. "He's a fine football player; we know that. But his intelligence is going to help him play very quickly." The Texans haven't been altogether surprised by Ryans' quick progress. The only surprise came in April when Ryans was still available in the second round of the draft. He started 37 games in college and ended his Alabama career ranked fifth in school history with 307 tackles. Ryans is currently sitting behind Morlon Greenwood at outside linebacker and Wali Rainer in the middle. "We think he has a bright, bright future," Smith said. "And he's a young person that we feel can come in here and compete for a starting position on this team. But he's got to earn that spot. And that's what we're trying to get accomplished right now. We're trying to develop him into a starter. He brings youth, speed and athletic ability to the position. "It's a big load for a young guy, but I think he's handling it very, very well." megan.manfull@chron.com TEXANS SUMMARY Baylor ex joins team The Texans continued to make changes to the roster, releasing tight end Matt Murphy and replacing him with offensive lineman Chris Watton, who played at Baylor and was with the Denver Broncos last season. Murphy had been trying to make the transition from tight end to tackle this offseason. "We thought he might have a hard time making our team at tight end, and then all of a sudden we draft two tackles, and we've been very fortunate with some of these free agents we've gotten," coach Gary Kubiak said. "It was going to be a tough transition. "Had Matt had the ability to go on a practice squad, it might have been a transition he could make. So I wanted to be fair to him. I think he can make somebody's team at tight end as a physical tight end." MEGAN MANFULL
Great news about Ryans. I had wondered why, with his obvious intelligence, I hadn't heard more about him potentially getting the starting MLB job. I guess the coaching staff wanted to feel him out and see if he could handle it before they brought it up. I'm also slightly, ever so slightly encouraged that Matt Murphy was released before Bennie Joppru was. Makes me think that there is at least still a slim possibility that Joppru might get us some production for the money that has been payed to him.
Man, he sounds like a smart kid with a good head on his shoulders. I remember some draft people saying the only reason he didn't go in the 1st round was because, even though he had a lot of heart, he was 'under-sized'. Of course, we all know that under-sized LB's with a lot of heart can't make it in the NFL. Tell that to Dat Nguyen or Zach Thomas.
Murphy had been playing tackle, not tight end. They were trying to convert him. It did not work apparently.
And they're talking about Joppru being an H-back type...some at TE, some at FB, motion alot. Kubes likes that kinda stuff.
I thought I remembered something like that, tis what you get for trusting the fine reportage of Houston's Leading Information Source.
Me either. I found my ex's diary from last year this weekend. Here's what it said: IMA'S GIRLFRIEND'S DIARY Saturday night I thought he was acting weird We had made plans to meet at a bar to have a drink. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment. Conversation wasn't flowing so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed but he kept quiet and absent. I asked him what was wrong; he said nothing. I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said it had nothing to do with me and not to worry. On the way home I told him that I loved him, he simply smiled and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior; I don't know why he didn't say I love you too. When we got home I felt as if I had lost him, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there and watched TV. He seemed distant and absent. Finally, I decided to go to bed. About 10 minutes later he came to bed, and to my surprise he responded to my caress and we made love, but I still felt that he was distracted and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep and I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster. I looked up my diary entry from the same day. Here's what it said: Today the Texans lost, but at least I got laid.
