Texans Looking for LB Ryans to Build on Rookie Success HOUSTON (AP) - DeMeco Ryans thought he'd never get a handle on the defense when he arrived at Houston Texans training camp last year as a rookie. He couldn't have been more wrong. The linebacker made 13 tackles in his first game and never slowed down on his way to leading the league with 126 solo tackles and winning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The Texans can't wait to see what he'll do next. "I feel a lot more comfortable now," he said. "In year one my head was spinning coming in. It was a lot tougher last year, but now I know the defense and I'm familiar with it so it's a lot easier." His progress last season was helped by hours upon hours of watching film. Ryans and fellow linebacker Morlon Greenwood would routinely be the last players in the stadium, staying well after the others to pick apart offenses. But his incessant film-watching wasn't always purely for the good of the team. Sometimes it just seemed more productive than the alternative. "You leave here at 5 p.m. and get stuck in traffic, so you might as well be watching film," he joked. So now that he has what he calls a "great understanding of the defense," will he take a break from the film room? READ MORE
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