Texans wide receiver Jacoby Jones has reminded coach Gary Kubiak of your typical rookie. During OTAs, he'd make a few great plays and then drop the next two passes. There were ups and downs throughout the entire month.
But the Texans did see enough to keep them excited about their third-round draft pick. The product of Lane College is a converted track star with a passion for the game of football. The Texans expect him to be part of the offense and also become a major contributor on special teams, where he could return kickoffs or punts.
"As you can see and watch, he makes some great plays and then he misses the next two. That's a rookie," Kubiak said. "He's just got to get to where he is consistent. But he's very talented and he belongs and he fits in and it hasn't been too big for him. We've just got to settle him down to where he's making all of them instead of making a few of them. But he's a very talented young man."
The Texans are excited about the possibilities, and so is Jones. He still can't imagine what it will be like the first time he steps foot on the field during a game.
The largest crowd Jones ever played in front of during college was 7,000 and that was Tuskegee's homecoming game. Lane College's home stadium held just 1,300 fans.
"I can't wait to see that," Jones said. "My flesh will probably be crawling. I can't wait to see that to see what that's like.
"(At Lane) the most we ever get in our stadium was a handful. We played at a high school stadium. Everybody knows everybody's first and last name. If you're cool, you know their middle name."
Jones' main task now is simply settling down in practice. He's trying to juggle his new schedule with the new playbook and all of the nuances of the pro game. Pro Bowler Andre Johnson is keeping an eye on Jones, and is optimistic about what the young rookie will bring.
"Just looking at him, he has a lot of talent," Johnson said. "He definitely wants to get out there and play, but right now he is just going through a learning process where he's trying to learn everything.
"I think right now he's out there kind of thinking while he's playing. Right now, he's in for a play and he's so anxious about making a play, instead of just going out and relaxing and playing. But that's one of those things that happens when you're a rookie and it's your first here. I think he's going to be a great player, and I think he's going to help this team out a whole lot."
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