Texans DT Ross Blacklock shares lessons learned from rookie season
The Houston Texans committed to improving their defensive line in 2020 by taking Ross Blacklock from TCU with their 40th overall pick in Round 2 of that year’s draft.
The selection may manifest into a need addressed, but it did not in Blacklock’s rookie season as he tallied just 14 combined tackles a tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits amid a 4-12 campaign that saw the 6-3, 290-pound defensive lineman start in one game of his 15 activated.
In his second game of the season, the Texans’ eerie home opener in an empty NRG Stadium, the former Fort Bend Elkins’ product was ejected from the Texans’ 33-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
“I had my tough moments and frustrations and my good moments,” Blacklock said via Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk 790 [KBME-AM]. “It’s just all about learning. I know I’m not going to have all the answers my first year. I think when it all develops, I’ll be a pretty good player. One thing I learned is you’ve got to keep working.”
Blacklock was part of a defensive line that featured three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt in his final season with the club. In playing around Watt, Blacklock learned that the quest to improve has to be met on a daily basis.
Said Blacklock: “When you’re around the best of the best, there’s always room for improvement. I’ve always prided myself on trying to be the best I can be and just never get down on myself. I know that it’s always an improvement year and an improvement league. As long as you’re seeing improvement, don’t beat yourself up.”
The Texans are doing away with the 3-4 that they deployed from 2011-20. With new coach David Culley comes a new defensive coordinator, Lovie Smith, and his patented Tampa-2 scheme with a 4-3 front. Blacklock expects to play as the three-technique defensive tackle in the Texans’ new defense.
