It’s summertime. The content is slow, the roster is all but set, and the drama of the regular season is still several months away. This gives us the perfect opportunity to familiarize ourselves with several of the key new faces donning new Texans uniforms this season.
This will be a weekly column posted every Thursday barring procrastination. If there’s any player that you want me to highlight next, add them in the comments and I’ll make sure to dive right in.
Name: Azeez Al-Shaair
Position: Mike Linebacker
Draft: Undrafted, signed by San Francisco 49ers
Bio: After going undrafted out of Florida Atlantic in the 2019 NFL Draft, Al-Shaair fought his way onto the San Francisco 49ers rosteijr to be the backup signal caller on defense behind Pro-Bowl LB Kwon Alexander. After several highly productive seasons, he signed with the Tennessee Titans on a one year contract. He racked up the fifth most tackles in the league with 163 and earned a big contract with the Texans this season. His close ties to DeMeco Ryans stemming from their time in San Francisco led him to Houston plus the opportunity to be an impact starter on a defense which prioritizes linebacker play.
Houston’s newest linebacker has one of the most incredible stories in the league according to Sports Illustrated article last November,
He grew up in Tampa and spent time in Section 8 housing after his parents divorced, then became homeless during high school after a fire. He then lived out of a motel and spent hours each day commuting to school to keep playing football.
Al-Shaair going undrafted was a just another setback in the road to the NFL. USA Today documented the on the field profile which led to the LB not getting drafted.
Already, Al-Shaair had one strike against him with the NFL as an undersized linebacker. He also had to overcome playing in C-USA, where it’s often hard for defensive players in particular to get a lot of pro attention. Add a major injury into the mix, and suddenly his prospects of being drafted were looking grim.
Once he took the field though, his performance spoke for itself. His tenacious approach to practice earned him a spot on special teams, which led to further backup and soon rotational time at linebacker. His natural intrinsic desire on the field is obvious and his inspiring form tackling is simply a contribution from his work ethic and mentality.
Before the signing, Houston let linebackers Blake Cashman and Denzel Perryman walk in free agency. Houston was immediately left without leaders and their best tacklers. Al-Shaair will take up both mantels and will be the vocal commander on defense.
Al-Shaair is a leader, communicator, and enforcer. He slots in next to Christian Harris and allows the younger LB to continue to be a hunter-killer instead of a signal caller. The signing also reenforces the influence of the DeMeco Ryans coaching hire; lean on talented, commanding linebackers as the centerpiece of the defense.
Really cool story from Nick Caserio about Azeez Al-Shaair’s leadership, with a REALLY fun moment at the end pic.twitter.com/3Zs6AhqNMx
— Seth Payne (@SethCPayne) June 7, 2024
When you flip on the tape, you see a guy who can play sideline to sideline. He excels in coverage, but his calling card is as a run stuffing linebacker.
His perspective on and off the field make Al-Shaair one of the easiest players to root for. He’s build a career for himself and now rejoins his former defensive coordinator from San Francisco in DeMeco Ryans.