The Texans may have brought in RB Mark Ingram to do more than run the football

Starting running back David Johnson carried 147 times for 697 yards and six touchdowns as the Houston Texans staggered to a 4-12 finish in 2020.

The Texans’ solution to fix the running game was to sign a veteran older than Johnson. However, Houston may not have inked running back Mark Ingram to a one-year, $3 million contract to simply replace Johnson. The former New Orleans Saints 2011 first-round pick comes with a sense of responsibility that he must pass down the game to the next generation.

“You got to pass the game down,” Ingram told John Harris and Drew Dougherty of “Texans TV” in an interview published April 13. “I’ve had guys that when I was young do that for me from Drew Brees to Darren Sproles to Will Smith, rest in peace, New Orleans Saints, Marcus Colston, Roman Harper, Lance Moore, just so many good veterans that I had to come in and learn from when I was a young rookie. So, just being able to pass down successes, pass down failures, pass down getting knocked down and getting back up, and just being able to pass down just how to stay level-headed, just control what you can control, prepare yourself to be the best player you can be.”

Ingram, 31, knows that one of the keys to helping Houston have success in 2021 and beyond is the encouragement of the younger players.

Said Ingram: “You just have to share those experiences to encourage young guys and that’s just how you pass the game down. That’s how you develop a camaraderie within your team. That’s how you develop a love and a bond with your team that is unmatched. When you have that bond within your locker room, it flows to the playing field. You got to hold each other accountable. You’re not going to let your guy down next to you.

“So, when you have those type of conversations and those type of transparencies within your locker room between everybody, you really get to know each other, really get to develop a bond and a love for one another that flows into how you play on the field for one another. So, it all goes hand-in-hand and it’s all relevant.”

The Texans also have former Denver Broncos Pro Bowl running back Phillip Linsday on the roster, who will turn 27 on July 24, but can still benefit from Ingram’s wisdom.