Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. will be the first to admit that discussing hurricane season can be an uncharted territory of conversation.
“Being from Georgia, I didn’t know anything about hurricanes like that because we don’t really experience them, but seeing that they’re taking matters like this to spread awareness to help the community, to help them prepare the right way to help them come up with the plan, it’s really special,” Anderson told Texans Wire in an exclusive interview earlier this month.
The NFL’s reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year partnered with USAA and their ‘Huddle up for Hurricane Prep’ initiative to raise awareness around preparing for hurricane season in Houston.
It was an issue that instantly caught his attention after being drafted third overall out of the University of Alabama.
“It’s really the last couple of months, honestly,” Anderson said of the partnership with USAA. “Like I said, just been to see different things that happen in the state and be able to say, OK, there’s something I want to be a part of. There’s something that I think will help benefit people. That’s what I really want to do.
“I got to meet some amazing leaders of this, you know, this beautiful country, the local Coast Guard, of course, Harris County Office of Emergency and Management. To be able to be here and be able to help give back to our community, it’s really a blessing.”
Anderson, who has retired family members who served in the military, considered it an “incredible opportunity” to work with the NFL’s Official Salute to Service Partner as they were able to offer wide-ranging advice on how to prepare for the hurricane season from pets to insurance coverage.
“We just want to take the right precautions to make sure everybody prepares the right way,” he said. “They have a plan, going to the grocery store, making sure that you have a first-aid kit if anything happens because the weather can change at any moment and also make sure that we’re not leaving any pets behind, making sure you have great insurance and everything like that.”
Since arriving in Houston, Anderson has made it a mission to be impactful in the community as much as he is on the field. He’s not the only Texans rookie willing to give back to the city that selected him, either.
Last month, quarterback C.J. Stroud was seen helping clean up around the community following a massive storm that left nearly a million Houstonians without power.
“There is no Will Anderson without Dylan Thompson”
Listen to Will Anderson discuss how director of team development Dylan Thompson, who is now leaving for the Washington Commanders, elevated C.J. Stroud, Tank Dell and the entire 2023 rookie class off the field #HTownMade pic.twitter.com/y5Ki4RUGI4
— John Crumpler, MD (@JohnHCrumpler) June 10, 2024
Houston expected Anderson to be a home run hit when it moved up every aspect when they traded up nine spots last April.
It’s hard to argue that he’s delivered anything less as the rookie emerges as one of the NFL’s premier edge rushers and one of the Houston community’s faces.