When the Houston Texans take the field at Gillette Stadium Thursday night to take on the New England Patriots, a pair of Texas’ own will be among them. Young men often dream of playing for their favorite squad. While neither Demps nor Lechler are from Houston, their long-standing history in Texas football makes being a member of the Texans their “home” team.
Quintin Demps – San Antonio Roosevelt High School
A 2003 graduate of San Antonio’s Theodore Roosevelt High School. While there, he earned a collection of accolades for his performance as a defensive back on the football field. He was All District, All Greater San Antonio, and honorable mention All-State. His senior year, he made 65 tackles and turned two of five interceptions into defensive touchdowns. He caught 10 passes for 360 yards and three trips to the end zone. Upon wrapping up his impressive career with at Roosevelt High, Demps went on to play for University of Texas- El Paso. As a Miner, he was named All-Conference USA in 2006 and lead the entire conference with seven interceptions. He currently holds the school record for picks with a total of 17 takeaways. In the fourth round of the 2008 draft, Demps was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. Since then, he has spent time with the Chiefs and Giants. He re-joined the Texans in 2015 after spending a brief stint with the team in 2010-2012.
Shane Lechler – East Bernard High School
Lechler was superstar athlete while at East Bernard High School. His senior year, he played quarterback, punter, and placekicker and helped his team make a playoff run to the state quarterfinals. At the conclusion of his final year in East Bernard, he had completed 87 of 101 passes for 1,640 yards and 11 touchdowns. Lechler’s versatility endured as he transitioned to college. During his time at Texas A&M, he played punter, kicker, and backup quarterback. In 2000, Lechler joined the Oakland Raiders. Here, he surpassed slingin’ Sammy Baugh for best punting average in a single season. Lechler left the Raiders for Houston in 2013.
Demps and Lechler have each contributed to Houston’s perfect start to the season. Demps has forced a fumble and racked up nine tackles while Lechler has averaged 49.2 yards per punt. The Texans and Patriots are both going into Thursday night 2-0. The former Texas high school athletes could very well help usher Houston to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2012, especially with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suspended and Jimmy Garoppolo injured.
