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Thomas wants to be a spark for Texans’ defense
Now back from the injured list, the defensive back is ready for a bigger role.
Houston Texans cornerback Tavierre Thomas has played one game this season since coming off the injured list. Now, he is looking for a greater role on the field to be a sparkplug for his teammates.
“It felt great. I was happy to be back out there trying to help us get a win. Now I’ll be back on defense a lot more. Hopefully I light a spark, and everyone gets behind me and just go win.”
Thomas felt like his first game action was essentially his pre-season:
“Oh yeah, I knocked off a lot of rust. I had not tackled anybody since last year, so to get a tackle out there, I was hype, I was having fun. I’m mad we didn’t get the win, but I’m happy I can be back out there to try and help us get the win.”
The fifth-year corner is looking to bring what he considers missing qualities to the Texans’ defense:
“Physicality and running to the ball. No loafs. Just run to the ball, be all over the field and play physical. When other guys see you doing that, they want to do it. So, hopefully that lights a spark for everybody else, and we just go from there and get these wins.”
What can the defense do to turn things around? Thomas has his ideas:
“I feel like we just need to finish. We start games strong. We start fast. Lovie (Smith) preaches start fast and finish. But I feel like we are starting fast, but we’ve got to finish. When we go to that second half, it’s about doing your job. Like in the first half we were doing our job cleaner than the second half. So if we continue to just go out there and do our job, really do your job, stay in your gap, read your keys and run to the football, I feel like we will get over the hump.”
Thomas described his role in the team’s run defense:
“(Lovie Smith) is with us a lot, but we have Coach Ilir (Emini) now. Coach Ilir, he’s been with Lovie for the longest at Illinois and whatnot, so he knows what Lovie wants. What I can say about me and Des (Desmond King), with us being the nickel, you’ve got to have a nickel that wants to be in the run gaps. I feel like with us two, we will get the job done because we will be in the run fit, and we can cover slot receivers. I feel like if we continue to just read our keys and play fast, we’ll make a lot of plays. Des has been making a lot of plays so far. Hopefully I come in and do the exact same thing.”
Thomas also has an excellent relationship with head coach Lovie Smith:
“Me and Lovie (Smith) are really close. We talk every day, all day. He teaches me stuff during football and outside of football with my family. I just listen to him, read my keys and play as hard as I can because if you play hard for Lovie, he’s going to do a lot for you. That’s the goal with me.”