J.J. Watt Says Texans' DeMeco Ryans Hire Will 'Reenergize' Fanbase: 'Hell of a Start'

Former NFL star defensive end J.J. Watt was thrilled Tuesday when his ex-Houston Texans teammate DeMeco Ryans joined their old team as head coach.

Watt was clearly stoked about Ryans' joining the Texans before the move became official, posting this tweet Monday:

Watt and Ryans crossed paths for the 2011 season. That was a good year for Houston, which went 10-6, won the AFC South title and reached the divisional playoffs.

Watt, then a rookie, racked up 5.5 sacks. Ryans had 64 tackles. Both players started all 16 games for the No. 2 total defense and No. 4 scoring defense.

Watt remained in Houston through 2020 before ending his career with two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. His accolades with Houston included five All-Pro honors and three Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Ryans played the first six seasons (2006-11) of his 10-year career with the Texans. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned two Pro Bowl appearances. His 126 solo tackles led the NFL in 2006.

The Alabama product has since had great success coaching, notably as San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. San Francisco finished with the league's best scoring defense and the second-best total defense in 2022. It ranked in the top 10 in both categories last year.

Ryans has a lot of work to do to fix a team that has won just 11 games in the last three years, but his experience and success puts him in a great position to turn the franchise around.