The Texans have had a propensity to pick up players with a history of overcoming personal adversities.
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Texans rookie Treston Decoud stays ready after being sidelined by NFL academic rule
Rookie sidelined by NFL's academic ruling has a long history of overcoming setbacks
By
Aaron Wilson
June 29, 2017 Updated: June 29, 2017 8:59pm
The Texans are hopeful that former first-round cornerback Kevin Johnson will stay healthy for the first time in his NFL career and make a strong comeback from his second foot surgery to address a Jones fracture. Johnson didn't practice during the spring, but is expected to be ready for training camp. Johnson was applying tight coverage and was an aggressive tackler before he got hurt last October against the Indianapolis Colts.
The Texans are counting on Johnson after A.J. Bouye signed a five-year, $67.4 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bouye was a fast, physical presence in the secondary and was adept at shutting down big, athletic tight ends. Johnson is capable of doing that, but he has to remain in the lineup in his third NFL season. Secondary coach John Butler was upbeat about Johnson's health and is optimistic that the system the Texans have will allow them to develop younger corners like Robert Nelson and Denzel Rice.
Rookie Treston Decoud, a fifth-round draft pick from Oregon State, is the biggest cornerback on the Texans' roster.
With his feet moving in rapid, rhythmic fashion like pistons in an engine, Texans rookie cornerback Treston Decoud maintained an athletic, balanced stance while performing agility drills.
As rap music blared from the speaker system at a sports training facility in Houston, Decoud sweated through a vigorous regimen built to keep him in shape while he trained in solitude away from his football team.
Flexibility, strength training and footwork were the order of the day for Decoud during a recent workout. He rolled through ladder drills under the supervision of a trainer barking instructions and got in some core work before hitting the weights, hoisting heavy metal in preparation for training camp.
Decoud is aware he has a lot of ground to make up, so he's making the most of his time.
Since being drafted in the fifth round out of Oregon State, Decoud, 23, has been allowed to be with the Texans only for a few days at a rookie minicamp.
Due to an NFL academic rule that also impacted Panthers rookie running back Christian McCaffrey and Bengals rookie wide receiver John Ross, Decoud has been prevented from spending time with his teammates and coaches.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, Decoud and other players from Pac-12 schools on the academic quarter system who don't finish until after minicamps are over can't participate in any activities with their respective teams following the rookie minicamp.
In Decoud's case, he missed all of the organized team activities and a full-team minicamp. Oregon State concludes its academic calendar Saturday. The Texans closed their final minicamp Wednesday, with coach Bill O'Brien canceling their final day Thursday.
"I really don't know too much about it, but you've got to abide by the rules," Decoud said. "I'm sure the other guys like Christian McCaffrey feel the same way I do. I just want to get on the field and get some reps. Training camp will be tough - I know that.
"I'm a smart guy, so I'm not really concerned about that. Once I get in there, the coaches will walk me through and catch me up on everything. It's the NFL. You have to be ready at all times. I'll be ready. I want to make sure when training camp comes, I have no excuses."
Determination and resolve have defined Decoud's journey to the NFL. So this stumbling block that has delayed the Louisiana native from realizing his dream for a few more months hasn't fazed him.
"This is just another stepping stone, just another bridge that I have to cross," Decoud said. "I've been through a whole lot. This is really a breeze. I'm not stressed about it."
Saw a man murdered
Growing up in Louisiana, Decoud became accustomed to sharing his block with drug dealers and a variety of other criminals. As a seventh-grader, he watched as a man was murdered by a gunshot roughly 100 yards away from him. Decoud was a frequent victim of violence until he stood up for himself and the bullying halted.
"I grew up in one of the worst neighborhoods that you can grow up in," Decoud said. "It's just bad. There's killing, drug dealing, everything you can imagine. It's a typical Louisiana neighborhood. It's tough, but a lot of people make it out. I'm just glad I was one of them."
Decoud had an arduous childhood, bouncing around from home to home with various family members and friends.
He lived with his grandfather for a while. He spent time with his father, Darryl Batiste, when he wasn't in trouble with the law.
An only child, Decoud leaned on and supported his mother, Chandrika, while living with her in a trailer as she battled breast cancer.
Dealing with financial hardships, Decoud recalled going months without electricity or water.
"We used to eat hot sauce sandwiches if we didn't have any food to eat," Decoud said. "We got by however we could. I used to look forward to those school lunches and breakfast. I couldn't wait to get in there to eat."
Decoud dealt with all the frustrations and difficulties by excelling in sports. He was an all-district selection at four positions in football at Lakeshore High School in Mandeville, La. He also qualified for the state track and field championships as a sprinter during his junior and senior years.
"I was usually with my mom, but I always moved around," said Decoud, who attended four colleges. "It happened to be like that for me in college, too, going from college to college to college. Now that I'm with the Houston Texans, hopefully I can work my way up and not have to move around. Hopefully, that journey and all that travel is done. I thank God for blessing me and helping me overcome all those tragedies."
Academic problems cost Decoud prime scholarship opportunities at Texas Tech and Southern Mississippi.
Decoud wound up being a partial academic qualifier for a Division II school: Chadron State in Nebraska.
When his mother's cancer returned during his sophomore year, he decided to transfer to Nicholls State in Louisiana to be closer to home.
Mom said stick with it
Decoud contemplated quitting the sport when he was declared ineligible by the NCAA after going through spring football, but his mother convinced him to stick it out.
"I thought it was over for good," Decoud said. "I was really down, but my mom told me that I had to stay on my path."
Today, his mother is free of cancer and her son is a full-fledged NFL player.
"That was definitely one of the toughest things I had to deal with," Decoud said. "I transferred to be close to her and then I went to junior college and she got a little sick again. I kept battling and she kept battling.
"Thank God she's 100 percent now. It's just a blessing. She's 100 percent better. She's working. Everybody is good in my family."
Because of his eligibility problems, Decoud transferred to Northwest Mississippi Junior College. They didn't initially have a scholarship available for him, but he enrolled anyway.
Decoud won a starting job within days, intercepting six passes that season and returning one for a touchdown in a homecoming game against Itawamba. He was named a first-team All-American. It was enough to intrigue Oregon State recruiters, who became enamored of Decoud's combination of size, athleticism and aggressiveness. He intercepted two passes, recorded 58 tackles and broke up 10 passes as a senior and was named honorable-mention All-Pac-12.
Before that could happen Decoud dealt with more adversity.
As a junior against Colorado, Decoud collided with teammate Dwayne Williams and was knocked unconscious for several minutes and was taken off the field on a stretcher and transported to the hospital. Oregon State coach Gary Andersen urged Decoud to take precautions with his health and not rush back. He wound up missing two games.
"That was definitely scary," Decoud said. "I had never had a concussion until then. I was knocked out and not moving. You wake up the next day and you don't know if you're going to ever play football again. I know coach Anderson and all my coaches were really concerned about my health.
"They made sure I was straight. I appreciate those guys. They showed me they really cared about me. I feel like that was kind of a wake-up call for me from God. It showed me I needed to keep growing as a man and not take anything for granted."
Decoud has never backed down from a challenge.
He effectively shadowed Cal star wide receiver Chad Hansen, limiting him to four receptions for 16 yards. He returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown against Idaho State.
With the Texans, Decoud is intent on imposing his will as a large cornerback. He's listed at 6-3, 210 pounds, making him the biggest cornerback on the roster.
"He is a longer corner with some press ability, might even be able to play safety," Texans general manager Rick Smith said. "He is an aggressive tackler, so we like that skill set with him."
A cousin of former NFL safety Thomas Decoud, Decoud has 33-inch arms and has run the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds.
"I have to learn to use my feet and not just rely on my length," Decoud said. "It's the NFL. Everybody's fast. Everybody's strong. Once I get used to that, I should be good. I'm staying on my drills to try to get faster and more explosive.
"I want to look as fast and quick as a 5-10 guy. I keep working on my short-area quickness. I'm making sure I'm staying in shape and working on the things I need to, so I can come into training camp and show what I can do.
Body art reveals roots
Decoud has a large tattoo on his left forearm with the words "Dream Team" in block letters. The backdrop is the New Orleans skyline and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, home of the Saints.
Decoud got the tattoo as part of his friendship with other Louisiana youth determined to play college football, get an education and make it out of their neighborhoods. The body art tells a story of his roots and his uncommon path to pro football.
"Everything I've been through has made me stronger and wiser," Decoud said. "I'm glad I went through it all. I don't regret nothing. If I didn't go through those struggles, I don't know who I would be or what I would be. God put me through those struggles for a reason. I don't know what it was for exactly, but I think it's for me to do what I need to do to be successful in life."
In my post, I reported that he wasn't going to graduate until the 3rd week in June...............then went on to contradict myself by saying he would at least attend the mandatory Minicamp June 13-15. This week, I will be seeking an online remedial elementary school mathematics course.
