Tag Archives: Houston Texans

Turk, Matt

Card: Pacific 1997
Acquired: TTM 2009,  Texans Blitz

Wow. Here’s another player that’s been playing since the twilight years of the Houston Oilers. Matt Turk like nearly all punters went undrafted coming out of college at Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1993.  He’d sign with his homestate Packers, but would not make the squad that season, or the Rams the following season in 1994.  In 1995, Matt found a home with the Washington Redskins where he’d punt from 1995-1999, earning Pro Bowl berths for his 96, 97, and 98 campaigns. For his 1996 season, Matt would earn AP honors with an outstanding 45.1 yard average and duplicate the feat again in 1997. He’d sign with the Dolphins in 2000, and punt 92 times that season, kicking a season long 70 yard punt. In 2002 Turk would play one season for the Jets, and then in 2003 returned to Miami to play two additional seasons for the Dolphins. He’d punt a career high 98 times in 2004. Out of work for 2005,  the Rams would play host to Matt in 2005 before he signed with the Houston Texans in 2007.

Unseating Chad Stanley (the Texans punter since the team’s inception,) Turk has punted for over 10,000 yards on a 42.2 yard average during his tenure and ranks second among active punters in yards. A big guy at 6’5″, 248, Matt is one of the larger punters in the league.

G 235      P  1100          Yds 46659          Avg    42.4       lg 77         Blk  3

12/3/2011- Turk would sign with the Jaguars but not win the punting job. He currently is a free agent contemplating retirement.

 

Foster, Arian

Card: Score 2009
Acquired: TTM 2009, Texans Blitz

First off, Score really made some great cards in 2009. This card is an excellent example of great design integrated with current trends. Furthermore Panini really had a nice look to this card and didn’t shirk on the player photo showcasing Arian in his college duds. So when I talked about getting player’s autographs, half of the charge of getting current ones is when it is a player who is a no-name rookie who has a ho-hum first season, (when I get their autograph) and then they crank it after that. Arian Foster is a great example of this.

Foster was near the top of draft boards as a junior, but elected to stay an additional season at Tennessee. Foster was billed as a runningback in the vein of Travis Henry but an injury plagued senior season complicated by an overall bad season for the team, sent Foster’s stock plummeting.  The 2009 draft went by and Foster’s name was not called. Undaunted he signed a free agent contract with the Texans over the Saints- theorizing the Texans, (under his girlfriend’s guidance), gave them the best chance for him to play. By the time the dust settled after training camp, Foster was released and resigned to the team’s practice squad. He’d remain there through most of the Texans’ 2009 season. In the meantime, the team struggled on the ground and especially in the redzone. The Texans attempted a variety of different players including Steve Slaton, Chris Brown and Ryan Moats, but were unable to really get the ground game going. But as Foster was going to the airport on Week 14, he heard on the radio that he was being promoted from the practice squad for the next game and would on special teams against the Titans. Arian would quickly move into the starting lineup as runningback helping the team establish more consistency in its ground game running for 100 yards in each of the contests he started to finish his rookie season.

While I was initially skeptical of his sophomore season in 2010, Foster proved me wrong by breaking the team record in rushing yards opening day cranking out 231 yards on the ground en route to the team’s victory over the Colts. (It would be the second highest rushing effort on opening day in NFL history behind OJ Simpson’s 250 yard effort.)  He continued his attack on the rushing books and has now the longest carry in team history with a 74 yard gallop. He also owns most other team records in the books including touchdowns in a season and rushing yards. At the conclusion of the 2010 season, Foster finished as the league’s leading rusher with 180 yards against the Jags, and was named to his first ProBowl.  Arian also shattered Priest Holmes record for most yards rushing by an undrafted free agent with 1616 yards rushing- and chipped in an additional 600 yards receiving.

Some call Foster eccentric. His middle name is Aquarian. Arian also likes to write poetry and when he scores a touchdown and puts the ball down bowing to the crowd. Admittedly Foster was amazed at how fast things changed for him when he took the starting job in 2010, however he has endured to remain humble about the whole experience.  Below are his stats through the 2010 season.

G 22    Rush 381      Yds  1873    Avg 4.9      Td  19     Lg  74t    |
Rec 74     Yds 697     Avg 9.4    Td  2   lg  50

Barber, Dominique

Card: SP Rookie Authentics 2008 (1256/1399)
Received: TTM 2009, Texans Blitz

After playing college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and recording 191 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles in 46 games, Dominique Barber would be drafted in the 6th round by the Houston Texans of the 2008 Draft. Barber’s assets coming out of the draft were a great work ethic, a nose for a ball, and that he is a run enforcer. Critics pointed out though that Barber has average speed and is limited in his pass coverage skills.

Dominique did not start a game his rookie season in 2008, but made his first career sack and a pass defensed. In 2009 he started 6 games, before he was placed on injured reserve. He finished the season with his first career interception, made 4 pass deflections, and 33 tackles. Currently, he is best remembered for his performance in the season opener against the Jets when he was lateralled an intercepted pass from a teammate that he promptly returned for a touchdown.

2010 was a difficult season for the Texans defense- and Dominique would start only one game making 6 tackles, but once again lose the majority of his season on injured reserve.

As we enter 2011 and the defense of the Texans is being reshuffled under new coordinator Wade Phillips, it is unknown if Barber figures into the overall scheme of things. His father and brother have also spent extensive time in the league.

I think this is a pretty ugly card. Not only is Dominique in his warmups, -something I can’t stand,  he looks awkward coming to the line of scrimmage. I certainly wouldn’t call this an action pose. I’m not really sure what this compass circle dealy is in the background, and there’s that strange ridge that pops up from the bottom that really has no purpose. The worst part about it is the cursive lettering. It makes me feel like I’m going to a lowrider car show. Just a horrible card, but it was the only one I could get on the cheap of Barber at the time.

G/Gs  33/7    Tac  54      Sac 1    Fum 0       Int   1      Yds   3     Avg  3.0   Td  0     Lg  3