HOUSTON – Texans running back Mike Boone is a blur, bolting into his runs with rare speed and acceleration.
A lot of that movement stems from his days in high school as a wide receiver at Baker County in Glen St. Mary, Florida where his coaches convinced him to also concentrate on track and field to develop his sprinting ability. Years later while auditioning for NFL scouts, Boone ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds and had an eye-catching 42-inch vertical leap and 11-7 broad jump.
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“I give credit to my high school coaches because they got me involved in track early,” Boone told KPRC 2. “It’s been beneficial to my career.”
#Texans running back Mike Boone @_lococinco on his debut with team, speed and role @EvanTheAgent @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/zEa07bkMBH
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 13, 2023
That was evident against the New England Patriots during Boone’s first game for the Texans. He was decisive, and fast as he rushed for 25 yards on four carries and caught one pass for seven yards. How Boone performed solidified his chances of being the third running back behind starter Dameon Pierce and top backup Devin Singletary.
“He’s an explosive runner,” Ryans said. “He has dynamic speed. He showed a little glimpse of that in the game, and he has continued to move forward. I think he’s doing some good things for us.
“He’s done a lot of good things on the practice field, and just continued to make that translate into the games. I like where Boone is. I like where he’s headed, and I think he could be an explosive playmaker for us.”
Boone, 27, has rushed for 516 career yards, a 5.2 average and four touchdowns with 18 career receptions for 146 yards. He rushed for 102 yards last season in nine games for the Denver Broncos.
The first game was an encouraging start for Boone.
“Man, it felt good finally to go against someone else,” Boone said. “We’ve been banging each other for a couple weeks. It felt good to be live against an actual opponent. It felt like the offensive line and the receivers did good in the run game, and it made our job easier.”
A former undrafted free agent from Cincinnati, Boone signed a two-year, $3.1 million contract as a free agent this offseason that includes base salaries of $1.15 million, $1.25 million, $300,000 signing bonus, $200,000 in annual per game active roster bonuses and $300,000 in annual playtime incentives.
Being chosen to join Ryans’ first team since being hired as coach is significant for Boone.
“It’s an exciting,” Boone said. “The culture he’s bringing in, the mindset that he’s bringing in, I’m excited to be a part of it. I’m excited that he wants me to be a part of it to come out and play our brand of football.”
Boone (5-foot-10, 205 pounds) rushed for 2,250 career yards and 42 touchdowns in college and rushed for a career-high 273 yards and four touchdowns with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019.
How he’ll be utilized with the Texans offensively is likely as a spot contributor behind Pierce and Singletary and as a mainstay on special teams.
“That’s above my pay grade,” Boone said. “I want to come in and help out any way I can, whether on the ground or routes out of the backfield. However I can add my versatility to the offense, I’m willing to do that.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.