HOUSTON – For Texans rookie long snapper Austin Brinkman, his regular-season debut represents the culmination of years of practice.
After five years at West Virginia, Brinkman is poised to snap in a real NFL game Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
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"I’m excited," Brinkman told KPRC 2. “I’m looking forward to get out there with the guys and we put in some really good work here in training camp so just excited to go out there and showcase kind of what we’ve been doing.”
Brinkman has recovered from a relatively minor oblique injury sustained during the preseason. He missed the final preseason game against the Detroit Lions as Blake Ferguson was signed for one week before being released.
Yes, feeling good,“ Brinkman said. ”Getting back, working with everybody, so feeling pretty good right now. Short-term, feeling pretty good right now, blessed to be on the road back."
The Texans signed Brinkman, a standout at the collegiate level and an academic All-Big 12 Conference selection as a reliable special-teams fixture for the West Virginia Mountaineers, after he went undrafted. Brinkman’s three-year rookie deal includes $110,000 guaranteed.
“It’s a great opportunity and it is a step up,” Brinkman said. “I’ve been snapping my whole life so it’s kind of something I just got to fall back on and know that I’ve been doing this time and time again so just kind of working with everybody and the other specialists just getting me ready so I feel good.”
Former Pro Bowl long snapper Jon Weeks signed with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, ending a golden era as the longest-tenured player in franchise history.
“Prestige, he brought to the position here, it’s tough shoes to fill,” Brinkman said. “A guy that played for 15 years in one organization, those are tough shoes to fill. But I was blessed to have the opportunity to come in here and be given that opportunity, and now I just gotta go out there and prove I can do it.
“It’s like every other snapper. I feel like I’m a bigger body, so that’s something I can use to my advantage. I like getting involved in the coverage unit as well. So, hopefully, that’s what I can showcase as well.”
The Texans like what what they’ve seen from Brinkman so far.
“We’re excited to have Brinkman,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Anytime you have a rookie at the long snapper position, there’s some growing pains that comes with that. But Brinkman has the temperament, he has the skill set to step in and do a great job.
“First things first is to have great snaps and that’s what he’s done. He’s been very consistent with his snaps. So, really pleased with Brinkman. I think he’ll do a really good job for us.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com