HOUSTON – Tommy Togiai engineered a breakthrough season the only way he knows how: countless hours of hard work spent in the Texans’ weight room and studying his technique.
Togiai emerged as a key figure in the Texans’ top-ranked defense as Tim Settle Jr. and Mario Edwards Jr. went down with season-ending injuries.
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A former practice squad member who earned the nickname ‘Mr. Consistent’ from Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, Togiai started six regular-season games and two playoff games. He earned a one-year, $3.3 million contract extension through next season, recording a career-high 59 tackles, six for losses, five quarterback hits, 1 1/2 sacks and a memorable fumble return for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts.
It’s the best football the former Ohio State blue-chip recruit has played in his career.
“I would agree with that, definitely,” Togiai told KPRC 2 a day after the Texans’ season-ending playoff loss to the New England Patriots. “I think it showed this season, too. And it really went back to the offseason, staying here, working out with the team, the winter workouts. I think it really just showed what I could do because I really dived into the stuff of details, technique.”
A lot of the push Togiai created in the middle collapsing the pocket helped spill quarterbacks to All-Pro defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. He also defended four passes.
Lined up at fullback in the red zone for a play designed as a nod of respect for all of his diligence and his strength and athleticism, Togiai never got the football against the Colts on offense. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud realized it was crowded at the line of scrimmage for a smooth hand-off, so he kept it himself for a touchdown.
That wasn’t the end of his chances to score his first touchdown since playing high school football in Idaho as the Gatorade Player of the Year.
Down 32-30 with five seconds left in the game and out of timeouts, the Colts were in desperation mode. Colts rookie quarterback Riley Leonard hit wide receiver Josh Downs and the Colts began a series of laterals on a play the Texans call “rugby” that went back to Leonard from Michael Pittman Jr.
An attempted lateral from Leonard to rookie tight end Tyler Warren was unsuccessful and the football bounced away from him as well as Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, going right to an alert Togiai.
Then, Togiai, who bench pressed 500 pounds and squats 700 pounds as one of the Texans’ strongest players, took off for a 17-yard fumble return for a touchdown. He showed some impressive speed and agility and a nose for the end zone, eluding a tackler for a diving score.
“Tommy Togiai wasn’t a figment of anybody’s imagination two years ago and he’s now one of our best defensive players,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “He got here in the middle of last year, in October, on the practice squad. The guy played as well as any defensive tackle in the league.”
Togiai celebrated with Texans coach DeMeco Ryans after his touchdown. It was a cool moment as Ryans even did Togiai’s traditional Samoan celebration forming his big right arm into an S.
“He’s a coach’s dream,” Ryans said. “He’s always in the right place, always doing what you ask him to do.
The Texans allowed the fewest yards in the league and the second-fewest points.
In the playoffs, Togiai started both games and had 13 tackles, two for losses and one forced fumble.
“I’m just extremely proud of this group on defense,” Togiai said. “All the guys, I just appreciate the work that was put in each and every day, on and off the field, in the meetings. Just to help me out each week, the relationships we’ve built throughout the season.”
Togiai has already mapped out his offseason plan: Run it back.
“That’s the plan,” Togiaia said. “I’m going to be around here working out. I’m going to take a little time off first, some vacations with my wife, see my family.”
Does he have a key to the Texans’ weight room?
“No, they were just joking with me,” Togiai said. “The coaches said, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’ (Strength and conditioning coach Mike Eubanks) is unbelievable. What he’s doing, it works. We’ll keep that going.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com