HOUSTON – The Texans drafted Boston College wide receiver Lewis Bond in the sixth round with the 204th overall selection.
He is the all-time leader in school history for catches.
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“It was emotional because it’s the work being appreciated,” Bond said. “My mom, all the time and effort, all my family, the time and effort that they gave up for me to get to youth league practices, those sacrifices. It was a moment for them more than me.”
Bond played for former Texans coach Bill O’Brien.
He caught 88 passes for 993 yards and one touchdown last season.
Two seasons ago, Bond caught 67 passes for 689 yards and three touchdowns.
Three seasons ago, Bond caught 52 passes for 646 yards and one touchdown. Bond had a virtual meeting with Texans receivers coach and offensive passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels.
“Really smart, really instinctive, good ball skills, finds a way to get open, very productive with his opportunities,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “I know that it was a player that coach [Ben] McDaniels spent time with in the spring on the Zoom. He said it was one of the smartest players that he ever talked to as a part of this process and you see that in his play.
“Very dependable. He’s in the right spot. Good football player. I would say he has football player traits. You might look at the card and the measurables and say he’s a little slower, a little shorter, but he produced consecutively for multiple years. Obviously played in an NFL-style offense, and coach O’Brien’s system, some of things will carry over. Some of the things will be different. You saw a lot of good things on tape.”
Bond was mentored by Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers.
“He’s kind of been like an older brother to me,” Bond said. “I really take his advice to heart. He showed me what it takes to be where I want to be.”
Bond (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) was a second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds and had a 35-inch vertical leap and a 10-3 broad jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 15 times.
Now, he’s in the NFL.
“There’s a jump in talent,” Bond said. “Maybe the speed of the game, maybe recognizing coverages. You need a little period of time to get adjusted to football on the next level.”
A Chicago native, Bond chose Boston College over Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
Academics have been a big deal for Bond. He has two degrees from Boston College.
“That’s just my mom showing out at me,” he said. “She’s an academic woman. She pushed me. It was the standard I was expected to live on. Every day, it was get good grades. Everything else comes after the grades.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com