Super Bowl XLVIII: 2 former Houston Texans on Broncos’ roster
Dec 8, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Joel Dreessen (81) catches a pass during the second half against the Tennessee Titans at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 51-28. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
There will be two former Houston Texans players on the roster of the Denver Broncos when Super Bowl XLVIII kicks off on Sunday.
Those former players are tight end Joel Dreessen and special teams player Trindon Holliday.
Dreessen played for the Texans from 2007-11, and for the past two seasons, he’s been a member of the Broncos.
This season, Dreessen had just seven receptions for 47 yards in 13 regular-season games. He averaged 6.7 yards for the Broncos and had one touchdown. His longest reception was 14 yards.
Last season in Denver, he caught 41 passes for 356 yards in 16 games.
Dreessen has yet to play a snap in the two postseason games of the Broncos (he was inactive).
He last played in Week 17 where he had three receptions for 26 yards. The Week 17 game at Oakland was where he had his 14-yard reception.
In an article on The Coloradoan.com, Dreessen spoke about making his first Super Bowl, but not playing as much as he’s used to this season:
"“It’s been a frustrating season for me personally. Any time you miss all of training camp and the first three weeks of the season, it’s going to be tough. Plus, we’ve got a lot of good tight ends on this team. Once the season starts, the coaches aren’t messing with the depth chart, and I get that.”"
As for Holliday, he was featured on a blog post for the Houston Chronicle’s Ultimate Texans site, Holliday said of his season, and his thoughts after being cut by the Texans:
Jan 12, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall (54) and wide receiver Trindon Holliday (11) against the San Diego Chargers during the 2013 AFC divisional playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
"“You always have a chip on your shoulder when you get released or cut from the team. You shouldn’t show it. You just have to prove to the guys that you’re able to do it.”"
Holliday played in one game for the Texans in 2011 and five games in 2012. This season for the Broncos, Holliday’s average kick return is 27.7 yards, plus he had a KR touchdown of 105 yards, but has five fumbles this season.
The 5-5 return specialist is described as an “X Factor” for the Super Bowl in an ESPNW article. The article says:
"“It’s much more likely he’ll either break free for a big return or fumble for a turnover — something awesome or awful, depending on which team you’re rooting for.”"
For Texans fans, these two are players to keep your eye on, because as we’ve seen before, the Super Bowl can make a household name out of lesser known players nationally. These two former Texans fit that description fully.