The Thin Blue Line: Are the Houston Texans Law Abiding Citizens?

From Aaron Hernandez’s bathroom selfie showing off his handgun, to the recent more serious charge of murder, all of this weeks criminal activity talk has got a lot of people chatting about the NFL and its troublesome athletes.

Feb 21, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak speaks at a press conference during the 2013 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

It seems some teams have more of an issue with staying behind the thin blue line than others. The Detroit Lions should come to your mind, and not just because of Titus Young. Meanwhile, the usual divas like Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones continue to create headlines for all the wrong reasons.

So while the New England Patriots continue to distance themselves from Hernandez, and while authorities try and find evidence that he was somehow involved in this whole mess, it got me to thinking – how do the Texans look when it comes to arrests, drugs, alcohol, fights, and all that other fun stuff that is normal in the real world, but ten times worse when you’re an athlete in the public spotlight?

Just as much as some teams struggle to cope with bad behavior, there are tons that stay out of trouble. Luckily, the Texans are one of them, and even though their near clean sheet could be credited to their brief eleven year history in the NFL, compared to others the Texans are the leagues epitome of goody-two-shoes.

For the loyalists out there, perhaps the only recent bad publicity that comes to mind is Vonta Leach, the guy that could still wind up in Battle Red again if the Giants’ offer goes cold.

In comparison to what Hernandez is facing though, Leach is nowhere near the O.J. Simpson level of things. Leach was arrested for a simple assault, and during the time was actually trying to do the right thing by escorting two fighting women from a restaurant in North Carolina. Leach was then pulled aside by a gentleman, and reportedly hit him with a bottle.

In the end the crime was simple misdemeanor, but if you are go back through the archives, all of this happened four years ago in 2009, and since then the Texans have stayed squeaky clean.

However, before Leach, the Texans did have a rather sketchy run with the law in 2008. Running back Jameel Cook was arrested and charged with marijuana possession (the charge was dropped in the end), meanwhile wide receiver Jerome Mathis faced a much more serious charge after allegedly choking his wife – but the charge was also dropped in the end.

In total the Texans have had ten arrests in their history, a statistic that I’m sure coach Gary Kubiak isn’t looking to add too this coming season. Fortunately, the current Texans roster stands as one of the most mature, especially since the signing of Ed Reed has blended in an even more diverse mix of veterans and rookies to mix together.

While the NFL and the rest of us now step in to the long stretch of Hernandez news, and his eventual trial in 2014, it’s likely Roger Goodell will have zero tolerance for any kind of substance abuse, bar room brawls or DUI’s this season.

When Dez Bryant was arrested in 2012 for domestic violence, Matt Schaub was contributing to a local charity. Hopefully the Texans continue to resemble angels off the field and demons on the field in 2013.

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