Alan Bonner: Who is this Houston Texan?
By Randy Gurzi
The Texans initial days of training camp have had some of the regular names pop up and get noticed by those watching the practices. Receiver DeAndre Hopkins, defensive end J.J. Watt, linebacker Brian Cushing and running back Arian Foster are the usual suspects making plays early on.
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Then there are the players catching the attention of analysts and fans that not too many people have heard of. So far one receiver doing just that is Alan Bonner, who is trying his best to take advantage of the open spot behind Hopkins at receiver.
"Alan Bonner is one of those guys that has injected himself into the receiver competition and he’s had two solid days getting open, catching the rock and running after the catch."
So who is this young player trying to make a name for himself? Alan Bonner is a young man from Newnan, Georgia just outside of Atlanta. He played college ball at Jacksonville State, in Jacksonville, Alabama.
His senior year as a Gamecock, Bonner had 50 receptions for 859 yards and eight touchdowns. The 5’10”, 190 pound receiver was selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft by the Houston Texans.
Hamstring issues cost him his rookie year as he spent the season on the injured reserve. His luck was no better in 2014 as a fractured foot got the young man placed right back on the injured reserve.
Now entering what technically is his third NFL season, Bonner looks to make it on the field for the first time in his professional career. It will be an uphill climb as the receiver position all of a sudden is full of capable players.
Still, with only DeAndre Hopkins entrenched in a spot for the team, this is the season that someone like Bonner could find their way to the 53-man roster and on the field come game day. If he continues to get the attention he has in the early going, that could just become a reality.