Veteran defensive tackle Danielle Hunter had options in free agency, but he ultimately ended up inking with the Houston Texans. Why you might ask? Well, as it turns out there were a few major motivating factors. Here's a look at three of them.
Returning home
Hunter grew up outside of Houston in Katy, Texas, so he's understandably excited to return home to continue his career.
“It’s an honor to be able to come back and play in front of my family and all of the people I grew up with," Hunter said at his introductory press conference, ". . . It will be fun to be able to come to a game and see me play."
Houston's playoff win over Cleveland
With the Vikings eliminated from the playoffs last season, Hunter attended the Wild Card Round game between the Texans and Browns as a fan, and he was blown away by the camaraderie that he saw on Houston's side. Houston dominated Cleveland 45-14 in that game, and the entire experience left a lasting impression on Hunter.
"They were out there playing together, the excitement, everybody celebrating for each other," Hunter said. "That hit me. During this process I was just thinking about that, just being home and seeing the excitement that they had. That played a big part of it."
Playing for DeMeco Ryans
Hunter is hype about the opportunity to play for Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, who was an impactful defensive player during his own playing days.
"I like that he understands the players; he understands players and having them be able to go out there and play for each other as one unit," Hunter said. of Ryans. "He brings in the family aspect of playing football.
"It's not an individual sport. You've got to go out there and play for each other.," he added. "That's one of the biggest parts about it, and he understands his players, what we need and what we want in order to be successful."
Just in case Hunter needs any additional reasons to feel good about his decision to sign in Houston, his contract should provide one. the four-time Pro Bowler signed a two-year, $49 million deal with the Texans.