Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans credited his team’s Christian faith following a 20-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers that clinched a playoff berth Saturday, Dec. 27.
The victory guaranteed the Texans (11-5) a spot in the NFL playoffs and moved them to within one game of the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars.
“First to start, it’s always known the light is shining bright on the Texans, but that light is really reflective of our guys’ belief in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Ryans told reporters during his postgame press conference. “That’s what’s driven our team, and I’m so proud of our guys and thankful to the Lord for allowing our lights to shine through Him. All praise and honor goes to Him.”
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Ryans continued by praising the organization for reaching the postseason.
“I’m just really proud of every person on this team and in this organization for putting us in a spot to go play in the playoffs,” he said. “It’s what you play for. It’s what you work hard for throughout training camp and what you fight for during the season—an opportunity to be in the playoffs and go win it all.”
Ryans was selected by the Texans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft and went on to be named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He earned two Pro Bowl selections during his playing career and later spent four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in 2015. Ryans was named the Texans’ head coach in 2023 after serving in multiple defensive coaching roles with the San Francisco 49ers.
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Faith has also been a consistent theme among the Texans’ leadership, including quarterback C.J. Stroud. Since being selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Stroud has frequently spoken about his Christian faith and his desire to use football as a platform to glorify God.
In a 2024 interview with Sports Spectrum, Stroud said his identity is rooted in Christ rather than his on-field success.
“I’m first of all rooted in Christ and who He thinks I am,” Stroud said. “My identity is in Christ, so I ask, ‘How can I serve Him every day?’”
