Texans Name Four Pro Bowl Selections Including Clowney and Watt

Four members of the Houston Texans are going to this season’s Pro Bowl. Jadeveon Clowney, J.J. Watt, DeAndre Hopkins, and Benardrick McKinney were selected for this year’s NFL all-star game, scheduled for January 27, 2019. The AFC team made the announcement this week, identifying the four teammates who will represent in Orlando, Florida, early in the new year. In conjunction with that, they also announced four alternates.

Three of the selections are from the defensive side of this Texas football powerhouse which ranks in the top tier for pass defense. For McKinney, this will be his first time as a Pro Bowl selection. Watt is returning to the game following recovery from injuries, and Clowney is making a return trip to the Pro Bowl for the third year. In 14 games, the Texans’ defense earned 39 sacks and 13 interceptions. Hopkins is the only Houston offensive player to make the cut, earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance. By the numbers, he’s consistently a great go-to for completions. He has 94 catches earning him 1,321 yards and, he made 11 touchdowns.

Photo: Facebook/JJ Watt

The Texans are the youngest team presently competing in the NFL, making their debut as a 2002 expansion. They replaced the city’s former football team – the Oilers – which relocated to Nashville, becoming the Tennessee Titans. In 2011, they won their first division title and a playoff berth. Since then, they’ve won three AFC South Championships – in 2012, 2015, and 2016. Their success has come with some struggles, including much of their junior years as a team, together with the loss of their founder, Bob McNair, just this year. The team is also known as the only NFL franchise which hasn’t played a conference championship game.