A pair of former Alabama stars have changed the narrative for the Houston Texans

In the three seasons prior to hiring former Alabama LB DeMeco Ryans as the team's head coach, the Houston Texans won only 10 games, posting a 10-38 record. The Texans looked hopeless in the wake of the DeShaun Watson scandel and needed a hard reset. They needed a culture flip.

Ryans starred at Alabama as a linebacker from 2002-2005, providing leadership and a steadying force duing a tumultuous time in Tuscaloosa. Ryans committed to Dennis Franchione, who abandoned ship and tucked tail to Texas A&M following sanctions levied by the NCAA.

Ryans held firm in his commitment upon the hiring of Mike Price from Washington State, who was subsequently fired before he ever coached a game. Mike Shula was hired, and Ryans became a leader for his entire career, leading the Crimson Tide through dark times.

Alabama had a breakthrough in Ryans' senior season. Ryans helped the Crimson Tide to a 10-2 season culminating in a Cotton Bowl victory over Texas Tech. He was a unanimous All American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Ryans was selected by the Texans in the 2nd round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played six seasons in Houston and was a two-time Pro Bowler and a 2007 First Team All Pro. Ryans played four more seasons in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring and getting in to coaching.

He joined the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff in 2017 as a quality control assistant, and worked his way up to Defensive Coordinator in 2021, where he called plays for one of the league's best defenses and became a prime candidate for a head coaching position.

The Texans hired Ryans knowing it would be a rebuilding process. They had no idea how quick Ryans would right the ship.

In one of his first big moves as the team's head coach, the Texans drafted Ohio State QB CJ Stroud, and then made a move to soldify the future of the defense by trading up to the No. 3 pick and selected Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr..

The moves paid immediate dividends, with Stround and Anderson winning offensive and defensive rookie of the year awards, respectively. Anderson had seven sacks and 10 TFL's as a rookie, helping the Texans to a quick turnaround.

You want to know how influential Anderson has been in the Texans locker room? He already has the captain's "C" on his chest as a second year player.

After winning 10 games in three previous seasons combined, the Texans won 10 games in Ryans first season as the head coach and Anderson's rookie season. Houston dominated the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wildcard Round before falling to the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round.

There's been no sophomore slump for the head coach or the star defensive end. Following a 41-21 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, the Texans are 5-1 and looking like prime Super Bowl contenders.

It was Anderson's best game as a pro. He finished with three sacks and four TFL's in a dominant effort. He also tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage that led to a Texans interception. You want to know how rare his game on Sunday was?

Anderso now has 5.5 sacks in his second season as a pro, just 1.5 off of his total from last season.

Ryans and Anderson are a deadly combo. There's three other former Crimson Tide players on the roster, too, and I'd be remiss not to mention how well Henry To'oTo'o has played as well as, when healthy, Christian Harris.

The DeShaun Watson saga looks like a distant memory. He's the problem of another franchise. The Texans went from bottom-feeder to legitimate contender.

Anderson looks like a future All-Pro, and Ryans continues to prove he's one of the very best coaches in the NFL.

One day, if Momma calls, maybe Ryans will be back in Tuscaloosa leading the Crimson Tide in Bryant-Denny.