Dameon Pierce is experiencing the encouraging feeling of the game slowing down for him, even as he keeps accelerating past and bulldozing defenses.
The Texans’ rookie running back famously busted through the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense on an epic 20-yard run, violently dragging and punishing defenders as he ran through multiple arm tackle attempts to bring him down.
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As Pierce continues to grow in confidence and productivity, he’s remained true to his blue-collar roots.
Aggressive and physical, the fourth-round draft pick from Florida ranks eighth in the NFL and first among rookies with 422 rushing yards and is averaging 4.8 yards per carry. The moment isn’t too big for the Bainbridge, Ga., native.
“I feel better being out there,” Pierce said. “The first couple games I was nervous. I was just looking at it, like, ' Oh NFL, we got cameras.’ You kind of look at the football aspect of things and be more appreciative. I’m here and I’m thankful to be here. Just slowing everything down, improving in the small things. I don’t take the game for what it is. I’m not trying to force anything.
“You know there’s going to be bad plays. You’ve got some of the best guys in the world out there. They’re going to make plays. So, you’ve just got to be ready to make your plays. When the time comes to make plays, be in position to make them.”
Pierce maintains a steady routine. That includes arriving early for practice to go over things with rookie fullback Troy Hairston, his lead blocker, and running backs coach Danny Barrett.
It’s a consistent approach to football that Pierce has no intentions of changing. He’s sticking with what got him here as an emerging NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate. As Pierce says, don’t change the programming schedule. That includes a preference to talk football with reporters at his locker on Fridays every week.
“You build on it all,” Pierce said. “You can’t take anything for granted. You’ve got to put in 100 percent, the hard work. That’s called great responsibility. You don’t get complacent. You find ways to grow. I’m surrounded by guys who are working on it right now.”
Pierce spends a lot of his time with a tight inner circle that includes Barrett and Hairston.
They help keep him grounded and focused.
“One thing I noticed about Dameon is he moves on from past successes,” said Hairston, an undrafted free agent and converted defensive lineman and linebacker from Central Michigan. “He doesn’t hang on them or sit on them. He moves on and he understands we have work ahead of us and he gets ready.”
Pierce is building every week.
The 5-foot-10, 218-pound running back has rushed for 80 yards, 131 yards and 99 yards over the past three games with three touchdowns during that span.
Pierce had a season-high 26 carries against the Jaguars one week after his electrifying 75-yard touchdown run against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The workload isn’t decreasing. If anything, he’s going to keep getting more of the same without much rest, if any, of Pierce.
“I think your starting tailback can handle 26 plays,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said. “Most lead running backs can handle that. As I see it if you’re a running football team, your lead tailback needs to have over 20 carries in an ideal world. When he was getting 10, we said it wasn’t enough.
“We see how it goes. Is there a need to have someone else spell your lead running back? No, I don’t think so. I don’t think the league is that way.”
Before practice starts, Pierce is already hard at work. It’s rookie time. That’s what they call the half-hour before practice starts. His time with Barrett is pivotal, and his bond with Hairston.
“He’s very instrumental to me,” Pierce said. “We talk about everything before practices. We’ve got the mental gymnastics. You make sure everything is crisp and clean.
“Me and Troy, we’re cool. We don’t even talk about just football. We’re brothers. It’s a great group of guys, and I love being around them every day.”
Pierce didn’t travel during the open week. He remained in Houston for workouts and downtime. That included watching episodes of “The Blacklist” on Netflix. He likes the show, but said he usually fell asleep in the middle of the program.
As impressive as his 20-yard run was, another play stood out from the Jacksonville game involving Pierce. He displayed patience by stopping at the line of scrimmage before cutting back to his right for extra yards.
“We walked through things like that,” he said. “We want to do different tempos. You play with gaps. You think this way. Tempo, step this way. You just try to slow the game down.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to KPRC 2 and click2houston.com