Texans’ Tim Settle Jr. gives back at Sunnyside for Thanksgiving: ‘I just want to put a smile on people’s faces’

HOUSTON – Growing up in Northern Virginia, Tim Settle Jr. experienced hardships with his family living in Section Eight housing.

“I came from poverty,” the Texans’ starting defensive tackle told KPRC 2.

Now, Settle, 27, is determined to give back and ensure others have a happy Thanksgiving holiday. Settle, in partnership with the Houston Department of Parks and Recreation, wore a big smile on his face as he handed out 100 turkeys at Sunnyside Community Center to benefit senior citizens and families in need as well as $40 gift cards and an autographed picture of him.

“I just want to be able to give back,” Settle said. “I know how hard it is to gather things for Thanksgiving. I know some people don’t always have it. I just always look to find a way to give back. If it’s Thanksgiving and Christmas, any kind of holiday that’s beneficial, I’m giving. I feel like it gets overlooked.”

When Settle attended Virginia Tech, he saw firsthand how former Hokies stars and NFL players like Michael Vick and Kam Chancellor established traditions of charitable giving. That kind of philanthropy inspired Settle as well as his background in Manassas, Va. where he developed into a blue-chip recruit.

“Being in the league, I’ve had enough time to see how the guys do over time as far as the community events,” Settle said. “I’ve seen how it brings people together, and I just want to be a part of that.”

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Settle was joined at his event by staff from his agency, Upper Edge Sports, led by Andy Ross, along with Emanuel Drakes.

And he was glad to have his father with him.

“I feel like your family reflects who you are,” Settle said. “My dad always talks about doing the right thing. My dad, he always influenced me to thrive in positive areas as far as giving back. He always reminds me of where I came from. So, I feel like that magnifies it to paint the picture to make it bigger than what it is.”

Settle is thriving on the field for the 7-5 Texans. The 6-foot-3, 313-pound former Washington franchise fifth-round draft pick and Buffalo Bills starter signed a two-year, $7 million free agent contract to join the Texans this offseason.

He has started six of 12 games and has tied his career-high with five sacks to go with 23 tackles, a career-high, with a career-high eight tackles for losses and nine quarterback hits. He considers himself one of the top interior pass rushers in the NFL and has a ton of nicknames for his moves, including a “thrash rush,” a powerful bull rush to collapse the pocket. Settle has a fun-loving, outspoken personality in the locker room. He doesn’t hold back on his opinions and frequently displays a sense of humor.

“Tim Settle, I don’t know if you guys have spent a lot of time with him, I feel like his personality belies his intelligence sometimes,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “You have an impression of him. You don’t think of defensive tackles that often, but just his awareness of the blocks he’s getting and the protections. And I mean, we do a lot. Sometimes, you don’t want your defensive tackles to think too much, but Tim’s just shown a really good job of being able to grasp sort of big-picture stuff.

“Which sort of then can translate into you doing more with him just putting him in those spots because he knows why you’re doing it. ‘Hey, we’re going to overload you here because of this. We’re anticipating this block, now you rush this way and it’ll be successful.’ Some guys, you can’t necessarily talk to like that. But Tim has just shown an ability to really grasp some of those big-picture understanding. So, to me, that’s showing in his success and his production in the system because he’s taking some of the big-picture stuff and understanding sort of playing more anticipatory defense for him.”

Off the field, Settle has displayed maturity and growth. He’s determined to succeed.

“I feel like maturity comes over time,” Settle said. “I feel like when I was younger it took me a while to understand and get the grasp of it, but I think the older you get, things start to slow down for you. You kind of pinpoint the things that you want, the things that you need and you can definitely drive from that area.

“I just want to put a smile on people’s faces. A lot of people are stressed. You know it’s a hassle as far as preparation and getting everything that you need. I feel like a lot of people go to other people’s houses for Thanksgiving, but I want people to have their own Thanksgiving.”

What’s Settle’s gotta-have-it dishes for the holiday?

“I like the mix the yams with macaroni and cheese and the turkey all in one,” he said. “I’ll do that all day.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.