Antony Auclair is ripe for more stability. The Texans tight end, who just completed the only year of his contract in Houston, feels ready for a long-term deal. In Texas or elsewhere.
Posted at 12:05 p.m.
“I am at a point in my career where it is the right thing to do, to go there and try to settle down, reveals the Quebec player by videoconference, Monday morning. One-year contracts, basically you want to do that to increase your value. This year, mission accomplished. »
It is that the former Rouge et Or of Laval University is, in 2022, in his third off season as a free agent. He signed a one-year contract with Tampa Bay in 2020, after his third year with the Buccaneers. An additional season in Florida which notably allowed him to evolve with Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, as well as to leave with a Super Bowl LV ring. He then agreed with the Texans for the 2021 season.
A year filled with “emotional ups and downs”, according to Auclair.
Because after “an excellent training camp” and “good pre-season games”, the team cut him off, before signing him with the reserve team.
“It was a bit of a slap in the face when I got cut in training camp,” concedes Auclair.
Despite everything, he finds himself with the first team when the season begins. And saw “a defining moment” when he scored the first touchdown of his NFL career, against the New England Patriots, in the fifth calendar week.
“I thought in my head that it was time for it to happen, says the tight end. I was really happy, I was even able to keep the ball. It will be a beautiful memory. »
Still, the Texans are rebuilding. They finished the season with a record of 4 wins and 13 losses. Antony Auclair came from a team that had won the Super Bowl. He therefore went from a champion team to an environment where victories were rarer.
“I like to be part of a reconstruction, explains the Beauceron. Of course, it’s difficult, it takes courage and determination. It’s a long process. But I like being part of it. »
“Right in my prime »
We were talking earlier about “mission accomplished” for Antony Auclair this season. The statistics of this tight end with resolutely defensive functions certainly paint part of the picture: 5 catches on 5 pass attempts for 47 yards, 16 games played on 17, and that famous touchdown against the Patriots.
But his satisfaction goes beyond this enumeration.
“Last year, I missed a lot of games and that made me miss the playoffs,” he explains. I dragged injuries all season, I was not at the top of my game. During the off-season, I wanted to fix all that. I surrounded myself with a team in Quebec, I paid attention to my nutrition, I changed everything, improved everything. »
“My biggest achievement this year was playing every game except one because of COVID. […] I haven’t missed a practice, if you count training camp and the season. [Les blessures] made me miss the Super Bowl last year. I had to prove to myself that I was capable of enduring a full season. I did it. »
And with his four-year run in the NFL, 28-year-old Antony Auclair now feels he’s reached his full potential.
“With the experience I’ve acquired over the years and my role which continues to evolve, I think I’m right in my prime. »
But don’t tell his young teammate Brevin Jordan, a 21-year-old tight end.
“I’m not an old player yet, although Brevin Jordan kept saying that this year! »
His sponsorship with the youngest has also contributed to his contentment in 2021.
“This year I had personal goals, but also collective goals. I wanted to help these young people to develop. I think I developed a good relationship with Brevin. Same thing with Davis [Mills, le quart-arrière]. He was thrown in there at the start of the season when Tyrod Taylor got injured. It was not easy and at the end of the season, the kid had really evolved, he was really made good. The future for this young man is bright. »
“I really like Houston”
It remains to be seen where Antony Auclair will end up in 2022. He says he has spoken with Texans general manager Nick Caserio and vice-president of football operations Jack Easterby about it.
“The two told me that they were very happy with my season and that we would talk to each other again between February and March. They did not give details. »
The Texans are looking for a new head coach and offensive coordinator. The needs of the team will depend on hiring for these positions. But Auclair believes he has proven himself.
“I think I deserve a position, but it remains to be seen what we will do contractually. »
“I really like Houston, not necessarily because of the city or the good steaks. It’s really thanks to the relationships I’ve created with my teammates. »
