Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young played three seasons as teammates at Alabama. Young won the Heisman Trophy in 2021, and Anderson is the Crimson Tide’s only two-time unanimous All-American.
On Thursday, Anderson and Young were happy to be back on the same field.
With the Panthers and Texans scheduled to meet in an NFL preseason game on Saturday at NRG Stadium in Houston, the teams held a joint practice on Thursday.
“I was just telling Bryce how much I miss playing with him, man,” Anderson said of the reunion. “And just miss seeing his face every day, man. It just brought back so many memories. We was in the thick of it together in Alabama, man -- him on offense, me on defense. So it was really good catching up with him.
“I’m super proud of him, man. I know he’s going to do great things this year, man. They’re looking good, and he’s really commanding it over there, and I’m happy for him.”
Young also played at Alabama with Houston wide receiver John Metchie III and linebackers Christian Harris and Henry To’oTo’o.
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“It’s awesome,” Young said after practice. “A lot of guys that I’m super close with. I have some brothers on this team, and just us being able to live out our dreams is really cool. Both of us, when the plays are going out here, we’re just here to compete. I’m on the Panthers. They’re Texans. That’s all that matters in that time. But after, it’s great to see. Again, it’s a lot of people I’m close with, a lot people that I’m so happy just to see them where they’re at succeeding. They feel the same way about me. So it’s definitely a blessing.”
Young entered the NFL as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, with Anderson following two picks later.
Anderson won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2023, and the Texans have won 10 games and a playoff contest in each season since the pass-rusher joined the team.
Young’s second season as Carolina’s No. 1 QB included a five-game trip to the bench, but he reasserted his hold on that position with a stronger second half to the 2024 season.
“He’s still the same guy, man,” Anderson said. “He’s very calm, great composure, can maneuver around the pocket, can get out the pocket, make deep throws down the field while escaping the pocket. Man, I mean, he’s the whole package. He has everything, man, and that’s why he’s a No. 1 overall pick. He’s really good, and it’s just good seeing him do his thing out there. I’m happy for him.”
Young might have done too much of his thing on Thursday for Anderson’s taste.
“We have to get better,” Anderson said about the Houston defense after the workout with the Panthers. “We had some good things that we had done. Got to be a little bit more disciplined, man. Like I said, this is a really good chance to see where we are defensively, just to go against somebody new. …
“You have days like this in camp. This is what you get. This is what primes you to get ready for the season. These are the type of days that you have to go through in order to be great and to have great defense, man. You have to go through dog days like this when it’s hot outside, when you’re grinding, plays back to back, all that type of stuff. That’s what gets you ready for the season, so I’m really glad that we got a chance to come out here and do this today.”
Anderson and Young have squared off in the regular season. On Oct. 29, 2023, the Panthers defeated the Texans 15-13 in Young’s first victory as an NFL quarterback.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
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