Q. You like that role? Is that something you've done before?
CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY: Actually, my first year playing in that role was last year in Green Bay. I got situated with that, so I'm pretty comfortable with transition here and being in that role.
Q. Is there any sort of transition from one run coordinator to another? Anything you're kind of alarmed about?
CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY: This is year eight for me. I played for numbers of different coordinators. So it's all about being a pro and understanding how to adapt to things. So I'm pretty comfortable with it. I'm used to it and ready to rock.
Q. What's the hardest part about that job or that responsibility?
CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY: Just the terminology, concepts, and football is all the same. It's only a certain amount of defenses you really can run to where it all like blends in. So it's really just different terminology and getting the little tricks of the trade here and there. But like I said, when you've been playing in the league for eight years, you're comfortable with it.
Q. Do you still get eager to hit the first -- maybe as a veteran you don't want to play preseason games, but are you eager to hit somebody else?
CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY: Oh, yeah. When you have a long training camp, going up against the same guys, especially the teammates, you want to go out and compete with other guys around the league. Keeping score, whenever you're keeping score, it's always going out to try to win. It's always exciting for the preseason. You're sharpening up your tools and seeing what you got and putting everything together and actually going out and showcasing it and seeing where you are as a team.
Q. Are the preseason games any more valuable since there's only three as opposed to four?
CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY: Me personally, I look at it the same way, whether it's three or four. It's all the same approach. I don't think it's more valuable or less valuable. It's just another game to go out there and fine tune everything and get ready for the regular season.
Q. (Inaudible question)?
CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY: No. It will be good to see some guys, obviously, that I played with last year, but I'm looking at it as this is my home, this is my job. This is what I'm called to do is go out and play ball. That's the approach that I have. Like I said, it would be good to see familiar faces and see guys that I previously played with. It would be fun to go back up there, but I'm getting used to Houston now.
Q. With all this change that you've had here, are you all curious as players just to see what it's like?
CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY: Yeah, whenever you're in a situation where there's a bunch of new guys, and you see it in training camp and you see how we're gelling together, you see how everything is coming together, the plays, offense is coming together, defense is coming together, but it's just a different feel where you actually go against an opponent and really see when it matters. Not saying that training camp doesn't matter, but when you're keeping score against another team, you actually see what you really have.
So I'm excited for that. I know a lot of guys on our team are excited to see where we're really at.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports