Houston Texans Media Conference

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Houston, Texas, USA

Justin McCray

Press Conference


Q. How have you felt? You've played multiple positions across the line in your career. Where do you feel like you've been working on this training camp and being prepared for anything?

JUSTIN McCRAY: I've sort of just been working a little bit everywhere in the interior, center, guard -- center, right guard, left guard. I've been feeling good at all the spots. I'm getting told where I'm going to play the day before, so I'm able to prepare and work on things I need to work on, so I'm feeling good.

Q. A little bit of center last year. What do you do to keep that going?

JUSTIN McCRAY: Really just talk to J.B. a lot and just make sure I'm always on top of my snaps, getting snaps every day, whether it's before practice or after, if I'm not actually playing center that day in practice.

Q. (Indiscernible) working his way back. What sort of mentoring goes on with you with a younger player like that that plays your position?

JUSTIN McCRAY: A lot actually. K sits like right in front of me in the meeting. When Hop is talking to guards I'm making sure that he's hearing everything he's talking to about the guys that are playing just so he doesn't make the same mistakes when he gets back in there. K is going to be a really good player. He learns a lot, learns fast and I think he's going to do really well.

Q. What's the body adjustment like for -- I know Kenyon is having to work his way into NFL shape. What was it like for you, sort of the physical adjustment becoming a pro?

JUSTIN McCRAY: I think just mainly taking care of your body more, just like college really you're just getting in the ice tub, go about your business, go to class and stuff, but I think in the NFL there's a lot more ways, they give you a lot more resources to actually help your body, ice tub, stem, needling, all kinds of things that help you stay on the field and just getting adjusted to that and making time for that.

Q. Pep has talked about the power in the run game. I think last year you used a lot to pull deep. Do you pride yourself as like a run block?

JUSTIN McCRAY: I definitely do. In high school when I first started playing ball, my dad was my coach, and we ran power right, power left until we couldn't anymore. I'm used to that, and I take a lot of pride in my run blocking, all my blocking, but I like running the ball a lot.

Q. Not to say that you didn't like learning under James last year, but what are some changes you've noticed with George coming in?

JUSTIN McCRAY: I think Hop has a way of coaching he wants you to do things his way, and his way works 99 percent of the time, so I think he's very strong on his techniques and using them and putting us in the best position to make plays and make good blocks. I'm soaking all that up, and I think it's working for me.

Q. Having a guy like AJ, does that help you set the tone of what he's looking for?

JUSTIN McCRAY: 100 percent. I've been knowing AJ a while, too, but being able to talk to AJ and see what exactly he wants from practice to games to different kind of blocks and different techniques and things like that, it's great having AJ here, too.

Q. You've gone through maybe nine or ten different combinations last year starting. How do you feel like you've regrouped and playing together?

JUSTIN McCRAY: I mean, there was a lot of guys playing last year, and I think it honestly just brought our group closer, a lot of different guys playing next to different people. I think we have a really good room, really close room, a lot of guys get along well together, and I think it's going to help us when we have to go out there together and battle.

Q. What stands out to you about the running back room?

JUSTIN McCRAY: I mean, everybody can run. Everybody is dynamic. We have a lot of good runners. I feel like a lot of teams have guys that are just good at one thing and they have another back for another thing. I feel like all our backs are good at everything.

Q. Preseason games don't mean a lot for your record, but as a veteran, are you excited to get to play against another opponent?

JUSTIN McCRAY: Absolutely. We get a chance to go hit somebody else, rather than we've been hitting each other for three weeks and get to see all the things we've been working on in practice come out on the field.

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123649-1-1002 2022-08-12 01:44:00 GMT

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