Q. Are you able to tell us -- first time we're hearing from you -- about the incident in Florida, the shooting? Where you were, how it changed your perspective?
TANK DELL: Yeah, I don't want to keep reliving the experience. It definitely changed my perspective of things. Hanging around, like just not even hanging around, but being around the right group of guys and being in the right situations.
But just wrong place, wrong time. Just got to live with it. I'm blessed. God blessed me to get out of that situation healthy. I was only down for like a week, but I was just working out after that, I got right back to work, and I'm feeling good.
Q. How happy are you just to be back playing on a football field, being around the guys? How is it being around one of your best friends, CJ Stroud?
TANK DELL: Yeah, man, words can't explain. CJ been with me since the off-season started. We been with each other since LA, here in Houston, everywhere. So that's been great. That brotherhood not going to go nowhere. Being around the whole team has been good.
We got new faces and them guys cool. We all in there having fun, building our chemistry in the locker room and then taking it onto the field.
It's just been good. Everybody having fun. You see everybody smiling. You know, we got something special brewing here in the organization, and we ready to get to work.
Q. I know the gun violence is a problem across America and a lot of people deal with it. When you had to deal with it firsthand, how scary was that, and how much do you feel for other people that have had to deal with it?
TANK DELL: Yeah, man, it's definitely scary, not only for myself but for my family. I don't want to put myself in that type of position. And especially like my family, like I got a little brother, my mom. I know how they was feeling at that time.
It's just a blessing that I'm safe. But it's a traumatic experience.
Q. Overall, how are you just mentally? How are you just feeling?
TANK DELL: Overall, I'm good, you know. I go to church every Tuesday, I pray every night, pray every morning. I know I got God on my side, and that's the most powerful thing. I got God on my side, keep Him first in everything I do, so I feel good.
I got the right group of guys around me, so keeping my head up, my mom, my pops, people back home, like my grandmother, everybody praying for me and calling me checking in every day now.
They just call. My grandma text me every day now. It's crazy. But it's good. I'm good. My mental is right and I'm just ready to get back to work. Ready to work.
Q. In what ways has the organization supported you? And then different question, what are your goals -- I'm sure you talked about goals for the season.
TANK DELL: Yeah, so first, shoutout to Nick, DeMeco, our receiving coach, Coach Ben, everyone. They reached out and was calling when the situation happened, you know. Since I've been hurt, they been showing tremendous love. Everybody been showing a lot of love and just letting me know, reassuring me they're right by my the whole time, so that's been good.
My goals, you know, I said it on the Podcast. I'm pretty sure ya'll -- some of ya'll saw it. But I got some big goals. That's all I'm going to say right now. I got some big goals and I'm looking forward to stepping in that light and achieving them.
Q. What's it like being with Stefon Diggs, being around him and watching him operate?
TANK DELL: Me and Diggs like this. That's my guy. He been in the league for a minute and he know the steps to take to get there. He been a leader since he came in the locker room speaking to us and giving us knowledge, giving us game, pouring back into us and making sure we know the steps to take to get where we want to go.
He's been nothing short of amazing for the whole group of receivers, all of us. He ready to go. He still got that "it" factor, and I feel like with all of us coming at the opposing teams, it's going to be special.
Q. How much credit do you give to your (indiscernible.) Since your injury we been seeing you workout with...
TANK DELL: Jay Allen, (phonetic) that's my guy. I give a lot of credit to Jay Allen. You know, during the off-season I'm always with Jay Allen. He has different workout plans for me. We go do hill work, outside stand work, in the weight room, doing explosive things, upper body.
Doing a lot of stuff that he putting together for me, and it's for free, so appreciated you, Jay. But, man, brother, he been amazing, brother.
He doing a good job.
Q. As a wide receiver in that another young wide receiver that's had to handle multiple adversity, were you able to lean on Metchie, and what have you seen from him?
TANK DELL: Yeah, Metchie, that's my guy. Me and Metchie close. Like me and Metch, we have -- me, Metch, and CJ, for sure, we always have deep talks. Like we always with each other, we always have deep talks.
Just like what he went through he's showing me like life is bigger than ball, but this is what we want to do for sure. Like when he had his experience with the cancer and things like that, he was just showing me like -- he was telling me it was like -- it opened his eyes way more.
When I just had that experience it opened my eyes. Like I want to go where I want to go, I got to cut things out of my life so I can achieve what I want to do. Me and him, we had big talks.
Metchie, he's been doing great. I don't know if you guys been watching, but he's been putting a lot of work in. He's ready to rock. He's ready to roll. He's smiling every day. Funny. Ready to go to work. So it's been great.
Q. Two things: Going forward do you plan on doing anything to help other people that might -- help them avoid the situation you were in or something...
TANK DELL: Yeah, me and my agent have talked about it. So, yeah, I'm definitely going to do something.
Q. Can you share...
TANK DELL: We're going to come up with something. I'm not sure what we got planned yet, but we're going to do something soon.
Q. This is your second year in the league. How different is it walking out there with the OTAs and the relationship with CJ, relationship with...
TANK DELL: Oh, yeah. I wouldn't say I'm comfortable because I'm never comfortable. You never want to be relaxed. I'm way more comfortable than last year for sure. Just knowing the playbook, where I'm supposed to lineup, where I'm supposed to be, and just going out there, have fun. Coach DeMeco harps on iron sharpens iron, so just working hard and having fun doing it. That's the main thing.
Q. Have you noticed a difference in CJ going into year two for him?
TANK DELL: Yeah, he definitely stepped into that leadership role way more than last year. Last year, don't get me wrong, he was a great leader. Now you can see it. Like any missed cues at practice he's on us. He's like, all right, bro. Come on. You know, but he's definitely stepped into the leadership role and he is ready for a -- he know we got a target on our back now.
Last year was a prove-it year and we still haven't proved ourself. Don't get me wrong. But we know that people just looking forward to watching the Texans play football this year, he's not taking that lightly. Like he want to give the fans a show. So he's been on us like crazy. It's been good though.
Q. When it first happened, were you at all worried --
TANK DELL: Talking about the shooting?
Q. Yeah, I'm sorry. That it could impact your football career?
TANK DELL: Definitely.
Q. How long until you knew you were going to be okay?
TANK DELL: Definitely. So when it first happened, you know, when I was in the hospital, that's the only thing I was asking. Like am I going to be all right to play football? That was my main thing. Like will I be okay to run and play football like I've been doing?
Once they told me like it was just like a through and through, once they told me that, you will be good, you know, I was good. I was ready to go.
Q. Obviously you're from Florida, CJ from LA. You guys are really, really tight. One thing that has been noticed is how CJ connects with everybody across the team. How are you and CJ, even though ou have different walks of life, been able to be so tight?
TANK DELL: I don't really think we have different walks -- I feel like the conversations we have, like we know each other, so I feel like we both had like the same background. Both was doubted like it like a football standpoint, both had troubles in our homes coming up. We connected there, and we just knew of each other and we started learning each other and talking every day and just going over his crib and watching the football games when we off, Thursday night games, Monday night games.
When we just chilling with each other we just started to get that feel for each other. Now we just like this. Just like that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports