Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
The Houston Texans got off on the wrong foot in their attempt to upset the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round. Houston allowed Chiefs kick returner Nikko Remigio to return the opening kickoff deep into Texans territory. Then Texans wide receiver Kris Boyd made matters even worse by taking his helmet off after tackling Remigio, picking up a 15-yard penalty in the process.
But as if that weren’t enough, Boyd then ran to the sidelines and sent special teams coach Frank Ross flying with a huge shove. Ross was yelling at Boyd over the penalty, and it appeared as if Boyd responded with a shove out of anger. But now Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans says that was not the case.
DeMeco Ryans Has Different Story Than Kris Boyd On Shove Of Special Teams Coach
“I don’t think he was pushing Frank in a disrespectful manner,” Ryans said. “I think it was moreso he was fired up — overly fired up — and thought he made a play to help us. So that narrative that he’s pushing a coach, that’s incorrect.”
Now, that would seem to make sense. Except, that’s not what Boyd himself said the day prior.
“That’s not in my character. I love everybody here. I love my coaches. I never disrespect anybody,” Boyd said (via Pro Football Talk). “I love Frank, I’m a God-fearing man, I respect everybody . . . It was a little 10-second thing that happened. It’s football. I never disrespect anybody. That’s not my character.”
Ultimately, the “why’ doesn’t really matter. What happened, happened, and it seems it’s now in the past. But it is strange that Boyd and Ryans are not on the same page. Maybe Ryans is just defending his player, but you’d expect the Texans’ public relations team would have gotten them on the same page.