<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Competition heating up for Texans' defensive line -- in games of four square

          • Sarah Barshop, ESPN Staff WriterAug 4, 2017, 11:00 AM
            Close
              Sarah Barshop covers the Los Angeles Rams for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2016 to cover the Green Bay Packers for ESPN Milwaukee. She then moved to Houston to cover the Texans. She came to ESPN after working as a writer and editor for Sports Illustrated. You can follow her on Twitter @sarahbarshop.
            Follow on X

          WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- When J.J. Watt and the Houston Texans' defensive line started playing four square, the group thought it would just be a fun way to warm up before practice.

          It quickly became much more serious.

          "I'm so sick of the four square right now," Watt said.

          The game, which has been going on since the first week of the Texans' organized team activities in April, started when the defensive line group saw the balls they use to practice pass bat-downs with lying around and had some extra time to kill.

          It has evolved into a cutthroat competition.

          "Four square is more competitive than practice," Watt said. "Bold statement, but true."

          The group changes with whoever is out early for practice, but has included Watt, D.J. Reader, Christian Covington, Carlos Watkins, Brandon Dunn, Daniel Ross, Eli Ankou and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver and defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel.

          During Wednesday's game, Watt jokingly kicked the pylon after he was eliminated on what he thought was a bad call, muttering about "some shady business" going on.

          The winner of four square is crowned each day by whoever is standing in the "king spot" when the horn goes off to start practice. And after three straight wins by a Texans coach, Watt said he and some other players think the coaches are conspiring to make sure one of them ends the morning victorious.

          "We've had coaches win it the past three days, which I think is BS, to be honest with you," Watt said Wednesday. "There's three coaches and 15 players, and the coaches are conspiring so the coaches win. I'm sick of it. It's baloney. Vrabel uses tricks. He's got his son out there now. I'm pretty sure he's on his side."

          Before Thursday's practice, Weaver won his third consecutive game, and Vrabel quickly admitted to some funny business regarding who was winning the games.

          "I cannot comment officially on the conspiracy," Vrabel said. "However, there may have been some doctoring of the competitive spirit in the game to make sure Coach Weaver won."

          And although it does get a little heated, Watt said the game has been something the players look forward to each day before practice starts.

          "It's a great warm-up, because you stretch while you're in line," Watt said. "It's competitive, it's fun, and it gets heated quickly. But it's a great way to warm up, and obviously we bust each other's chops pretty good."