HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) -- For all of the changes to the Texans this season -- management, coaches and quarterback, to name a few -- one constant the team should be able to rely on is cornerback Bradley Roby.
The final of a six-game suspension for violating the league's performance enhancement drug policy last year will be served in the season-opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Otherwise, Roby would face Urban Meyer, his college coach at Ohio State in his first time coaching an NFL game.
They expect to meet later in the season instead, and Roby's already anticipating his former coach scheming against him.
"It will be tough, but they added that extra game on, so I'm still playing 16," Roby told reporters after Thursday's practice. "It's unfortunate. We're playing against Urban Meyer, my college coach, so I'll miss being able to talk trash to him a little bit, but I'll see him again later in the year."
As for last year, when Roby and then-Texans wide receiver were both handed six-game suspensions, he's calling it "an unfortunate situation" he wants to put behind him.
"Last year was a lot of things going on," Roby said. "It was a lot of things negative in the building. So I think it just pulled me away and gave me a big-picture view. I got to see how I did things wrong. I got to see how a lot of things work, and it just made me mature even more."
There are some new faces among the defensive back group, but Roby is still Houston's No. 1 corner.
He'll often line up outside, opposite newcomers Terrance Mitchell and Desmond King playing in the slot.
The Texans also still have Vernon Hargreaves III, Keion Crossen and second-year corner John Reid from last season.
All of the defensive players have talked about enjoying the Lovie Smith 4-3 defense so far, allowing them to play freely, think less and make more plays.
Roby is in his third season with the Texans. With players like J.J. Watt, Jonathan Joseph, Benardrick McKinney and D.J. Reader all gone from the defense he joined in 2019, Roby is taking leadership even more seriously.
Only Whitney Mercilus, Justin Reid and Zach Cunningham remain from the defensive starters of that season.
“Coaching staff, scheme, players. In the NFL, it's my eighth year, so I'm starting to realize the turnover is so fast," Roby said. "I was just telling them there's only about five or six guys from the team that I came in here with. So now I'm kind of a veteran in the organization, so I kind of take that, and I kind of want to set the standard and just trying to bring the energy and the juice, man. Just bring everything I can to create a culture here."
Texans first-year head coach David Culley is very familiar with Roby's work. Culley coached against him Roby's first four seasons with the Denver Broncos, when Culley was with the Kansas City Chiefs and then Buffalo Bills.
Culley's also coached against Roby the past two seasons when the Texans played the Ravens.
“Bradley has been a quality player in this league," Culley said. "He's doing everything that we want him to do. That group that he's with right now is a group that has a lot of depth. And I'll tell you, it's good to see that back there. Although he won't be ready to play that first game because of the suspension, we got guys that right now step right in there, and we just keep moving."
Roby sat down with In The Loop on Thursday straight off the practice field and discussed playmaking, and his famous interview with Snoop Dogg, Hargreaves laughing on the field, and more.
Listen here.