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"Texas Fed, Texas Bred": Former Atascocita star lineman Kenyon Green drafted by hometown Houston Texans
HOUSTON - Kenyon Green sitting on his couch between his parents Henry and Shalonda received the phone call of a lifetime.
The former Atascocita and Texas A&M standout with family and friends cheering behind him rose from the couch, removed his headphones and started pointing down. Through the roaring cheers, Green could be seen saying two words.
"Staying home."
Just minutes later, Green was taken with the 15th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by his hometown Houston Texans on Thursday night.
"I'm right down the street," Green said standing in the front yard of his parents' home in Atascocita. "I will be ready to play. Get there and work. That's all I'm going to do. Work my butt off. I'm going to keep my head down and grind."
BREAKING: Former @AHSEagleFB & @AggieFootball OL Kenyon Green (@K_Green_01) has been drafted by the @HoustonTexans with No. 15 overall pick! #txhsfb #NFLDraft @KPRC2RandyMc @billyliucci @HumbleISD @McClain_on_NFL @NFL @craig_stump @espn @SportsCenter @DavidNuno @TexAgsRadio pic.twitter.com/98LTFwwjSQ
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) April 29, 2022
As the celebration at the Green home ensued, Shalonda was brought to tears. With her cheeks wet from the tears and a tissue in her right hand, the mother couldn't have ever imagined this happening.
"I was wishing but I didn't know," she said. "It doesn't seem real. I'm just thankful. I'm so happy. It's exactly like a movie."
For Green's father, Henry, who was standing next to Kenyon when he received the call said it was a great experience seeing his son taken by the hometown team.
"Like we say, he's a great young man, Texas bred and Texas fed," he said. "Let's go do it in Houston."
The Pick
Following the 10th pick by the Jets, it was a flurry of trades that set everything in motion.
New Orleans moved up to No. 11 to take Chris Olave out of Ohio State, followed by Detroit jumping from No. 32 to No. 12 to take Jameson Williams from Alabama. Then the trade happened that put the Green pick in motion.
Houston made the trade with Philadelphia to allow the Eagles to jump to No. 13 to take Jordan Davis, moving the Texans back to No. 15 still in need of an offensive lineman after taking Derek Stingley Jr. at cornerback with the No. 3 overall pick.
"I didn't really think go the Texans right there," Green said. "Kind of crazy."
Henry added: "I had an idea that they would try for him at 13. But they made their decision and pulled the trigger to get him at 15 and I thank God for it. Now, let's go to work."
Once the trade was made, Green's phone rang. On the other end was Texans General Manager Nick Caserio.
"He introduced himself and said we're picking you and are you fine with being in Houston and being a Texan?," Green said. "I said yes sir."
Caserio said: "He's a local kid, so I'm sure all the fellow Texans will be happy about that. A real solid kid, blue-collar, humble, soft-spoken, lunch pail, doesn't say much just works his ass off and wants to play football. That fits the profile of what we want for the players that walk in this building."
During the process, which Green met with a lot of NFL teams he felt like the Texans liked him but didn't know that they would take him where they did.
"I'm blessed to get picked right there," Green said. "I'm staying home being a Texan. I watched playoff games and winning divisions over there and now I'm going to be a part of that and I can help build on that."
Special Moment
After Green had already pulled on his red Texans hat he was making his way around the house sharing hugs and high fives. One of those came with his high school offensive line coach Todd Moses.
"I told him while ago when we talked, I said you won't be new to the stadium, you've played there a few times before," Moses said with a laugh. "I think it is great for him and his parents to be able to stay in Houston and be able to enjoy him playing football right here in his hometown."
Updating the Atascocita Wall of Fame
Earlier this week leading up to the draft, Atascocita coach Craig Stump was anxiously awaiting the 2022 NFL Draft to arrive so that he could update the Wall of Fame with Kenyon's placard.
The Houston Texans plate with his name on it will go next to Washington Commanders' offensive lineman Sam Cosmi and Green Bay Packers' running back Patrick Taylor Jr.
"I was talking with him today on the phone about him coming to practice and hanging out with us, wanting to give back to the kids at Atascocita," Moses said. "Him and Sam come back and work out with us during the summertime. They come out on the field and workout with the kids and they never stopped doing it.
"I think it is great for our kids to see that. They can dream big like he did. You never know with hard work, perseverance and some God-given talent you get to be this."
Green Bio Info
Green becomes the first-ever player from Atascocita High School to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. Last year, former teammate Sam Cosmi was taken in the second round by the Washington Commanders. Green is the third player from Atascocita to make it to the NFL joining Cosmi and Patrick Taylor Jr. who is with the Green Bay Packers.
In high school at Atascocita, Green helped solidify the Eagles as a power program in the city of Houston. In his sophomore season, he helped get the Eagles to the State Semifinals against Lake Travis. In the following two seasons, Atascocita reached the Regional Semifinals.
At the end of his high school career, Green became the first-ever Under Armour All-American in program history before signing to play at Texas A&M. He also was named the Touchdown Club of Houston Offensive Player of the Year as a senior as well.
In Aggieland, Green as a freshman started all 13 games for Texas A&M and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team by the coaches. Green ended up playing 35 games in his Aggie career.
As a junior this past season, Green started all 12 games and played at four different positions on the offensive line. At season's end he was a Lombardi Award Finalist and named to the AP All-America First Team, Sporting News All-America First Team, Walter Camp All-America Second Team, FWAA All-America Second Team, All-SEC First Team and the AP and Coaches' All-SEC First Team.
Kenyon Green and Sam Cosmi pose for a photo at an Atascocita High School pep rally.
Lineman U: Former Atascocita star Kenyon Green set to add to growing O-Line tradition with NFL Draft
HOUSTON – Todd Moses remembers the exact moment he knew Kenyon Green would be special.
The Atascocita offensive line coach reached back into his memory and told the story as if it had happened last week. It was Green’s sophomore season for the Eagles in 2016. Atascocita was playing Katy and the offense was backed up on the goal line with Green at left tackle.
A highly-touted defensive end for Katy, stood across from Green looking to get into the end zone and nab at least a safety if not more. But then Green flashed his strength and a “little bit of nasty”.
“Kenyon just flat backed him into the endzone. Literally laid on top of him,” Moses said. “That was kind of that moment where I went, OK this guy is special.
“I kind of knew already, he’s one of the few freshmen we’ve ever had start here. He was the first freshman to make varsity on the offensive line. His feet and hips were so good, we knew coming out of the eighth grade at Atascocita Middle that he was special.”
Green was special.
And at the time he didn’t know it but would become a part of an offensive line lineage that could rival many programs in the State of Texas.
Prior to Green there was Amon Simon Jr. and Sam Cosmi, who went on to play at Texas A&M Commerce and the University of Texas. Cosmi was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, while Simon could be a late-round pick in this year’s.
Then there was Green, who would finish everything he started.
Atascocita coach Craig Stump reflected back to his freshman or sophomore season when they were doing conditioning one day. Green was having a hard time and found himself standing over and leaning on a fence to catch his breath. His father Henry from the stands yelling “Get up” and coaches doing the same.
The young Green did just that and finished the workout.
“He got himself together and he did all the running. He never did not do it,” Stump said. “He couldn’t maybe do it all at once, but he ended up doing it. That tells you a lot. It wasn’t just somebody that was having a hard time and they would just hang out until everybody is done and then I’ll go in. He did whatever we were doing. He always finished the workout, which I thought said a lot about him.”
At Atascocita, Green helped guide the Eagles to the State Semifinals in 2016 and the Regional Semis in 2017 and 2018 and was an Under Armour All-American his senior year.
“Summer of his senior year and his senior year he was the leader of our offensive line,” Moses said.
📍Atascocita, TX
On Thursday more history could be made as former @AHSEagleFB & @AggieFootball OL @K_Green_01 is projected to be taken in the first round 2022 NFL Draft. #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/XKAQEQclhm
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) April 26, 2022
Green went on to Texas A&M to have a great collegiate career and now, the next stop is the NFL come Thursday night.
“A lot of times we know somebody that does [get drafted] but to be that personal with it, with the family, mom, and dad it makes it really special,” Stump said.
On the way to Stump’s office inside Atascocita High, you turn the corner and pass the Wall of Fame. On it are three placards. The first is for Carsen Edwards, who was drafted by the Boston Celtics, then Patrick Taylor Jr who signed with the Green Bay Packers and played last season and then Cosmi.
Three placards with a spot for the fourth ready to go.
“Walking by for this whole spring, I’ve been like hurry up and get the draft here, I want to put Kenyon up there,” Stump said with a laugh. “It is cool. It is different for sure.”
“It’s a sense of pride. I know when I was growing up, I didn’t even know who guys were. At Port Arthur/Thomas Jefferson there were guys on the wall that went to Notre Dame and this and that and their black and white pictures. They know these guys. I think it is all part of it.”
A tradition must start with a first.
The offensive line tradition at Atascocita, according to Moses began with Simon. Then it was Cosmi, Green, Kendall Dearth and carried on to Kam Dewberry, who signed with Texas A&M in February and with the next in line being Class of 2024 prospect Nate Kibble.
“They want to do what they did,” Stump said. “That is a part of having a tradition.”
Moses added: “All of a sudden there are kids here dreaming of becoming NFL linemen and they kind of work a little harder in the weight room and in practice.”
The revolving door of collegiate offensive linemen that Atascocita has produced is an impressive one, but Moses says it is because the players buy in and “don’t mind being coached”.
As Moses gets ready to watch one of his former players get their named called again to the NFL, the thing that he most proud of Green for isn’t anything he ever did on the field for Atascocita.
“What I’m most proud of Kenyon for is the locker room and weight room stuff,” Moses said. “That he turned into that leader that we always thought he was going to be. That goes back to he has good parents.”
Green will become the second offensive lineman at Atascocita to be drafted under Moses’ watch. In his 33 years of coaching, three players stand out in his memory. One of those being Green, the other Cosmi and from his time at Westlake High School in Louisiana David LaFleur.
Dewberry was the next after Green and Kibble looks to be the next in the now growing lineage of offensive linemen stars to come from Atascocita. After that, who knows? But Moses is just having fun.
“Heck, who knows where the next guy is going to come from,” he said. “I enjoy doing it. I could have retired a year and a half ago … But dude, why would you want to retire when you get to coach these guys. It’s still fun.”