Once the locker room was made accessible to the media following the Houston Texans’ 40-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, many local media members made their way toward one of the game’s biggest stars.
As second-year running back Jawhar Jordan looked up and saw the crowd heading toward his locker, he just smiled and kept getting dressed as he replayed what had just happened on the field.
Jordan rushed for a career-high 101 yards in his NFL debut, becoming only the second player in Texans franchise history to do so since 2011, when former running back Ben Tate had 116 yards.
“Yall let him get dressed first,” shouted quarterback C.J. Stroud jokingly from across the locker room to the media. “Good game Jawhar.”
Jordan looks up, acknowledges Stroud, and calmly replies, “Appreciate it.”
That demeanor has helped Jordan get through his trials and tribulations during his first two years in the NFL, as he has spent time on and off the Texans’ practice squad, with most of his playing time coming in preseason games.
“Man, I am just blessed,” said Jordan exclusively to Big Sarge Media after the Cardinals game. “Once I found out I was going to play this week, I just knew I was going to be ready. I knew once my name was called, I was going to be ready to show the world what I could do and that I belong in this league.”
What has kept the sixth-round selection from the University of Louisville in the 2024 NFL Draft grounded has always been his faith and his family.
“Just my faith,” Jordan said about how he has stayed positive over the last two seasons. “Just having a strong foundation around me. “My family, God, and my teammates.”
Jordan had not had a chance to speak with his family during our interview, but he had a pretty good idea of how they reacted to his game.
“I know they are screaming or have tears of joy,” said Jordan with a massive smile on his face. “Thanks to God, because we have talked about this a lot. We have been through a lot of the last few years. We needed this as a family and I am just happy to bring that light.”
The light Jordan speaks of has been turned on and off throughout his time with the Texans: he was waived during his rookie season, then placed on injured reserve, and later added to the practice squad for the remainder of the season after he recovered.
Entering his second season, it seemed as if Jordan would finally get a chance to make the 53-man roster amid uncertainty about the status of running back Joe Mixon and the backup position behind veteran Nick Chubb, whom the Texans signed in the offseason.
In the final preseason game against the Detroit Lions, Jordan impressed his position coach, Danny Barrett, by rushing for 55 yards, but it wasn’t enough to secure a spot on the active roster, and he was cut for the second year in a row. He was brought back by Houston and placed on the practice squad.
Two months later, Jordan faced adversity again when the team waived him to make room for another player. He would eventually be re-signed and placed on the practice squad. When he made his way back into the locker room, he continued to smile even though he had been through so many ups and downs in such a short time.
“Sarge, I know that this is just a test,” Jordan said about his return. “My faith has me prepared for anything I may face in life, so I am just grateful to be back, and I know my time is coming.”
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| Photo Credit - Troy Taormina |
Jordan made his debut as he was signed to the active roster after the team learned they would be without Chubb, who suffered a rib injury against the Kansas City Chiefs a week earlier.
The Texans claimed running back Cody Schrader off the waiver wire, but he was released after Jordan had a strong week of practice heading into the Cardinals game.
With starting running back Woody Marks hobbled by a nagging ankle injury that kept him in and out of the blue medical tent, Jordan was given an opportunity, and he took full advantage of it.
Midway through the third quarter, Jordan took a pitch from Stroud and scampered up the field for a 50-yard gain. If it weren’t for him wearing regular pads for the first time in over two years, he would have scored.
“I just seen what God gave me the ability to do,” said Jordan about his big run.
He also realized that as the game went on and he received more carries, he was close to the 100-yard rushing mark, which would be the first for a Texans running back this season.
It was a huge accomplishment for him, but what was even better was that Houston got the win, and he was available on the field during crunch time.
“It was a surreal feeling,” Jordan responded when asked about being on the field in a late-game situation. “Knowing that those guys believed in me and stuck with me means a lot to me, and I am thankful.”
With Marks status questionable for the Raiders game, Jordan should receive more playing time even with the return of Nick Chubb to the starting lineup.