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| Photo Credit - Troy Taormina |
Houston Texans defensive tackle Tommy Togiai is a man who lets his actions do all the talking on the field.
He doesn’t trash-talk his opponents, but that doesn’t stop him from being a complete menace to offensive linemen assigned to prevent him from disrupting their play calls.
But away from the field, he is all smiles and can even be seen occasionally shooting hoops in the locker room with teammates. He is always available to the media when time permits and never wants credit for anything he accomplishes on the field, consistently giving all the credit for his success to his teammates and coaches.
Togiai, 26, has been a defensive journeyman since being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and waived two years later. He bounced around to different teams over the next two seasons before finally landing in Houston, where the Texans signed him to the practice squad on Sept. 17, 2024, playing in eight games, totaling 28 tackles, including two tackles for loss, two passes defensed, and 1.5 sacks.
This season has been magical for Togiai, as he has recorded a career-high 59 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and six tackles for loss. He was added to the starting lineup in Week 14 after the Texans lost defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. for the season due to injury.
Landing in Houston was the perfect fit for the former Ohio State University player, as he has fit right into the culture developed over the past three seasons.
“I never really knew it until a couple of weeks of being around the guys, DeMeco [Ryans, Texans Head Coach], the D-Line coaches (Rod Wright and Frank Okam), and just like the culture here,” Togiai said exclusively to Big Sarge Media after the game about knowing that the Texans were the right team for him. “So, I think it took me about a week or two, but once I got to hang around and see the culture here, I fit right in. I love that this place is all about the hard work you put in and all the stuff like that. I knew that this was going to be a very good home for me.”
This past Sunday, Togiai solidified his place in the hearts of Houston Texans fans when he scooped up a fumble on a backward lateral by the Indianapolis Colts with time running out and rumbled into the end zone for the score, helping the Texans secure their 12th win of the season and extend their winning streak to an NFL-best nine games.
The crowd at NRG Stadium was in absolute pandemonium as the entire Texans bench, including players and coaches, rushed to the end zone to celebrate with Togiai. It was a surreal moment for the player who just wants to do his job.
“Man, I definitely wanted to score,” said a smiling Togiai about his first NFL career touchdown. “As soon as the ball popped to me, I said, ‘I got to score this, there was no way I was going to be denied, God gave me this opportunity right here, I got to go and run with it.’ Just to see everyone run out and mob me in the end zone, it just shows you how much love and affection everyone has for each other on this team.”
There is a famous saying, “I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could.” If Togiai continues to play at the level he has this season, maybe Texans owner Cal McNair or his wife, Hannah, can get him a t-shirt with those words on it.