HOUSTON -- Texans center Greg Mancz has recently been thrust into the starting spot in place of the injured Nick Martin, and for a young guy, that may be a little overwhelming.
That’s why, when he thinks about what is ahead, he said he listens to the best advice he has received during training camp.
“Take a deep breath.”
For Mancz, starting at center this season is an unexpected role. Even before Martin’s ankle surgery this week, Mancz had been getting a lot of reps at center during practice and games due to injuries. In the preseason opener against the 49ers, Mancz played in 41 percent of the snaps on offense.
Sources told ESPN that Martin will miss at least four months after the surgery. Head coach Bill O’Brien said he would not confirm the news until he talked to a doctor about the rookie.
Mancz, a former undrafted free agent out of Toledo, played in just three games last season for the Texans. He injured his knee in Houston's Week 8 victory over the Titans last year and missed the final two months of the season.
The center now has had a little more time to settle into the role and said a lot of that has been thanks to the support of his veteran teammates.
“I’ve got some good older guys out there,” Mancz said. “[Chris] Clark, Jeff [Adams], X [Xavier Su’a-Filo, [Kendall] Lamm, some guys who have been there and helped me along the way.
“Chris Clark’s been in the league a long time, and he knows what he’s doing. So I think he knows how to get us all in the right mindset and keep me going play after the play.
Lamm, who is Mancz’s roommate, and who excitedly said, “Oh, that’s my boy!” when asked about the center, gave credit to Mancz for being a sponge and continually taking in the new information being thrown at him.
“I just try and make sure me and him are on the same page,” Lamm said. “He’s got such a great football mind, I’m really happy to see him doing well.”
Despite the votes of confidence from his coach and teammates, Mancz said he knows he still has a lot of work to do, especially before the regular season begins on Sept. 11 against the Bears.
"I still need to improve everything,” Mancz said. “A lot of it was just sort of getting back in the mix of things. I’ve got to improve everything, and every day I just try to improve a few things.
“The nice part is is we’ve had a lot of time to practice together. We’ve had a lot of practices, so we’re building it. And you have some guys, who have played a lot of football. So I trust them. I’m just trying to earn their trust back.”
