The Houston Texans lose an original

Every day around this time of year you hear about NFL players who have been released and you think, oh well, that's the business, and rarely think twice about it. The Texans released Steve McKinney Tuesday and that one kind of hit me. Steve was one of the original Texans, one of the really good guys on the team. He grew up in the Houston area and has been good in the community and from my media point of view one of the best players to deal with. When I talked to him today, you could hear the disappointment in his voice, and at that point you start to really feel for him. He told me any time you get fired from your job it's disappointing. Much of the decision was financial. McKinney was due to make 1.6 million next season, and he'd be a backup to Chris Myers. Every athlete knows one day it will have to end...and it's probably not over for McKinney yet, but he knows it's one step closer.

Bob Allen
Sports Director
KTRK-TV