Derek Stingley Jr. shares when he realized he could play in SEC, NFL

Unlike some of his peers in this year’s NFL Draft, Derek Stingley Jr. grew up in a football family. His grandfather played for the New England Patriots and his father played in the Arena Football League before becoming a coach of the game. Stingley’s lineage and talent, combined with his father’s mentorship, had him believing early on that he could play at the highest level.

“As a kid, you have those big dreams and then there was a certain point, kind of nearing high school, that I was like, ‘okay, I can really do this,'” Stingley said in his first press conference as a Houston Texan.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound corner was the first player at his position off of the board at No. 3 overall in the first round. Despite injuries that limited his impact after the 2019 championship season at LSU, Stingley put enough on the tape to solidify his status as a top prospect in the draft.

Stingley’s best season at LSU came as a freshman in 2019. He had 38 total tackles and six interceptions to help lead the Tigers to a national crown.

Coming out of high school in Baton Rouge, the new Texan was a five-star recruit and the No. 3 prospect in the nation from the Class of 2019, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He received his first Division-I offer in the summer after his freshman season of high school ball. He finished recruitment with 32 offers.

He’s signing a four-year deal worth $34.6 million with the Texans. It’s fully guaranteed and contains a fifth-year option that would keep him in Houston through 2026. He also gets $22.3 million when he puts pen to paper as a signing bonus.

Derek Stingley describes his playing style

In his introductory press conference this week, Derek Stingley Jr. described what the Houston Texans got from an on-field standpoint when they chose him.

“I’d probably say that I’m just calm,” said Stingley. “I don’t let my emotions get too high, too low. I know in certain areas whenever I mess up I know how to diagnose it and talk it through with my coaches and fix it real fast.”

Despite his lack of time on the field, his ability to learn quickly and take coaching from a defensive-minded head coach like Lovie Smith could help his development over the coming years in the NFL.