Hopkins a human highlight reel, for real
Receiver takes the attitude that every ball in the air belongs exclusively to him
DeAndre Hopkins had zero doubt, only supreme confidence when he elevated over New York Jets cornerback Morris Claiborne for yet another acrobatic, game-winning touchdown catch.
Body control, athleticism, concentration, muscle and arguably the best hands in the NFL were all on display from the Texans All-Pro wide receiver on a clutch score Saturday that left Claiborne marveling in disbelief over what had just transpired.
Hopkins, who had sprained his ankle earlier in the scoring drive, was playing hurt. Even so, he expertly positioned his body between the football and Claiborne to wall him off and come down with the football.
“When I caught the ball, he was like, ‘Man, I don’t know how you caught it,’ ” Hopkins said with a smile Thursday while holding court inside the Texans’ locker room.
Hopkins’ trademark confidence and diverse skill set have vaulted him into prominence as one of, if not the best receiver in the game.
A former high school basketball star who excelled as a defensive back before converting into a full-time wide receiver at Clemson, Hopkins’ belief that every football in the air is his exclusive property sets him apart from the rest.
“Of course, that’s been my mindset since I’ve been playing football — defense, offense — basketball as well,” Hopkins said. “If the ball’s in the air, it’s mine. As a kid, I think also playing defense growing up, being a defender in my early career in football, that was my mindset. You always have to knock down the ball or go up and get it.”
And if that doesn’t happen? Then, Hopkins is angry about the outcome. He has a firm gold standard for what he expects from himself on any given play.
“Yeah, I do because I feel like any ball in the air, I can catch or I should catch,” Hopkins said. “Even if it’s sometimes not in my vicinity, I still hold myself to that.”
Hopkins’ penchant for one-handed and diving catches and also navigating the sideline with the balance of a ballet dancer has translated into hefty production. Targeted 135 times — seventh most in the NFL — Hopkins has caught 94 passes for 1,321 yards and 11 touchdowns.
His best catch didn’t count
Yes, Hopkins watches his highlights, a series of difficult catches that are hard to rank for the South Carolina native. He comes away impressed, but not always satisfied.
Hopkins’ favorite all-time catch is his between-the-legs reception against the Miami Dolphins earlier this season. The reception was nullified by a penalty.
“Sometimes I surprise myself like, ‘Damn. I did that?’ ” Hopkins said. “But I just feel like I can go out, be better and do more. Honestly, sometimes I am (impressed). But I always feel like I can do better. … I feel like I can make better catches.”
Claiborne is an aggressive cornerback adept in press coverage, but that technique didn’t work against Hopkins. But at 6-1 and 215 pounds, he was simply too big, too strong and strategically sound for Claiborne to contain, catching 10 passes for a season-high 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson found Hopkins on a 14-yard play-action pass to win the game.
As good as Hopkins is, though, he’s not infallible.
“Yeah, I’ve been stopped before from making all of those catches, I may stop myself sometimes,” Hopkins said. “I feel like it’s me more so than the defender. That’s just the role that I feel like I put on myself and the pressure that no matter what DB is out there, it’s my ball. I don’t want to say a DB can’t guard me, but I still feel like I can catch it.”
In 21 career games playing with Watson, Hopkins has caught 18 touchdowns. He ranks second in the AFC and seventh in the NFL in receptions, first in the AFC and third in the NFL in receiving yards and is tied for third in the AFC and tied for fourth in the NFL in touchdown catches. He leads all AFC receivers with 67 first downs.
Hopkins’ competitiveness reminds Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel of former New England Patriots tight end Ben Coates.
“The only guy that has the kind of attitude that DeAndre has that I’ve been associated with is a tight end,” Crennel said. “When he got to the red zone, the ball was his. If it came close to him, he was coming up with it. That’s the way DeAndre is. The ball is his. If it comes close to him, he makes the catch. That attitude reminds me of what DeAndre is about.”
Hopkins’ confidence is rare. Few players believe as strongly as Hopkins that they will catch the football. He backs up his swagger with actions.
“Being able to perform at the level that receivers like that, as good as Hop is, how those guys perform, confidence is a huge part of it,” Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan said.
Hopkins likes to study retired Detroit Lions Pro Bowl wide receiver Calvin Johnson’s highlights. Johnson was a bigger receiver than Hopkins, but he had outstanding, large hands much like him.
“I watch Megatron’s highlights probably more or close to more than mine,” Hopkins said. “I watch my highlights a lot, but I watch Megatron’s highlights, too, just because he made great catches like that. It motivates me before the games, just seeing a great go out there and do it effortlessly.
“Yeah, I watch my highlights. I kind of work on my game as well as seeing what I can do to do better. I don’t watch all the great catches all the time.”
On an incredible career ascent
At 26 years old and signed to a five-year, $81 million contract, Hopkins has little to prove to anyone. That hasn’t dimmed his hunger to keep making strides.
Against the Jets, he caught the 500th pass of his career. Only Arizona Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald reached the 500-catch milestone faster than Hopkins. Earlier this season, Hopkins became the second-youngest player to reach 7,000 career receiving yards in NFL history behind Fitzgerald. For his career, Hopkins has 507 catches, 7,186 yards and 47 touchdowns.
To be in that category is significant to Hopkins.
“It does, because there’s a lot of people that I look up to in those categories that I’ve passed that are wearing the yellow jacket right now,” Hopkins aid. “So of course that means a lot to me.”
Named to his third Pro Bowl this week, Hopkins is determined to treat every game as an opportunity to establish what he’s about as if whoever is watching him has never seen him play before. It’s an attitude intended to build a rich track record of success.
Hopkins prides himself on making a spectacular catch a weekly occasion.
“There is,” Hopkins said. “I feel like I’m one of the best pass-catchers in the NFL, so I feel like going out weekly and proving it only helps that.”