Texans' Jaelen Strong still on faster, slimmer track

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A year ago during his rookie season, Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong was struggling mightily .

He was tipping the scales at nearly 230 pounds as if he was unintentionally bulking up for a move to tight end.

And Strong promptly was put on notice by Texans coach Bill O'Brien that he needed to upgrade his work habits and diet to get into optimal condition.

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With O'Brien and his mother in his ear, Strong took heed of their message by changing the way he ate and increasing his cardio workouts to get down from 6-2, 230 pounds to a lean 200 pounds. The 22-year old native of Philadelphia is listed on the roster at 217 pounds.

“Mentally, physically, I changed everything about myself," Strong said. "I’m just taking one day at a time. I just want to be the best player I can be for my team."

Strong has remained on that arc of improvement physically and on the practice field where he's made a series of impressive catches at training camp as he competes for a starting job opposite Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Strong is visibly slimmer and quicker than a year ago.

“No question, he had a very good offseason," O'Brien said. "He came in here and really nailed the conditioning test and he’s gotten off to a good start.”

Houston Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong (11) makes a catch along the sideines during Texans training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center on Sunday, July 31, 2016, in Houston. Houston Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong (11) makes a catch along the sideines during Texans training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center on Sunday, July 31, 2016, in Houston. Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 192 Caption Close Texans' Jaelen Strong still on faster, slimmer track 1 / 192 Back to Gallery

Strong was characterized by O'Brien as one of the Texans' most improved players.

Strong emerged as a more important part of the offense late in the season for the Texans, catching 14 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns. He's slated for an increased role this season.

And Hopkins has noticed a seriousness of purpose from Strong even during an offseason where he was arrested for possession of marijuana in February in Arizona.

"Jaelen's been working all offseason, even during what he was going through, he was working," Hopkins said. "The next day that that happened to him I'm pretty sure I talked to him and he was talking about going to work out, so that really didn't affect him at all. I knew it wouldn't, but he's coming out and he's playing with a chip on his shoulder for sure."

Strong addressed the off-field incident when the Texans started their offseason conditioning program in April.

"Pretty embarrassing," Strong said. "Forget about me, but for my family and for the Houston Texans. I've talked to my teammates about it. It's a setback, but I've had plenty of setbacks. I'm ready to put it all out on the field."