It’s no secret that in the NFL, hard work pays off, more than anything else. Hitting the gym before and after practices is how some of the best players in the league are created. So how do you create the best overall team? Get complete and utter contribution during offseason workouts. The Houston Texans took a huge step towards this in their first day of offseason workouts.

No contact is allowed during these workouts, so it’s really a time to get technicalities down to a dime. The players can run routes, and get their minds ready for any type of defensive formation that is put against them, or that they have to run themselves. These weeks are not mandatory, but the best players know that if you want to win, they really must be attended.

These workouts also contain strength and training exercises, a huge focus for the Texans.

The Texans have one of the greatest teams as far as hard work goes. No one really seems to be a lazy player, and part of this could be attributed to the fact that they have minimal off the field issues. Everyone’s focus is on the field, and towards one goal: success on game day.

Players like J.J. Watt are the ones who drive the team’s success. As HoustonTexans.com puts it, Watt doesn’t slow down, even when he has to walk from one facility to another. He jogs as if he’s still being watched by team personnel. At the start of this offseason, Watt said he’d be making steps to better himself in his cabin in Wisconsin, and it looks like he did so, posting a video recently of his impressive box jump.

Teammate Rahim Moore said even on day one, Watt was working out far longer than the team was having set up.

A smiling Watt was very positive, and happy to be back with his teammates.

It’s a lot of fun to get back out on the field. Really just to have that camaraderie again. It’s really nice to be back and kind of in the thick of things

Cornerback Jonathan Joseph set the bar high for the team’s goals going into the year, saying:

Everyone’s glad to see each other and joking around, laughing, but at the same time, we are all here for the same common goal, and that’s to build something and win a championship.

Watt’s dedication, as well as several other player’s on the team really makes it easy for the team to ease back into the workout phase. The team can get ready to take on opponents quicker and with more poise than other teams, because their mindset has been in “football mode” for quite a while.

It just goes to show that getting back in the swing of things can really make a team seem that much more appealing. I’m interested to see how well they play with this extra step up of positive player motivation this early in the season.