The wise words of the late heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, pastors, philosophers and carefully chosen Biblical verses arrive at dawn. They're reminders intended to implore Jaelen Strong to not stray from the path he has followed over the past year.

Daybreak means a steady stream of encouraging text messages for the Texans wide receiver, the first communication of the day, and always delivered by his mother, Alexis Strong.

Her latest note to her son from her home in Philadelphia came from a preacher she follows:

"I want everything God has promised and not a thing that he didn't."

Days earlier, Alexis picked out a famous quote from Ali to send to her 22-year-old son:

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.' "

The words of Ali resonated heavily with Strong, given the dramatic transformation of his body from a bloated, overweight rookie into a chiseled, second-year professional who's primed for a major role in the Texans' offense.

"I just try to give him encouragement early in the morning to start his day off," Alexis said. "I just want him to keep on pushing because he still has so much to learn. He's real determined. He's so focused right now. I'm so proud of him."

Whether it's lines of scripture, his mother's guidance or the tough love Strong got as an unprepared rookie from Texans coach Bill O'Brien, the message has been heeded by the former Arizona State standout.

"To get those motivation messages and notes every day from my mom, it's so good," Strong said. "She's been doing this for the last year. When I wake up, it's the first text I see. It helps me a lot. I look forward to that every day."

Strong acknowledged he was lost a year ago when the Texans drafted him in the third round.

During his several visits to NFL teams prior to the draft, Strong indulged in steaks, lobster tails and junk food and eschewed his training regimen. He tipped the scales at nearly 237 pounds.

"It was all those months of eating and too much traveling," Strong said. "I had never been that big before in my life."

His mother barely recognized him, wondering aloud what was going on with her once-skinny son.

"I was surprised because he started loving steak and he was never a beef eater as a kid," Alexis said. "He told me about the steaks and lobsters and all the stuff he had developed an appetite for. He wasn't working out. It was the biggest I've ever seen him. He didn't look healthy. I kept asking him, 'Are you OK?' "

Better shape than ever

Today, the 6-2 wide receiver is barely 200 pounds after overhauling his diet to incorporate lean proteins of fish and chicken and plenty of green vegetables. Leaner in his physique, Strong is much more explosive as he breaks into his pass patterns.

"It got out of hand," Strong said. "Now, I'm in better shape than I've ever been. I got my body right."

This is the lightest Strong has been since enrolling at Arizona State after attending Pierce Junior College in Los Angeles.

Strong is proud of the six-pack abdomen he has regained after melting off the flab.

"This is small for Jaelen," Alexis said. "When he came home, I was like, 'I can wrap my arms around your waist now.' "

The Texans are upbeat about Strong's prospects for this season. He's challenging for a starting job opposite Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

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 TDs. Because of Strong's diligence this offseason, O'Brien called him one of the most improved players on the roster.

"He nailed the conditioning test and did a great job in that," O'Brien said. "He's been able to really refine his skill set as a receiver. I think he picks out one or two things every single day to get better at. That's good to see. I think he's going to be better and better every single day."

Offseason slip-up

Strong is the son of former Drexel basketball star and decorated Philadelphia detective John Rankin, who died of leukemia when the receiver was 9. Having a strong mentor in O'Brien has provided Strong with a coach who expects a lot from him.

"I always tell Jaelen that Coach O'Brien and the Texans are the best team that could have drafted him," Alexis said. "He has a no-nonsense coach, and Jaelen needs that."

Strong strayed from his disciplined path in February, though, when he was arrested for possession of marijuana in Scottsdale, Ariz. Strong acknowledged having marijuana without a medical card. Strong was cooperative and gave police a cigar box that contained three marijuana cigarettes, according to a police report.

"Pretty embarrassing," Strong said. "Forget about me, but for my family and for the Houston Texans. It's a setback, but I've had plenty of setbacks."

Since the incident involving Strong, his mother and teammates have noticed a renewed sense of purpose from him. Strong has made changes to his life, including which friends he associates with.

"I always tell people I would never want that to happen for him, but it did," Alexis said. "He needed to really change a lot of things, and he did."

Strong now embraces his new diet - "He had like one cheesesteak when he was home," his mom said - and work ethic - "He's trained himself like a professional," cornerback Johnathan Joseph said.

It has paid dividends on the field, where he's bolting into his routes, creating separation and eluding defensive backs giving chase.

"It's maturity all-around from Jaelen," wide receiver Cecil Shorts said. "He matured and learned how to be a pro. If he continues to work, I think the sky's the limit for him. He's a good player. Every player goes through different things, but he's figuring it out."