The Houston Texans are less than 100 days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Los Angeles against the Rams at SoFi Stadium and we’re counting down the days until a victory ensues on the west coast.
Texans Wire will each day tell you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and pick the player who ensured the number best during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let’s take a look at who has won No. 65 since the inaugural season in 2002.
Texans players to wear No. 65
No. 65 currently belongs to rookie center Eli Cox. An undrafted free agent out of Kentucky, Cox has a long way to go in making the active 53-man roster, but he was one of the standouts during team drills in the early stages of minicamp.
Coming from an SEC background might be enticing for the Texans, especially given their hit rate at the position in the Nick Caserio era. Before he makes the jump over to the starting lineup, let’s just wait and see if Cox travels out west to L.A. in Week 1.
Since Cox is a rookie and new to the team, he can’t be the G.O.A.T. of No. 65. Options are limited, but there’s a clear-cut favorite for the title.
- OL Lane Taylor (2021)
- OL Greg Mancz (2015-2020)
- OL Mike Brisiel (2006-2011)
- OL Ryan Schau (2002)
Best Player: OL Mike Brisiel
Mancz deserves some love because he was the ultimate sixth lineman, but Brisiel was a full-time starter for multiple seasons. After going undrafted out of Colorado State and spending a season in NFL Europe, Brisiel returned to Houston and kicked into the starting right guard spot, which he held down for four seasons, recording 47 starts.
While Brisiel eventually rotated in the starting lineup, his story of going from the Hamburg Sea Devils to the starting lineup for the Texans deserves some appreciation.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: 65 days until the Texans’ 2025 season opener: Who has worn No. 65?