Houston Texans All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr.has had the luxury of playing for DeMeco Ryans his entire NFL career.
The Defensive Player of the Year favorite is in the midst of his fourth season and on pace to have his best season yet. Through the first four games, Anderson has 4.5 sacks, which is well on pace to surpass his career-high of 12.5 sacks set last season that earned him the runner-up spot for DPOY behind All-Pro Myles Garrett.
Many NFL players — especially high draft picks like Anderson — do not have the luxury of playing their first four years under one head coach. In a brief time, Anderson, 25, has recognized how special it is to have a coach like Ryans as a mentor.
Ryans has led the Texans to the divisional round of the playoffs
in each of the last three years.
"I always just say the type of guy that he is," Anderson told Texans Wire in a one-on-one interview of what he's learned from Ryans. "He's a guy, man, that really loves his players and really wants the best for his players, and really just shows up the same guy every single day. He's the same coach every single day. He doesn't change. Big smile on his face, ready to coach. Ready to learn about you. Ready to help you succeed in any type of way. Those are the type of things that I've learned from him. Just showing up, being the same guy every day, being consistent at what you do."
The fact that Ryans was one of the best linebackers in the NFL when he played also helps. The 42-year-old spent 10 seasons in the NFL, playing his first six years with the Texans.
He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2006 after leading the league in solo tackles and was a two-time Pro Bowler and Second-team All-Pro selection.
"I think that's one reason why I love playing for him is because he gets it," Anderson said of Ryans. "I get his mindset, I get his mentality, and I get the expectation that he has for this team because he approaches this team like he's still playing. I think it makes it easy for us to all rally behind him because he still has those leadership qualities of when he played, and you can tell every day he walks into that building like he wishes he could put those shoulder pads on. But he lets us go out there and do it. He gives us the right foundation, and he's built the right foundation and culture for us to go out there and be successful."
The Texans haven't had an ideal start to the season as they've gone 0-4. Still, the team continues to fight to finish, losing three games by a combined 11 pounts.
During the 2026 season, Anderson is partnering with Mielle, which became the NFL’s first official textured hair care partner last fall. Anderson details why he takes his grooming and personal style very seriously, coming from a family with multiple sisters. One of his sisters is a hairstylist.
“We just did our first shoot together, and it was wonderful,” Anderson said. “It was really great. I got to have my sister on set with me, and it just gave everybody in the shoot it gave them a real-life look at how it is to take care of your hair. How it is to have a regimen, how me and my sister interact with each other. She’s guiding me through taking care of my hair, and it’s special for me because this is a time that I really get to build with her and also watch her live out her dream as a hairstylist.”
Anderson mentioned that he started taking his personal care seriously before his NFL career started due to his sister's influence.
“When my sister Riri, obviously watching her take care of her hair, condition her hair, shampoo her hair, put it in different styles, whatever like that, and just seeing how she walked out the house,” said Anderson. “She kind of pulled me to the side was like, ‘You’re gonna be in front of these brands, you’re gonna be in front of a lot of cameras, talking to a lot of people, and we can’t have you out here looking any type of way. Especially with you being our little baby brother, we gotta make sure you look presentable.
“At first I was you know a little against it because I’m like, ‘Men don’t do that, all this other stuff, I’m fine,'” said Anderson. “But it’s serious, you know what I’m saying? Because your appearance is everything, and I think it also gives you a really big confidence boost. I have a saying — when you look good, you play look good. But when you look good too, you also feel good to be able to speak well, to be able to go to these events, feeling confident.”
Houston will look to get its first win of the season when they take on the winless Tennessee Titans this weekend in Nashville.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: EXCLUSIVE: Texans' Will Anderson Jr. explains what makes DeMeco Ryans a great head coach
