HOUSTON – Once Texans center Juice Scruggs overcame a slow healing hamstring injury, he started establishing his presence at the line of scrimmage as a rookie.
The second-round draft pick and former Penn State standout started six of the final seven games as the replacement for injured left guard Tytus Howard.
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Scruggs is a natural center and is a projected starter for the defending AFC South champions.
He has worked diligently this offseason to prepare for this season, haunting the Texans’ weight room at NRG Stadium and is visibly bigger, stronger and more mobile.
“Juice is looking great,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. He’s been here for most of the offseason. Even before we started our offseason program Juice was here working out with our strength staff. You can see, right, the growth. You can see he’s a little stronger, looks better. I’m encouraged where Juice is right now.”
Scruggs, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound lineman who had two holding penalties and one false start as a rookie, grew more and more comfortable once he was activated from injured reserve. His first game stepping in for Howard was a rough experience as he allowed three hurries against the Jacksonville Jaguars after Howard injured his knee and patellar tendon. Against the Denver Broncos, Scruggs allowed just one hurry.
“I just play football,” Scruggs said last season. “I don’t overthink anything. I just play the game.”
While the second-round draft pick was in college, Scruggs was involved in a serious car accident.
Four years ago, Scruggs fractured his L3 vertebrae and suffered a concussion. He was in a back brace for eight months and missed the entire season. He battled his way back and got back on the field against Maryland in 2020, nearly two years after the crash and appeared in seven games as a reserve. By 2021, Scruggs was a 13-game starter and an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection.
Since that injury sustained by Howard, Scruggs became a starter, including playoff games against the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. He lined up next to Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and provided a reliable presence on the left side of the line.
“Juice has been doing amazing,” Pro Bowl quarterback. C.J. Stroud said last season. “He’s been a really pivotal part to our success lately, and ever since he’s gotten back, he’s been really happy to be playing. It was hard for him to be out, so I think he’s done a great job up there.
“Him and L.T. holding the left side down and just communicating well and trying their best to gain a lot of trust and chemistry in a little amount of time, which I think they’ve done a great job of. Juice is very talented and I’m super excited to be working with him for the next couple years.”
Selected to the East-West Shrine Bowl all-star game, Scruggs was acquired after the Texans traded back into the second round to select him 62nd overall following a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles as they sent them their 65th, 188th and 230th overall selections to acquire Scruggs.
Officially named Frederick Henry, Scruggs got his nickname as a child who didn’t like to drink milk. Born in Ashtabula, Ohio before attending high school at Cathedral Prep in Erie, Pennsylvania, Scruggs emerged as a blue-chip recruit and state Lineman of the Year who chose the Nittany Lions over LSU, Ohio State and Michigan
The Texans chose him to upgrade center position, but he wound up at guard. Although Scruggs, a team captain and third-team All-Big Ten Conference selection has played guard, the Texans viewed him more as a center. The Texans drafted Scruggs after two centers were selected ahead of Scruggs with the New York Jets picking Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann and the New York Giants selected Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz.
Scruggs yielded zero sacks or pressures in a 45-15 AFC wild-card playoff win over the Cleveland Browns. He was activated from injured reserve in November.
“Really proud of Juice,” Ryans said. “He missed pretty much the entire season, and for him to come back at the time that he came back, we know it wasn’t all good with him coming back. We knew that there would be growing pains there.
“He played center all throughout training camp for us, and for him to come back and step in at the guard position, he had to get familiar with that spot: playing at the left guard. But Juice has gotten better, and we’ve seen him grow as he’s been in there. He’s gotten better each week, which has helped our offensive line and their success.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com