Derek Stingley Jr. never raises his voice, seeks attention, or scripts headlines. But when he spoke this week about his father, Derek Stingley Sr., it became clear that every play the Houston Texans star makes is tied to something deeper than football. This season’s rise isn’t just a breakout. It’s a fulfillment, years in the making, of a legacy his father set in motion long before the Texans drafted him third overall.

Before ever taking the field for his NFL journey, Stingley Jr. received a message that would stay with him for life. His father, an Arena Football veteran and highly-respected coach, taught him that shaped him: ”My pops told me like you can’t go out there playing like scared or playing not to get hurt because then you’ll probably mess around and get hurt. So no, I mean

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