Texans’ DeMeco Ryans on Kris Boyd shove of Frank Ross: ‘Don’t think he was pushing Frank in disrespectful manner’

HOUSTON – When Texans reserve cornerback Kris Boyd delivered a two-handed shove to the chest of special teams coordinator Frank Ross, the boisterous display of emotion created a lot of confusion.

Boyd shoved Ross as he headed toward the sideline after taking off his helmet and throwing it across the ground on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium during the Texans’ AFC divisional round playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct.

Boyd characterized the situation as a big misunderstanding, emphasizing he would never disrespect his coach.

That explanation has been accepted by Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, who remains critical of Boyd for not maintaining his composure and being penalized to start the game after forcing a fumble on a kickoff return and not realizing his team hadn’t recovered the loose football.

“Seeing the play from Boyd, we gave up the long run to start the game, which is not what we wanted to do, missed a couple tackles there,” Ryans said Monday. “Looking at it again, you see Boyd gets the ball out, and I think he thought that we recovered the ball and that he made a big-time play to get the ball back for our teams. It’s something we talked about for our special teams going into this game, is like, ‘Let’s affect the game by getting the ball.’

“Boyd thought that he did that, got the ball back, and he came over with the excitement, overly excited that he made a play, but we can’t lose our minds in that sense of taking our helmet off, we still have to remain poised. You cannot take your helmet off in a game. Everyone knows and understand the rules. So instead of helping us, it ended up hurting us. I don’t think he was pushing Frank in a disrespectful manner. I think it was more, so he was fired-up, overly fired-up and thought he made a play to help us. So, that narrative that he’s pushing a coach, that is incorrect.”

After Chiefs kick returner Nikko Remigio fumbled the football on a tackle from Boyd, the cornerback said he thought the Texans got possession. Instead, the Chiefs recovered the loose football and Boyd was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct to set up a field goal during the opening drive of the game.

As Boyd headed toward the sideline toward an irate Ross, he shoved the coach. It was out of enthusiasm, Boyd emphasized, not because of any ill will at all toward the popular, enthusiastic assistant coach.

“I was just too excited,” Boyd said. “I did something I shouldn’t have done. I shouldn’t have done it, keep my helmet on.”

Boyd said he was happy that he forced the fumble and that was why he threw the helmet, which is highly illegal and potentially dangerous.

“I was turnt,” Boyd said. “That first play, kickoff, they thought they had a big play and I got the ball out and, as I’m getting up, I look at the screen and I see nothing but white (jerseys) and they’re all pointing (Texans’ way). So, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, we got the ball, too. Turnover.’

“I was just turnt. You can see I ran up to everybody getting ready to shake their hands, but then someone grabbed me like, ‘Nah, it’s not good. They got a flag and it’s their ball.”

Boyd has a reputation as an emotional player ever since his high school days at Gilmer and at the University of Texas.

Ross is known for his feisty nature, too.

Ultimately, Boyd said he had zero bad intentions toward Ross.

“I had talked to him and apologized,” Boyd said. “I was like, ‘I got a turnover,’ and he said, ‘Nah, that’s not why I was coming to talk to you.’ He was telling me you can’t do things like that, keep your composure. Let’s lock in, let’s play smart.”

What’s the lesson learned?

“Play smart,” Boyd said.

As for his exchange with Ross, Boyd got upset when it was suggested that he had crossed the line with his coach.

“That’s not in my character,” Boyd said. “I love everybody here. I love my coaches. I would never disrespect anybody. I love Frank. I’m a God-fearing man. I respect everybody in that building.”

Boyd said he was able to refocus and he remained in the game.

Boyd sounded surprised and a bit chagrined that it was thought he was out of line.

“That’s football, that’s one 10-second thing,” Boyd said. “I would never disrespect anybody in here. Y’all see me every day in the locker room, do I do that?’ So, don’t ask me questions and try to … I’m not that type of guy. Y’all can’t do that. I love everybody. Like I said, I was lit, I was turnt, I thought we had a good play. I apologize to everybody, I apologize to Frank. He said, ‘Don’t worry about that.’ I was just trying to get my point across. Y’all know that. You see me every day.”

Aftre the game, Ryans said he didn’t have knowledge of Boyd pushing Ross, was not happy with the antics from Boyd.

“We can’t come out on the first play and throw our helmet,” Ryans said. “We understand that’s silly. That’s not what we teach, that’s not what we’re about at all,” the Texans coach said. “For us to be here in this moment and to throw our helmet? We know the rules and we know we can’t do that. It just puts us in a negative light to start the game. We give them a big return, we take our helmet off to add 15 more yards to the play, it’s just not smart football.

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com