‘I’ve Been on Some Team With Not Good Cultures, but This Team…’: Casey Toohill Reveals How CJ Stroud and DeMeco Ryans Have Revitalized the Texans

Defensive end Casey Toohill just joined the Houston Texans in March of this year. In the short time since, he’s already been impressed with how the team is being run. He recently sat down to talk about the operation and how CJ Stroud and DeMeco Ryans are helping build a strong culture.

If you’re not familiar with Toohill, he’s about to enter his sixth season with his fourth NFL team. He’s known as a stout pass-rusher who can get to the quarterback from time to time. In 2023, he logged five sacks and a fumble recovery for the Washington Commanders.

Building a great culture at Houston

But this offseason, Toohill found a new home in Houston with CJ Stroud and DeMeco Ryans. He says that he hasn’t gotten to interact with either of them too much yet, but he’s very impressed by the kind of culture-building they’ve done.

“Just from watching over the years, especially how they really revitalized the Texans. Him and DeMeco and the culture they bring, yeah, it’s exciting. It’s exciting to be a part of,” Toohill shared on Athletes & Assets. 

Not only that, but the defensive end also says that, compared to his past teams, the Texans have an amazing culture.

“I’ve been on some teams with great cultures. I’ve been on some teams with not as good cultures. But this team definitely has an excellent culture,” he expressed.

Toohill has spent time with the Eagles, Commanders, and Bills before joining the Texans. So he does know a thing or two about culture and its importance for a team.

But what exactly is a good team culture? It’s talked about constantly by players and coaches, but rarely does anyone pinpoint what it truly means. Toohill did his best to explain.

“At the end of the day, it’s how it’s embraced by the guys, and just like the feeling you get when you’re in that building,” Toohill said.

In a way, good culture is almost like a “vibe” that players buy into. It’s an unspoken message that is constantly sitting in the back of their minds. For players like Toohill, that kind of stuff is important when it comes to signing with a team.

Similarities with the Bills

The defender even says there are similarities between this culture revolving around Ryans and Stroud and the culture at the Bills. 

“I think Buffalo did a really excellent job of like… Everyone embraced you. And it was like, okay, we’re embracing you, but these are our standards. So, they did a good job about that. And I felt similar about Houston. It was like, this is how we do things, from the strength and conditioning, the athletic training perspective. It’s just very clear what the standards are in terms of what their expectations are,” Toohill explained.

It’s not surprising to hear that the Texans have gotten their behind-the-scenes in order with Ryans at the helm. The team has gone 10-7 in both seasons, with trips to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. It feels like he and Stroud are knocking on the door of an AFC Championship appearance.

All in all, it was a solid interview from Toohill. He was about as open and honest as he could be about team culture in the NFL, and we’re glad he shared his thoughts. The word “culture” gets tossed around so much in the league, but rarely does anyone sit down and actually explain what it means.