Tania Ganguli, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

By cutting Chris Myers, Houston Texans lose a true leader

HOUSTON -- Houston Texans center Chris Myers was still at the Texans facility, when left tackle Duane Brown showed up.

Since the Texans released him, Myers hadn't had a chance yet to talk to Brown, the player he's closest with on the Texans' offensive line. They came to the Texans together in 2008, Myers in his fourth year arriving via trade and Brown a first-round draft pick. For the next seven years they played together, developing into strengths of the Texans' offensive line.

Having heard the Texans released Myers, a crestfallen Brown rushed to see his friend.

"Before I even left the stadium, Duane Brown came up there to see me," Myers said. "He came up and we had a nice little conversation. ... We went through the whole Houston transition together. Seeing him develop as a pro and as a person, it’s been awesome."

Brown posted this on Twitter:

And then another, more succinct thought: "This s--- sucks"

Myers has played long enough that he realized heading into this offseason his $8 million cap figure endangered his chance to play in Houston again. For Myers the emotions come from leaving his teammates and the prospect of leaving behind a city that embraced him and his family. They are emotions that are returned by his teammates and friends off the field.

As dependable as Chris Myers was on the field, he was more so off it.

It seemed like his first reaction to any situation was: "How can I help?"

When his teammate was diagnosed with cancer, he helped spearhead a plan to design and sell T-shirts honoring David Quessenberry, who is now in remission. The proceeds of the shirts would be donated to support lymphoma research. The way the organization, and others around the NFL mobilized with the DQ strong campaign was a source of strength for Quessenberry as he went through his chemotherapy treatments.

When a local prostate cancer survivor asked for help with his foundation, Myers was more than happy to do so.

With two grandfathers who fought in World War II, Myers loved helping military families and was a fixture in Impact a Hero 5k runs. He even befriended a young boy whose father, a war veteran, had killed himself after returning home.

When I asked if he'd be willing to share the story of his young son, born with a cleft lip and palate, he and his wife discussed it. They said yes because they thought raising awareness about the condition could help other families experiencing what they were, and opened their lives for this story. This week he held a fundraiser for Operation Smile, and has been active with that charity as well.

"The city in general completely changed me and my wife Jenny," Myers said. "Everyone was so welcoming and polite. We’ve met a lot of great people that we’ll have relationships with forever."

The same will be true in reverse. Despite his departure, his imprint will remain.

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