Cam Akers, a former football player for FSU, scores a touchdown in his Houston Texans preseason debut.
Football is officially back as the 2024 NFL preseason kicked off on Thursday evening with the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears matching up in the annual Hall of Fame game. The Bears ended up coming away with a 21-17 victory in a weather-shortened contest but that didn’t stop one former Florida State star from making his mark.
Following 269 days away from the football field after suffering an Achilles tear last November, fifth-year running back Cam Akers debuted in a big way with the Houston Texans. He signed with the franchise last month and is playing for his third team since last season.
Now, Akers is looking to have a resurgence with the Texans. He contributed on the ground and through the air against the Bears, rushing five times for 13 yards and catching two passes for 18 yards and a score in one half of work.
Akers was at his best late in the second quarter, catching a pass out of the backfield and creating enough room for a first down with a nifty spin move. The play had Houston star C.J. Stroud fired up. Akers finished off the drive with a touchdown catch after finding the end zone on a short route.
There is still work for Akers to do to eventually make the roster and play a role for the Texans this season. It was certainly a promising start though. The team also has players such as Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, and Dare Ogunbowale at the position.
The veteran running back has had to fight back from two Achilles tears over the past three seasons. He rebounded from the first with a career year in 2022 with the Los Angeles Rams, rushing 188 times for 786 yards and seven touchdowns. The production came after he rehabbed fast enough to rejoin the Rams for their run to Super Bowl LVI.
Los Angeles traded Akers to the Vikings early this past season. He played in six games in Minnesota, recording 38 times for 138 yards and a touchdown before being injured in Week 9. The franchise chose not to retain Akers in free agency and it ultimately took him a few months to land with the Texans.
Akers spent his college career at Florida State after spurning the state of Mississippi for Tallahassee. He played for the program for three tumultuous seasons as he suited up during Jimbo Fisher’s final season before sticking around for the Willie Taggart Era. In just three years with the Seminoles, Akers totaled 586 rushing attempts for 2,874 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also caught 69 passes for 486 yards and seven more scores.
