GREEN BAY – Put an opportunity in front of Green Bay Packers safety Henry Black and he’ll go at it full speed. Just ask Houston Texans running back David Johnson.
When the Texans attempted a comeback late in their Week 7 matchup against the Packers last season, Black snuffed their surge in his NFL debut. After Johnson caught a checkdown over the middle and slipped past the outstretched arms of linebacker Ty Summers, the rookie undrafted free agent came crashing down on Johnson and popped the ball loose with his helmet.
Safety Adrian Amos recovered the rare Packers forced fumble, one of just seven all season, and secured the win.
“That definitely lit up the bingo card, I'm sure, from training camp,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after the game. “(Jace) Sternberger touchdown, Malik Taylor touchdown, Henry Black forced fumble, that's pretty special right there.
“You don't expect those things starting the week out maybe, but I'm proud of the way those guys made the most of their opportunities.”
But for two attendees at NRG Stadium that day, Black’s willingness to hurl himself into the moment came as no surprise. Former Packers cornerback Tramon Williams and Black’s high school football coach Jerwin Wilson watched Black accelerate toward every opportunity in his path for the last eight years, including the ball cradled in Johnson’s arm.
“He's a good kid and he has a lot of ability,” Williams told PackersNews. “You see him move out there and you're like, man, why do guys get overlooked like this?”