Tank Dell breaks his silence, sharing the profound lessons learned during a life-altering year away from the game he loves.
One characteristic that stands out about Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is that, no matter the situation, he always maintains a positive outlook.
He smiles and greets everyone the same, as if he had just won the lottery and is ready to share it with you. That mindset helped him through the 2025 NFL season, which he missed after suffering a catastrophic lower-leg injury in Week 16 of the 2024 season against the Kansas City Chiefs.
As soon as the injury occurred, everyone in the stadium knew it was serious, and silence fell.
The only sound that could be heard was Dell screaming in agony as the medical staff and teammates approached him.
“That is a day I will never forget as long as I live because it changed my life forever,” Dell said exclusively to Big Sarge Media. “It put a lot of things in perspective for me and gave me a different outlook on certain things.”
On Wednesday, Dell spoke publicly for the first time since his injury to the media at an event he had at Academy Sports + Outdoors for local female athletes. The two (Dell and Academy) entities teamed up to provide 20 athletes from two local Boys and Girls Clubs with a $200 gift card in celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day.
“It’s fun,” said Dell about being able to give back to young female athletes. “My sister used to do sports, and I know how she felt about sports. It’s fun to see them have a future in sports. It’s being broadcasted a lot now lately, women’s in sports day. We have it going on a lot at the facility (NRG Stadium). So, I feel like it’s a good thing and a fun thing to do for them.”
Dell was also questioned about the trials and tribulations he endured as he rehabilitated from his injury and was unable to play football for an entire season.
“What I’ve been through is something that taught me to be humble and just keep working,” Dell said when asked about his mentality through it all. “But I’m back. I feel like I’m feeling good right now.”
The Texans, who also started the season with some adversity by going 0-3 but finished 12-5 and advanced to the AFC Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs for the third consecutive year before losing to the New England Patriots could have used the dynamic wide receiver from the University of Houston, especially with Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins missing the playoff game due to concussion like symptoms.
Dell made a push to get back on the field, but ultimately, it was better for him to stay on pace with the plan in place so he could return fully healthy for the 2026 season. Time away from the football field did not sit well with Dell.
“I was making a push,” Dell responded when asked about the effort he made to come back late in the season. “I wanted to be out there with the guys. That football season alone was the hardest year of my life.
“Sitting out of football for a year straight, I’ve been playing football since I was five, and that was the first year I’ve ever had to sit out from football. That was hard. I tried to make a push back, but it didn’t go as planned, but I got time now and I will be ready.”
One of the major factors in Dell’s strong push to be back on the field was playing alongside one of his best friends, quarterback C.J. Stroud. Both players were selected in the same draft class in 2023 and quickly developed a bond both on and off the field.
Watching Stroud play poorly against the Patriots and seeing all the criticism that followed on social media, radio, and television bothered Dell, and he made sure Stroud knew he had his support.
“People can say what they want about 7 (Stroud), that’s just them sitting there on their couches, typing on their computers, typing on their phones,” said Dell about the disparaging rhetoric towards Stroud. “But everybody knows who 7 is, especially in the facility, we know who he is. When we get back out there with him, it’s gonna be special. So, we can let them say what they want.”
Dell has been very productive when he has been on the field for Houston. In 25 career games, he has amassed 98 receptions, 1,376 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns.