Dare Ogunbowale, Houston Texans Running Back

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AutoZone restrictions apply. What a win yesterday for the Houston Texans up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And someone that we once had in studio here on CBS Sports Radio actually played a big role in the game in an unexpected way. And that was kicking the football.

Now joining us, running back for the Houston Texans, I guess we can call him a kicker now as well. Daria Gumbawale. Daria, it's been a while.

Appreciate the time. How you been? I'm good, man. How you doing?

Well, I'm doing fantastic. So take me through what halftime was like for you. Fairbairn gets hurt. When did they come to you and say, we need you to kick in this game? So, yeah, right at half in the locker room. And Frank, our special teams coach tells me that I should go out, leave the locker room a little early just to get a couple of kicks.

And I'm kind of confused as to why, because nobody really knew that Amy was hurt yet. And so I get out there and I'm thinking that he might say, just be able to come back, but it's just kind of a precautionary thing. And I get out there with John Weeks and Ken Johnson, the long snapper and punter, and they tell me he's down, you're kicking the rest of the game. And I'm like, oh, so yeah, halftime was different. I'm not out there warming up, taking kicks.

It was pretty different. I know that you'll be willing to do anything to help the team win, but how nervous were you when you had to line up for that field goal that you eventually drilled? The field goal, I really wasn't as nervous. Definitely like at halftime when I'm kicking, I was more worried about the kickoff, keeping it in bounds and keeping it in play. But the field goals, I mean, I'm actually pretty good. And I knew if I was close enough that I'm pretty good with my accuracy. I wasn't too worried about that. And I mean, when you run out there, you got the playcock going, you got to get down the old line getting sent.

You really don't even have time to worry about anything. Just watching the snap in the hole. So I didn't even have time to be nervous, to be honest with you.

But a lot of salesmen are nervous for the kickoff. When you make that kick, I don't know if you've seen the video, I know you lived it, but your special teams coordinator had an all time reaction. How many times do you watch back that clip today of you making the field goal and then how your coach reacted to it? Yeah, man, that was the best part of it. Just everybody's reaction, especially he's always got crazy energy. So after that, being able to get them all turned up, like that was fun. And it was funny seeing how he reacted to that. Daria Gumbawale here with us.

You know me, I don't pretend to be an expert when I don't know something. One of your marketing reps, Evan, was texting me during the game yesterday and he goes, Daria actually played soccer up until his junior year of high school. So it's one thing to know that kind of background, but how did the team know, like everyone has an emergency kicker, but how did that come about where the team knew that you even had that in you? Yeah, so last year we kind of were going around seeing if anyone had kicking background, just because the same thing, just in case something happened, we need an emergency kicker. And so during camp last year, we did a little thing where we pretended like Amy wasn't able to kick and I went out there with the field goal team and kicked an extra point.

Wow. But then it had nothing to happen since camp of last year, but we kind of made friends back in his mind. Like I said, we never expected Amy to go down, but Frank knew that I had the kicking background and I kind of had that tag as the emergency kicker and was actually able to make use on it. I know what you just said, kicking in practice, but when was the last time that you ever kicked in a game? Was that high school? I've never actually kicked in a game.

Wow. I've never kicked in a game. High school, I would kick with the kickers and stuff in practice and stuff like that, but I never kicked in a game in high school, no. So this was my first time actually kicking in the game.

It was pretty cool. How much did the soccer background kind of help you when you were out in the field this past weekend? Oh yeah, that's the only reason I even have a kicking motion. Without that, I definitely wouldn't be the emergency kicker, I'll tell you that. It definitely came in handy. People are surprised that Cam Johnson, our punter, isn't the emergency kicker, but it's a completely different motion.

He's got the Aussie style of pun. So me having the soccer background is really what was helpful for me being able to do the kickoffs when the field goes because it's completely different motion. Talking to Daria Gumbawale right now, your name gets thrown in the national spotlight with what you did yesterday. I know that that was one of your old teams that you were going up against in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When you look at all those factors going into it, just what does yesterday's win mean for you? That was awesome man. Obviously it was a great game even without that, but being able to do that against my old friends, seeing those guys on the sidelines, being able to laugh about it with my teammates, it was special man. Definitely fun hearing how many people were excited for me and then caught wind of what happened.

It's a blessing for sure. I have to talk to you about your quarterback, CJ Stroud. I don't even know what there is left to say. He had a record-breaking performance yesterday with 470 yards, had the five touchdowns, methodically goes down the field at the end of the game in 40 something seconds. How do you describe what you've seen so far out of your quarterback in CJ Stroud?

Yeah man, seven is special. He's special. You see talent at the quarterbacks coming to the league all the time, but it's the poise, the confidence, the command he has in the huddle.

He's got it, he's got it. He's special. It's fun to see every week him come out and do something like you said, just do something else that you didn't expect him to do in 46 seconds, drive the team down 75 yards. I mean, that's special man. I'm glad he's our quarterback. I'm excited to see where he takes us and he's a special player.

You've been around the standard. You were around Tom Brady, who we all know is the greatest quarterback of all time. I know he's halfway through his first season, but do you see any similarities being around Brady when you start off the early tenure with CJ Stroud? Yeah, I would definitely say that command and that leadership, like I said, that's something that your quarterback has to have and CJ's got it. When he gets into the huddle, everyone's confident that that play is going to be a successful play just because even the way he barks it out, you know? So he's definitely got that thing that coaches always look for when they're finding that guy who's going to lead the team.

So if he did got it, then I would definitely be assimilated and able to improve. Now, this organization needed a special player like that to move it back into the right direction. The last two years you fired coaches, you're picking early in the draft, said goodbye to Deshaun Watson as well with a kind of new feel and a new era with some new faces in Houston. How do you just kind of describe the vibe around this team?

Because you guys have been one of the great NFL surprises so far halfway through the season. Yeah, man, we really worry about too much of that. You know, every week we go in trying to make sure we win that game that Sunday. So the culture, all that's taking care of itself. You know, the way we practice, the way we play, the way we attack and prepare.

So all that's going to take care of itself. That's not really something that we worry about. We just want to go out there and win games, man, and play a good brand of football. I feel like we've been doing that and there's obviously a lot of stuff we can build on to get better, but I think I like the way the direction the team's headed for sure.

We've seen a lot of times guys be successful coordinators and it doesn't always translate into being really good head coaches. D'Amico Ryans, even when he was playing, was just always known as a leader and the heart and soul of teams. To have him back in Houston coming over from the 49ers, what has impressed you the most about your head football coach in D'Amico Ryans?

I would just say that culture. You know, he's bringing that whole mentality and obviously being a defensive guy, you don't expect him to impact the offense as much as he has, but he has. And the culture that he's brought with him has been great, man. We've got a lot of energy all the time. Everybody's used up to play and practice, so that's been fun. And like you said, you can see that personality coming through from the type of player he was and now the type of coach he is because, I mean, the whole team is kind of taking the character of him. So it's been pretty cool to see the transition that the team's had.

We're going to do some good things because of the guys that we got leading. Before we let you run Dari Gumbawale, I just want you to be able to share your story a little bit more. I know you played your college ball at Wisconsin. You were undrafted. You've bounced around through a bunch of teams since 2017, but now with your name in the national spotlight with the crazy kicking performance yesterday, just what do you want people to know about Dari Gumbawale?

I don't know, man. He's a hard-working guy. I'm very blessed to be where I'm at in my seventh year in the league. A lot of work went into it. Being a walk-on in college, going undrafted, definitely a blessing to be where I'm at.

So I appreciate you for having me on to be able to tell my story. One last thing that I'll ask you before we let Dari Gumbawale run. I was reading that after the game it was said that if Damian Pierce wasn't injured that you probably wouldn't even have been active for the game. Isn't that just crazy? You never want to see another player get injured, but it's kind of crazy how life works where you probably weren't going to be active, then you are, and then out of all things you're kicking in this game. Just wild.

Yeah, you never know. I guess you know he's going to be called, so glad I was able to execute. Well that's how you kind of lived your life. Dari Gumbawale, always appreciate the time. Congratulations. Really happy for your success and thanks so much.

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