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HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been named Associated Press First-Team All-Pro for the first time in his career.
“To me this is an accomplishment that I’ve been striving for since I’ve been in the NFL as far as a personal goal,” Hopkins said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.
“It’s great to be in the Pro Bowl, but I feel like once you’re considered a First-Team All-Pro, that’s something that goes a long way.
“To me that’s an accomplishment that every player in the NFL should strive for.”
Hopkins made the Pro Bowl in 2017 for the second time in his career.
He was Second-Team All-Pro in 2015.
Hopkins joins the Steelers Antonio Brown as the two best receivers in Pro Football.
Hopkins and Brown are the two receivers on the AP’s First-Team All-Pro squad.
“It’s motivation for me to keep working harder and stay there and not just to be the number one or number two wide receiver for one year out of my career, but to stay there consistently throughout my whole career,” Hopkins said.
“It’s just motivation to me to stay at the top of my game.”
In 2017 Hopkins had 96 receptions for 1,378 yards, and an NFL-best 13 touchdown catches.
“Of course I want more,” Hopkins said. “That’s the way I play the game. That’s the way I was brought up to go about the game. When you push more and your teammates see that you want more, they want more. They strive to become better and expect more out of themselves. So if I hold myself to a higher caliber and not be satisfied with those accomplishments, then I feel like my teammates will as well.”
When Hopkins learned he had made the AP’s First Team he wanted to let his quarterbacks know how much he appreciated their help.
“At first I wanted to thank my quarterbacks, all three of them, for helping me get that accomplishment,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins is also thinking of the fans of the Texans organization.
“If I could speak to all the fans I would tell them to hang in there,” Hopkins said.
“I can promise that the Houston Texans will bring a championship to the city.”