Everything Texans rookie OL Keylan Rutledge said following his first practice

Here's everything Houston Texans rookie offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge said following his first day of practice, following becoming the first-round pick for the franchise last month.

Question: On the progress he’s making at center

Keylan Rutledge:“Yes, sir. Anything coming to the NFL is going to be more challenging… Better players, scheme is going to be different. It's going to be more… [Georgia Tech Head] Coach [Brent] Key prepared me well, always knowing conceptually what everybody was doing up front at Georgia Tech and obviously got snaps there at practice and did a little at the Senior Bowl. I'm very confident playing up there. Anywhere they need me to play, I'll play.”

Q: On how he weighs the mental versus the physical aspect of the position

Rutledge: “I think you weigh it the same because you can block the guy, but if you don't go the right way, it doesn’t matter. If you know to go the right way but you don't block the guy, what is it doing for you? I think they're equal. That's any position up front. I think a good offensive lineman knows what everybody's doing. That's the way I kind of look at it.”

Q: On what it was like to take some first steps at practice

Rutledge: “First and foremost, a blessing to be out here. You dream your whole life to work to this point and that's what you want to do. As an offensive lineman, you want to put pads on, right? Obviously, you get out there and there's so much technique I've got to learn, so much I've got to catch up on. I'm going to continue to do that. We're learning that now and then it will get real when we get to put the pads on. These details right now really matter.”

Q: On if he’s had any contact with the other offensive lineman

Rutledge: “Yeah, they've introduced themselves and stuff like that. They're kind of doing their own thing right now and I just got in yesterday. They definitely made some touch points and welcomed me and things like that.”

Q: On his early impressions of Offensive Line/Offensive Run Game Coordinator Cole Popovich

“All ball, no nonsense kind of guy, just the way I like it. I want him to coach me hard and hold me accountable and we're going to work together to go win some football games.”

Q: On the biggest thing he learned today

Rutledge: “So much. Football is football. You got a zone scheme. You got a gap scheme. All that stuff is so similar. The way you're attacking techniques is so different. Certain coaches want it a certain way. That's probably the biggest adjustment, to do it the Houston Texans way, how ‘Pop’ wants it done. That's what I'm trying to do.”

Q: On what he thinks the difference is between college pass blocking and professional pass blocking

Rutledge: “I think just leverage. I think a lot of things. In college, you can get your hands up high, and you're probably bigger and stronger, and you can get the job done. In this league, you get your hands high, you're going to get put on your back. That's the biggest adjustment. That technique and those details, that's what makes the good players the good players.”

Q: On if he knew anything about G Febechi Nwaiwu before he met him

Rutledge: “Not really. Obviously we went through the process together, saw him here, saw him there. As soon as he got drafted, just reached out to him and talked. Ever since he's been here, he's a good dude, wired the right way, really good ballplayer. I'm so excited to get there and just get to work with him.”

Q: On if he’s watched any of G Febechi Nwaiwu’s tape

Rutledge: “Not really. They had a crossover tape one or two games, with him playing at Oklahoma. Saw him play. He played right guard, I played right guard. But not too much.”

Q: On where his humility comes from

Rutledge: “I think it's just my upbringing, just how I was raised and the faith I have. A lot of things have to go right for you to put on the pads and play in the NFL. It's not just God-given talent. It's work. It's people who poured into you. You've got to be grateful and humble for just all the many blessings you have to put this jersey on and wear it.”

Q: On what drives him

Rutledge: “I can point to a lot of things. First and foremost, faith. It's rooted there so I can just go out there and perform how I want to perform. How I was raised, didn't grow up in the best situation, so football was a way out, football was an outlet. I poured all my passion, all my blood, sweat, and tears into it, so I just love it. If you love the game, anybody who really loves the game, they're going to be passionate and do anything for it. I just love getting out there on the grass and playing.”

Q: On what he thinks it’ll be like going up against the Texans defense in practice

Rutledge: “Iron sharpens iron. That's what you want. You're a competitor, you want to play against the best. You want to challenge yourself every day. That's football.”

Q: On the challenge of learning the playbook

Rutledge: “It's a lot more than what you did in college. You're going to have… I think at Georgia Tech we did a good job of having a lot of concepts and a lot of schemes. It's the NFL. You're going to prepare a certain play for a certain defense, a certain structure. You're going to have checks. You're going to have this, you're going to have that. You just attack it anyway. You're a ball guy. You take all the notes you can in meetings and when you're outside the building, you soak it up. That's just the way you attack it.”

Q: On what his goals for his rookie year are

Rutledge: “Rookie year, soak it all in. Soak all the vets in. Then obviously go out there and compete. Don't want to put goals on myself, just say I'm going to go out there and perform. Attack the grass every day with head down, hard-working mindset. Goals and aspirations, they'll come.”

Q: On his early impressions of Head Coach DeMeco Ryans

Rutledge: “I think he just has a joy for the game, a true love for the game. You can tell. It just feeds off you. He loves ball. He loves being around it. He loves preparing young men. You can just feel that joy and that love for the game.”

Q: On the balance of being a veteran at Georgia Tech versus being a rookie in the NFL

Rutledge: “I think you just come in and show what you're about. I've been the same leader my whole life, but you go to college, you're not the head guy right away. You just come in, put your head down, you work, and the rest will follow.”

Q: On if his transition from Conference USA to the ACC will be similar to his transition from the ACC to the NFL

Rutledge: “Yeah, but this is the NFL, so it's a step up from that. It's football at the end of the day. He puts his pads on just like I do. You go out there and compete and work your tail off and the rest will follow.”

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans: Everything rookie OL Keylan Rutledge said following his first practice