The football genes can be traced back to dad, Herman Houston, an ex-University of Washington RB, and cousin Ken Houston, a Hall of Fame safety. That support system explains Houston's uncanny grounding and maturity. As much as you have to balance it, it's not equal. Gary Barnett believes it's that character that makes Houston special. He's a rare find.
Few coaches are willing to heighten the typical buzz surrounding their best recruits.
But Houston's not your average anything. He realizes the bigger the spotlight, the broader his outreach. He spoke at The Hague in the Netherlands, regarding a 1996 incident that took place at his high school, Thomas Jefferson. Seventy police officers responded to a fight between two students that broke out after a dance. It was like I was in a film from the '60s.