Former Raiders 5th round pick Ben Heeney brought back by Texans

Ben Heeney was a favorite young prospect when he was drafted out of Kansas in the 5th round by the Raiders. He had energy and inspiration in spades. From the goals he set when he was 12, to mourning the suicide death of a close friend and former college teammate, to to the near death experience he had when his family’s SUV hit a patch of ice on Easter Sunday.

Things didn’t work out for Heeney in Oakland. He was named the starting middle linebacker to begin his second season, but lost the job after two weeks. Then injuries ended his season after five games. He started the following camp on the Non-football injury list and wouldn’t make the regular season roster.

Though he was waived, he was the type of guy you hoped would land on his feet wherever he went. That place was eventually the Houston Texans, where he appeared in five games last season with no starts.

The Texans liked him enough to re-sign him, according to Adam Caplan.

Nice to see Heeney will get a chance to continue his NFL career.