John Harris offers his thoughts on the toughness and leadership of Kellen Mond

Key notes from John Harris interview

• I'm ready for 2020 to be done. I think a lot of people have felt that way in some sense. There were probably some Texans fans who were fine with them not going to the playoff because they couldn't even go to the games. It was such a disjointed season. Road trips used to be a mini-getaway. This year, you just had to stay in your hotel room. It was so different than what we were used to. Still, we played 16 games, and that's a feather in the cap of the NFL. That's impressive. We tested every single day. It grinded on you.
   
• I am excited about what the future brings for the Texans because of what the past did. We're lucky to have Deshaun Watson. We didn't have any depth, and we didn't have any picks. We got fleeced on a trade. Hopefully, that delusion is going to be out of our building shortly, and we can allow #4 to take us to new heights.
   
• Maybe there are some Aggies who are also Texans fans hoping they go hire somebody like Jimbo who can just flush everything else out and start over.
   
• I used to think you couldn't turn an NFL franchise around faster than a college program, but with what Jim Nagy has done in Chicago, I think you can. You have to be smart and savvy about it. You also have to have a quarterback, which the Texans have. We've got one of the top three quarterbacks in the league. We have a guy that's 25 and just scratching the surface. You can turn this around if you're savvy. Look at the 2010 defense. It wasn't very good. They went and got Wade Philips and drafted JJ Watt. They made some changes, and then they looked pretty good. I think Anthony Weaver was in an impossible position as a defensive coordinator, but there were some guys on solo missions. You need guys to play like Texas A&M on defense: together.
   
• The impression of the culture at Texas A&M I get is this: We're going to kick your ass, and you're going to deal with it. The players in that locker room take pride in physically beating you up. In the fourth quarter, our discipline and our conditioning are going to take over. The fourth quarter on Saturday and the fourth quarter at Auburn are very telling of that. If you're not willing to match that culture, the Aggies are going to grind you into the dirt. The flip switched for A&M in the second half of that Florida game where, for the first time since Johnny left, they played like a true SEC team. They took over physically in the second half vs. a Florida team that everybody loved. They did it vs. Auburn, and then they did it to a good North Carolina team. They got three wins. That speaks volumes to the pride, the lack of quit, and the finish. A&M will run you right off the field if you don't match them. It's always a common theme in the Orange Bowl for teams to look gassed. A&M did not look gassed at all.
   
• As time moves on, I think A&M fans will look at Kellen Mond and appreciate him a little more. I think the fans appreciate him now, but over the years - and even this year at times - there were some highs and lows. He might not be remembered like Bucky Richardson with regards to toughness, but this dude is tough. He has taken some of those shots. You have an endearing respect for a guy like that. That toughness should speak to fans. He led this team to an Orange Bowl. That throw to Caleb Chapman in the Florida game should be remembered for a long time. As we move further away from his career here, the blips will be lessened. He was a quiet leader, but he was loud in the way he did things. He never threw his offensive line under the bus and never said anything negative about that group, a group that matured in front of him.
   
• I don't think he'll be a first-round pick, but I do think he'll be towards the backend of two, early part of three. I think that's a great spot for him because it will allow him to grow. Teams will realize he needs time to develop, but there's something there with him. When teams speak to Jimbo about him, they will want to talk to Kellen and take serious looks at him. Kellen is going to be able to win over those NFL GMs. I hope that A&M fans appreciate what they had in Kellen. He didn't win a Heisman like Johnny. He didn't become a cult hero like Bucky. When you look at the other quarterback issues that Texas A&M has had, Kellen has been special. When I think about the people I know who went to A&M, they all pride themselves on being tough-minded and hardworking. Kellen Mond embodied that on the football field.
   
• Bobby Brown should go to the draft. I won't say anymore that these young men make bad or good decisions because everybody is coming from a different situation. Some kids need the money even if they're not ready for the NFL. Some guys might need another year or two in college. I watch Bobby and think it's time just from a physical standpoint. One thing he'll have to continue to find in the NFL is that he has to be a violent guy when he steps between those lines. He cannot pick and choose his spots. When I watch him play with technique, Bobby was extremely difficult to block. You haven't heard much about him in the media, but teams are all over Bobby Brown in the NFL. He's an NFL player, but he has to find that NFL consistency.