Travis Johnson: Love and Pelvis

Many thanks to blogger KissDaLipz at Oh No She Didn't for the great pics for Travis Johnson's wedding.  He got married to his sweetheart Zaire at the Atlantis Royal Hotel in Nassau Bahamas.

I'm personally a big fan of this resort.  Loved seeing it in After the Sunset.

More Travis Johnson thoughts & pics after the jump.

Travis Johnson was recently featured in a HoustonTexans.com piece about his comeback.  We all know he has pelvic inflammation, but that is really kind of vague.  I looked on around and there are a  lot of really nasty things that can cause pain in your pelvis.  Hopefully Travis doesn't have any of those.  They did say that he's been treated with an injection, so I went looking for information on pelvic inflammation that could be treated that way.  All I got was some more really vague answers.  I'm sure the Texans won't release the details of what Travis is overcoming to protect his privacy.  So be it. 

What concerns me is this.

Though Johnson, who tallied a career-high 41 tackles and his first career interception while starting 15 games last season, has been unable to participate in practices thus far, he said he’s "right on the verge" of returning to the field and anticipates being back in action before the end of OTAs.

Personally, I think he's rushing it.  I can understand the desire to compete, especially when you have Frank Okam gunning for your job. Anyone having issues with their pelvis is going to have problems, considering you're doing a job where you're powering up through your stance and twisting to split blockers 30 times a game and then in practice.

"It’s kind of been something’s that bothered him before and then it crept up again back in February, early March," head coach Gary Kubiak said Monday. "We’ve tried a few different scenarios. He had an injection the other day that we’re waiting to see how he recovers from. He has felt better. He ran Friday, he ran (Monday), so we’ll see."

That's why I'm worried.  This isn't some new development.  I'd hate to see him not take the time to heal and get back to the field at full strength. The last thing the Texans need is another player fighting an injury and being ineffective on the field.  I'm looking at you, Ahman Green.

When he does return, Jethro Franklin thinks he'll be good.

According to Franklin, Johnson gradually adapted to the difficult position change by improving his technique as the 2007 season progressed. As such, Franklin has high expectations of what lies ahead for the athletic former first-round pick.

"He did a good job for us last year," Franklin said. "He played hard. He ran the way we needed him to run to the ball. He made plays, and there are still plays out there for him to make. So the sky is definitely the limit with him.

I'm not sure how many Texans fans believe that right now, but it's good to hear that he's improving his game.  He could be part of a really nasty DT rotation.

I think Travis Johnson could turn out to have matured this season.  He's got real competition for his job.  He's got coaches evaluating him.  Kubiak talked with him about his play last year; I'm sure he's done it again.  Now he's got a wife with a vested interest in keeping her man on the field.  I think all these things could add up to a solid season from a matured DT.

To end this post on a lighter note, here's some more pictures from Travis Johnson's wedding.