What were the Texans thinking?!

In what may become the worst decision made in Texas since John F. Kennedy chose to ride through Dallas in an open convertible, the Houston Texans passed on the consensus No. 1 pick, running back Reggie Bush, in order to snag defensive end Mario Williams.

Before the draft, it was thought that the Texans could pass up Bush or Texas quarterback Vince Young, but certainly not both. That’s exactly what the 2-14 team from last season did.

Their rationale for snubbing a hometown hero in Young and the man for whom this year’s draft was named is that they wanted to improve their most pressing team need – defense. The Texans allowed the most total yards per game and most points per game last season.

Dozens of NFL personnel people say Bush is maybe the best prospect they’ve ever seen. They believe him to be one of those rare talents who can win games and turn a losing franchise into a contender. The Texans make no apologies. They simply disagree.

They compared Williams to Reggie White, one of the league’s legendary pass rushers. If he’s even close to being that good, they’ll be thrilled.

However, for a team that won just two games last season, Williams is a risk not worth taking with the first pick. Having the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft is supposed to signal a new beginning, a passing of the torch from last year’s pathetic excuse for a team to a new and improved club.

You have to hand it to the Texans, they have guts. They knew the pick would be wildly unpopular.

”Winning is all that counts,” owner Robert McNair told The Associated Press. ”That’s what we have to look at. We might pick somebody that’s not the favorite of the fans initially. They’ll be disappointed. If we play well, that’ll soon be forgotten.”

No pressure.

According to the Houston Chronicle, disappointment is an understatement. Hundreds of fans gathered on the club level of Reliant Stadium to boo the decision and chant insults at team management. When Williams was picked, they booed. When Charley Casserly, the team’s general manager, appeared on a television monitor, they booed even louder.

The Texans have put Williams in an impossible situation on what should have been the happiest day of his young life. Williams didn’t ask for any of this, but now he can’t avoid being compared to Young and Bush for the rest of his career. The boos will only become louder if he has a slow start, while Bush racks up yardage in New Orleans.

Should they have taken Young? No.

Once head coach Gary Kubiak decided to stick with David Carr at quarterback, he didn’t need Young or Leinart for that matter.

Should he have taken Bush? Absolutely. The Heisman Trophy-winning running back would have given fans a reason to show up at Reliant Stadium next season. He would have revived interest in the AFC South’s perennial whipping boy.

The Texans are basically asking their fans to trust that management knows what they are doing. With 18 wins in four years, what have they done to earn that trust?

Speaking of being stuck on stupid, the Bears decided to throw their first two picks away on defensive backs, one of which played Division-II football (Danieal Manning from Abilene Christian) and probably would have still been available in later rounds. The second, Devin Hester from Miami, is best described as a mystery. He was drafted, not because he could play a particular position, but just because he is an athlete.

Who knew Steve Smith could not only throw off defenses, but drafts as well?

Dan Berrigan is a senior in Engineering. He can be reached at [email protected].