HOUSTON – Two weeks ago, Houston Texans defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips cracked jokes about going on medical leave to have surgery on his kidney and gall bladder.

The 64-year-old Phillips returned to practice Wednesday in a more sombre mood, though he’s confident he’ll be able to work from the press box Sunday when Houston (10-5) plays Tennessee (8-7) in the regular-season finale.

“It’s good to be back,” Phillips said. “It’s not as funny now as it was before I was going in.

“I’m a little more sore than I thought I’d be. It’s taken a lot out of me, but I’m working my way back, doing what the doctors say.”

Phillips went on medical leave Dec. 14, and had surgery the next day. Linebackers coach Reggie Herring ran the defence in his absence, and the Texans lost their next two games.

The players got a pleasant surprise Monday when Phillips showed up at a meeting, and they got another emotional lift when he joined them on the practice field Wednesday.

“Even just seeing him out there and smiling and making calls,” linebacker Brian Cushing said, “I know that means a lot for him, as well.

“To be away from football like that, it really hurt him. For him to be back out there, all of us are just happier to see him out there.”

Phillips mingled with his players during the practice, but walked to the sideline late in the workout to sit on a golf cart with his father, Bum, the former coach of the Houston Oilers.

Phillips was in hospital for eight days, and says he’s only now getting back to eating regular food.

“I’m starting to feel better and better,” Phillips said. “I’ll feel good, and then all of a sudden, my energy level does go down a little bit.

“But that’ll get better as it goes.”

Houston’s defence has made a dramatic turnaround from 2010 in Phillips’ first season, ranking second overall (281 yards per game). The Texans have already set a single-season record for sacks (41) and rank 10th in takeaways (26).

Phillips said the hardest part of his recovery is over, and returning to his regular schedule this week has boosted his spirits.

“Once you get into your routine, once you get to start eating and start being with the players and with the team, in the meetings and so forth, then everything gets easier,” he said. “I’m just starting out, solid foods now.

“Once I get back to normal, which seems to be the case right now, that will get better and better.”

Coach Gary Kubiak visited Phillips in the hospital and was relieved to see him back on the field.

“Just for me, knowing what he went through, to see where he was then and where he’s at right now, it’s a great feeling,” Kubiak said. “It’s one thing you can’t take for granted in life, your health.

“It’s good to see him back out here, and I know we all appreciate it. The players are glad to see him back.”

Phillips said earlier this season he was getting too much credit for reviving a defence that ranked 30th overall last season (376.9 yards per game). Fired as coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of last season, Phillips was hired last January, implemented a 3-4 alignment and moved Mario Williams to outside linebacker.

The defence showed instant improvement and was ranked No. 1 in the league for several weeks. But the unit gave up long touchdown drives in the fourth quarters of the two games he missed.

Phillips broke down film of the two games, and defensive end Antonio Smith said he downplayed his condition and got back to business Monday.

“He just told us the situation,” Smith said. “He told us about how he missed us and how he missed football most of all.

“And then he told us what he thought of the games he missed, because he said he watched all of them. And he told us what we need to do in the future.”

Smith said the Texans were keeping each other updated on Phillips’s condition throughout the last two weeks. Seeing him back at work, Smith said, has put everyone at ease this week.

“You can hear somebody tell you that somebody’s all right,” Smith said, “but when you see him talking and he’s in good spirits, it gives you an easier heart for the people who are really just worried about him as a person, and his health.

“That was good, just to see that he’s all right.”

HOUSTON – Houston Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was on the practice field with the team today for the first time since taking a medical leave on Dec. 14.

Phillips had surgery on his kidney and had a gall bladder removed.

“It’s good to be back,” Phillips told the media after practice. “It’s not as funny now as it was before I was going in.”

Phillips joked about his procedures with the media prior to going into the hospital.

“I was in the hospital for eight days, a little bit longer than I thought I would be,” Phillips said. “I’m a little more sore than I thought would be, taken a lot out of me.

“I’m working my way back, doing what the doctors say.”

While Phillips didn’t get specific about his kidney surgery, he said things went as planned.

“The recovery was great,” Phillips said. “Everything came through the way we wanted it to come through.

“Methodist Hospital, the doctors, all those people, the nurses were just unbelievable. “I’m starting to eat now, starting to feel better and better. I feel good and then all of the sudden my energy level does go down a little bit, but that’ll get better as it goes.

Phillips said he followed the Texans as closely as he could while he was recovering from the surgery.

The Texans have back-to-back losses since he’s been out.

“Off and on, as much as you can certainly,” Phillips said. “I was in the hospital room where you can’t do a whole lot. They take your temperature every five seconds. They look after you really well and I’m pleased with that.”

Phillips, who surprised his defensive unit when he showed up for meetings on Monday, said he plans to help coach the defense against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

“I probably will be in the press box this week and we’ll just go from there,” Phillips said.

Phillips had wrapped up his interview with the media and was turning to leave when he decided to describe how he feels about linebacker Brian Cushing being left off of the AFC Pro Bowl team.

“How Cushing didn’t make the Pro Bowl is beyond me,” Phillips said. “I mean the guy’s got at least a 160, 180 tackles, by our count, which is the coaches’ count, which is the correct count.

“They don’t see how many plays he makes unless you go back and put the camera on it and you slow it down and do it in slow motion and he’s making plays. I know a lot of people are deserving, but that guy’s a holy phenom now. He’s one of the best I’ve coached. I’ve been in it a long time.”

Cushing is one of nine Texans who are alternates for the Pro Bowl.

Running back Arian Foster and cornerback Johnathan Joseph made the AFC squad.

By Jeremy Mauss

– Newsdesk contributor

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Dec 24, 2011 – The Houston Texans are a playoff team for the first time in franchise history which means they should be picking somewhere in the 20s for their first round pick. The Texans defense is already one of the best in the NFL but even with a good defense SB Nation’s first mock draft projects the Texans taking a nose tackle:

26. Houston Texans – Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis Tigers
Houston’s defense has been great this season. Imagine what they’ll do next year with a healthy Mario Williams and 350-pound guy who also possesses the athletic ability of a 300-pound defensive lineman at the nose tackle position.

Over at SB Nation’s NFL Draft blog Mocking the Draft, they have the Texans also taking Dontari Poe but at the No. 29 pick:

29. Houston Texans – Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
The Wade Phillips defense has never really been built around nose tackle, but imagine what a guru like him could do with a player like Poe. Arguably the best nose eligible for the draft, Poe is a hulking figure up front who can occupy blockers and collapse the line. He’d take some pressure of ends J.J. Watt and Antonio Smith, which will allow Houston’s linebackers to make even more plays. The biggest beneficiaries of playing with someone like Poe will be Houston’s inside linebackers.

For more on the Houston Texans go check out Battle Red Blog, and for all things releated to the NFL Draft head over to Mocking the Draft.

Read More: 2012 nfl draft, Mario Williams (LB – HOU), Dontari Poe (DL – Memphis), Houston Texans, Memphis Tigers

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