Texans’ NFL-Best Cornerback Says He Won’t Celebrate a Win Over the Patriots — The Story Behind It Stuns the League

Houston, Texas — On the eve of a high-stakes playoff showdown between the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots, a brief but powerful statement from Derek Stingley Jr. sent a hush across the NFL: he will not celebrate if the Texans defeat the Patriots.

Not because of a lack of competitive fire.
Not because of playoff pressure.
But because of a deeply personal family story — heartbreaking, sacred, and never forgotten.

Born June 20, 2001, Derek Stingley Jr. was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft after a dominant run at LSU, the 2019 national champions. At just 24 years old, he has risen into the league’s elite as one of football’s premier shutdown cornerbacks, regularly forcing opposing quarterbacks to avoid his side of the field altogether.

During the 2025 season, Stingley played all 17 regular-season games and posted 36 tackles, 15 passes defended, four interceptions, one forced fumble, and a pick-six. That performance earned him First-Team All-Pro honors, a Pro Bowl selection, and a three-year, $90 million contract extension with $89 million guaranteed — one of the richest deals ever for a cornerback.

But when the Texans line up against the Patriots, this is more than just another game for Stingley.

His grandfather, Darryl Stingley, was a wide receiver for New England from 1973 to 1978, selected 19th overall in the 1973 draft out of Purdue University. He was a rising talent until August 12, 1978, when everything changed during a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders.

A violent hit from Raiders safety Jack Tatum left Darryl Stingley paralyzed from the chest down at just 26 years old, ending his NFL career and permanently altering his life. The incident became one of the most tragic moments in league history and helped reshape how the NFL viewed player safety.

Darryl Stingley lived another 29 years with quadriplegia. He wrote the memoir Happy to Be Alive, completed his degree at Purdue, founded a charity to support underprivileged youth, and became a symbol of resilience and courage. He passed away in 2007 due to complications related to his injuries.

That history is why, when asked whether he would celebrate if the Texans eliminated the Patriots, Derek Stingley Jr. answered softly — but with unmistakable weight:

“I carry a mission to help the Texans win the upcoming game against the Patriots. That responsibility — that pride — is something I hold deeply for this team. But if that moment comes, I won’t celebrate. Instead, I’ll dedicate it to something far more meaningful and sacred — to someone I love and honor more than the game of football itself.”

For the Texans, Stingley is a tactical cornerstone — the kind of defender who can erase a No. 1 receiver and force offenses to rewrite their game plan. For the NFL, he represents the modern cornerback: technical, intelligent, relentless, and durable. But for himself, Derek Stingley Jr. remains a grandson carrying the legacy of a tragedy that never truly rests.

This playoff matchup, then, means far more than a win or a loss. It is a moment where the present confronts the past — where a rising NFL star steps onto the postseason stage with profound reverence for the man who paved the way and paid an unimaginable cost for his family’s football dream.

That is why, even if the Texans win, Derek Stingley Jr. will not celebrate.
For him, honoring history matters more than savoring a moment of glory.