As A.J. Bouye celebrated his father's birthday at dinner Wednesday night, the Texans cornerback contemplated just how far he's traveled to achieve his burgeoning top NFL free agent status.
His cousin reminded Bouye, as if he could ever forget, how he was an overlooked recruit to Central Florida, how he had to prove himself as an undrafted free agent with the Texans and how the Georgia native began this season as the fourth cornerback on the AFC South champions' depth chart. Now, Bouye is on the verge of landing a blockbuster contract to either remain with the Texans or cash in with one of the multitude of franchises holding a surplus of salary-cap space and in need of a shutdown corner.