Charles James' star turn as a popular underdog Hard Knocks hero with a colorful sock collection last summer immortalized the Texans reserve cornerback in television history.
A year later, James is healthy again after undergoing foot surgery in December and is competing for playing time as the Texans' fifth cornerback and as a valuable special-teams contributor.
"It feels good, I finally got the foot back right," James said. "I'm feeling 100 percent. For me, I'm happy to be back out here, especially with the pads on hitting people. This is great."
A former New York Giants undrafted free agent from Charleston Southern, James rejoined the Texans off waivers last season after a stint with the Baltimore Ravens.