Azeez Al-Shaair began his career as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He beat the odds in high school, overcoming homelessness after his house burned, and continued to defy the odds at Florida Atlantic University.
Azeez talked this week about how important DeMeco Ryans was to him during his time with the San Francisco 49ers and how special it is to reunite in Houston.
On what it means to give back to the younger players and lead by example
Azeez: At the end of the day, the game is going to pass you by one way or another. If I play 15 years and year 16 l am not going to be playing anymore. I think my whole life that is just the type of person I always try to be and give back to people and do for others what I would want somebody to do for me.
I had great guys who helped me when I was a young player, Malcom Smith, Kwon Alexander. So I think it is just the right thing, I think it is just what you are supposed to do. You come in and you are expected to lead, and you are expected to show guys the way, you have to show them what you know and you have to be doing things the right way. I could show them things, you got guys who can make it in this league for a good amount of years but if they don't have the right habits eventually it will catch up to you. My biggest thing is just doing the right thing, showing them how it is done. You realize the success is not luck, especially when you are undrafted you don't get lucky and end up getting paid a lot of money.
On his relationship with Head Coach DeMeco Ryans
Azeez: Yeah, it's so funny because from the time that I first met him to now, he has been the same person…you talk to people who have known him as a player, they all say he is the same guy. So I think the thing that is the coolest about it is that he has been consistently the same type of person throughout his whole life since he has been an adult, from what I have known. Then you talk about me and his relationship, it is just the highest of highs and the lowest of lows that we have been able to go through together. Many of the times he has yelled at me, cussed me out and I have cussed him back out, a lot of back and forth when I was a young player. It was really just him genuinely trying to get me to understand the sense of urgency that you have to have in this league. You know from year to year, game to game and everyone's livelihood, you guys get one more extra week to report when we win a playoff game and then go to the next week. So, there are so many people that are involved in a game. You think as a young player being around for a while, you got time. I went to the Super Bowl as a rookie and never went back. If you would have told me that when I was a rookie, I would have laughed at you and told you that you were fooling. But I literally have never been back. I think it is just understanding that sense of urgency and that mentality that you have to have. Then you also show me the love and the care by just being there and being somebody, I can look up to as a male figure. Then also chopping it up with me off the field and laughing. Obviously, I know his wife and kids really well. It is just a really good relationship, I am grateful for it for sure.
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