Besides Brian Hoyer, there’s another big reason – literally and figuratively – to root for the Houston Texans when they host the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday in the wild-card round of the AFC playoffs.

His name is Romeo Crennel.

The former Browns head coach from 2005-08 – and truly one of the nicest persons you’ll ever meet anywhere, in sports or otherwise — is in his second season as defensive coordinator of the Texans. With the issues on offense – Hoyer, among others, have battled injuries – Houston is here because of its defense.

And the defense is where it’s at because of the guidance of the 68-year-old Crennel, who navigated turbulent waters during the Texans’ 2-5 start and got the ship righted.

Indeed, Romeo never panics. He’s seen too much in his long career to do that.

Here’s a great story that will reflect just that: It was the second day of training camp in 2006 – and the first day of hitting – and everybody’s focused was glued onto center LeCharles Bentley, the Cleveland St. Ignatius High School and Ohio State product who was the Browns’ prized free-agent acquisition in the offseason. He had been in the NFL just four years, all with the New Orleans Saints, and had made the Pro Bowl twice. Plus he was just 25.

With a resume like that, you can see why the Browns – and their fans like – were thrilled.

But it all came crashing down early in the practice when, in a non-conduct drill, he blew out his knee while helping to lead a run around end. He knew right away that it was bad. He pounded the ground with his fist and screamed obscenities.

He wasn’t the only one.

I was standing with a bunch of reporters only about 20 feet away – if that – from where it happened. You could hear the collective gasp cut through the early-morning heat and humidity like a swath.

I quickly looked directly across the field to the opposite sideline where all the Browns’ personnel people were standing. General Manager Phil Savage and the rest were so stunned that they actually swayed backward a little bit.

There was ol’ Romeo right in the middle of them. He just stood there for a moment and never moved. Then he hitched up his shorts, looked down at the play sheets he was holding and got back to coaching. You knew that he, too, was devastated. Obviously. But he never let it show. In learning from Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, he was well aware that he couldn’t worry about something over which he had no control. It’s just next man up, and you move on. And so he did.

At his age, Romeo won’t be coaching forever. I’d love to see him make one more run deep into the playoffs. Who knows? Maybe it will be this season. And if so, then that would be wonderful, for he deserves every good thing he can get.