American Football: The Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have selected Georgia Tech running back Tony Hollings in the second round of the NFL supplemental draft.

By selecting Hollings, the Texas will lose a second-round pick in next April's NFL draft.

"I'm excited to be a Texan," Hollings said. "I haven't stopped smiling since I found out. I've come a long way and I am excited to show what I can do."

Hollings, who moved to running back last season after starting his career as a safety, was the nation's leading rusher in 2002 before suffering a torn ACL and lateral meniscus cartilage in his knee in a game against Brigham Young.

He finished last season by carrying 92 times for 633 yards to go along with 11 touchdowns and entered the supplemental draft after being declared academically ineligible for the upcoming Collegiate season.

Tony Boselli is expected to retire this week because of injuries, ending the career of a player who was once the league's best offensive lineman, a source within the NFL told The Associated Press.

Boselli, a former Jacksonville Jaguars star and the first player the Houston Texans selected in the 2002 expansion draft, sat out almost all of the last two years because of three operations on his left shoulder.

He missed most of the 2001 season with the Jaguars and spent last season on the Texans' injury list.

Boselli, 31, was expected to end his eight-year career with an announcement this week, the source said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. Boselli declined comment when reached at his home Tuesday night.

When healthy, Boselli was considered the NFL's premier left offensive tackle. He allowed just 151/2 sacks in seven seasons with the Jags, who made him their first-ever draft pick with the second selection overall in 1995. He helped lead the team to the 1996 AFC championship game.

Through a spokesman, Texans general manager Charley Casserly told Houston station KRIV-TV: "We are discussing Tony's future and we will have a decision at some point."

The five-time Pro Bowl offensive left tackle came to Houston after playing in only three games for Jacksonville in 2001. He was All-Pro in 1997-99 before getting hurt.

Boselli counted $7.55 million against the Texans' salary cap last year, but he initiated negotiations to lower his base salary to $655,000 in 2003. Consequently, he will count only $3.05 million against the cap this season and $3.05 million more in 2004.

I think the Texans will be one of the more improved teams this year, they're young but they're gonna surprise some people.

Houston Texans full-back Jarrod Baxter is out for the season with a sprained left foot.

Baxter suffered the injury in the third quarter of Friday's 34-6 pre-season loss at Dallas.

Baxter started 10 of 15 games for the Texans last year in his rookie season, making his NFL debut in the season-opening victory over Dallas.

"This is certainly a loss," said Texans coach Dom Capers. "Jarrod started for us all last year.

"He came back in with a great attitude and worked extremely hard during the off-season.