Could DeAndre Hopkins Also Become a Dynamo/Dash Owner?

Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been a soccer fan for some time, dating back to playing the sport as a kid. Hopkins helped reveal the Dynamo’s new jersey at the MLS FORWARD25 event in New York City this week and he took some time to speak to MLSSoccer.com’s Tom Bogert. Hopkins spoke about his love for the sport and if he’d be interested in becoming a part of the Dynamo/Dash ownership group, alongside his friend James Harden.

How big would having two superstars in the Houston sports landscape a part of the Dynamo/Dash ownership group? As we all know, the Dynamo have not “taken off” in the eyes of Houston sports fans. We’ve seen cities like Seattle and Atlanta embrace their MLS teams and consistently pack NFL stadiums. With Harden and Hopkins in the fold the casual Houstonian who follows sports could be much more keen to following the Dynamo and Dash, and even going out to a game to see what this whole Major League Soccer thing is about.

Would Hopkins becoming a part owner be an instant boost to the team that would fill BBVA Stadium for Dynamo and Dash games? Of course not. We haven’t exactly seen that with the addition of Harden to the front office. But, as more and more stars get involved in the sport and in Major League Soccer (i.e. Harden, Drew Carey in Seattle, Matthew McConaughey in Austin, Mia Hamm in LA) it lends credibility to MLS and helps attract fans who may not have been there in the past. As Hopkins said to Bogert, “James (Harden) is a friend of mine, so of course I’ve talked to him about it. That’s big in the sports world, for athletes to also be owners of a team. That made noise as soon as it happened.”

So, is Hopkins writing that check to join his friend as a part owner of a soccer team? Not so fast. “Hopefully down the line somewhere,” Hopkins said. “But right now, I’m just focused on my job.” Hopkins’ job as a wide receiver for the Texans is going quite well at the moment, so I wouldn’t look for him to be leaving that profession anytime soon.

Hopkins, who wears number 10 for the Texans, also went on to tell Bogert that he chose the number as an ode to Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi. “Yeah, that’s true. Messi is obviously considered one of the greatest ever. He’s short, you know, not the tallest. I feel like he’s got that underdog mentality,” Hopkins said. “I’m not the tallest, I’m not the biggest or the fastest. When you look at me, you might not think I’m the best receiver but my play shows for itself.” Hopefully, one day down the line, Hopkins brings that mentality to help an underdog sports franchise in his new home city.