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HOUSTON -- They battled fiercely at times, and that, in part, is why they achieved what they did. Whitney Mercilus and Jeff Allen were two future NFL players who tested themselves against each other while teammates on opposing lines at Illinois. "Man, they were heated," Mercilus said of their practices against each other. "We got into a couple scuffles. He’d be pulling me by my jersey, I’d be like, ‘Hey bro, chill. I’m coming after you next play.’ So it’d be stupid things like that." Those battles with Allen on the offensive line and Mercilus on the defensive front drew them closer together, and eventually they became roommates, drawn to each other's intensity.  Apart for four seasons after college, Allen and Mercilus reunited in March. The Texans signed Allen to a four-year deal worth $28 million so they could replace right guard Brandon Brooks, who departed in free agency. That contract came a year after Houston gave Mercilus, an outside linebacker who converted from defensive end after college, a four-year extension worth $26 million. They are key pieces for a team hoping to build on last year's 9-7 campaign.
After college, their paths diverged. Mercilus was a first-round pick in 2012, the year after the Texans drafted J.J. Watt. During Mercilus's rookie season, Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed were the Texans' starting outside linebackers. The next year, in 2013, Barwin departed for Philadelphia and Mercilus started opposite Reed. Under linebackers coach Mike Vrabel, Mercilus blossomed. That the Texans drafted Jadeveon Clowney, who played the same position as Mercilus, first overall motivated Mercilus further. He grew enough to earn his contract extension after the 2014 season. Then he rewarded the Texans for their belief in him during the 2015 season. Mercilus had 12 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He and Watt were the most productive duo of pass-rushers in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Allen in the second round in 2012. He was active for all 16 games of his rookie season, and became a starter in Week 4. Allen suffered a biceps injury in Week 1 of the 2014 season and missed the rest of the year. In 2015, a training camp knee injury kept Allen out of the starting lineup until Week 7. Once Allen returned to the starting lineup, the Chiefs won 11 consecutive games. His toughness and nastiness drew the Texans to Allen as they looked to upgrade their offensive line. New to Houston, Allen hesitated to divulge much at all about Mercilus, about his transition to Houston or about his playing style. He did offer this of his past life with Mercilus: "I'd probably say I was the neat one." Mercilus, though, brightened hearing Allen's name, and scoffed, with mock anger, at Allen's claim on his cleanliness. "We just gravitated towards each other and especially on the field, just getting work with each other and stuff like that," Mercilus said. "It’s like iron sharpens iron and pretty much every day I got a chance to go against him. He got me better, so that’s why I’m here now."
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