DeAndre Hopkins' ability to catch everything within his wingspan is a marvel to behold.
The Houston Texans receiver, who earned zero recorded drops on 115 receptions in 2018, told Peter King of NBC's Football Morning in America that growing up he had a unique way of practicing snatching things.
"This is something I haven't told many people, because it's embarrassing," he said. "We always used to catch flies with our hands. I was the only one who could catch 'em. One-handed, two-handed. I actually studied flies. I'd watch 'em. How do you catch flies? They fly up. If I can catch that, I can catch anything."
'If you can catch a fly, you can catch anything,' should become Hopkins' 'If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.'
Hopkins is the best receiver in the NFL who remains remarkably under the radar, somehow. Nuk gets repeatedly double- and triple-teamed, held, pushed, jostled and yanked on nearly every route, yet somehow comes down with everything tossed his way. Perhaps trapping flies is a secret more aspiring wideouts should adopt.
Hopkins seems annoyed that more people don't talk about his zero-drop season -- the first time a player with at least 110 catches did not flub a pass since drop stats were recorded (13 years).
"Why do you think people don't really know that?" he asked King.
Hopkins is correct that he flies too far under the national radar for his talent. If the Texans' offense lives up to the offseason billing and Houston makes it further than the wild card round, perhaps more people nationally will take notice of Hopkins and his fly-trapping vice grips.