Running back Dare Ogunbowale makes key Texans field goal in bizarre injury twist

Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale has kick and punt returns to his name, but now you can add a field goal kick to his résumé. 

Ogunbowale was forced to become Houston’s kicker midgame on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons and even gave his team a lead with a late field goal in the fourth quarter. 

The odd situation occurred when the Texans’ actual kicker, Ka’imi Fairbairn, didn’t come out of the locker room due to a leg injury and it forced Houston to get creative.

Ogunbowale kicked the ball off to start the second half and came in during a crucial fourth-quarter chance. 

With less than nine minutes to play and the score tied at 30, Ogunbowale came out to attempt a 29-yard field goal.

The running back-turned-kicker for the afternoon booted the ball with enough power and distance to put the Texans ahead 33-30. 

Houston went on to win the game 39-37 in dramatic fashion as quarterback CJ Stroud threw for 470 yards and five touchdowns to push the team to 4-4.

The Texans went wild with excitement as the CBS cameras caught special teams coordinator Frank Ross going crazy on the sideline as the ball went through the uprights. 

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1721269137652219939

How Ogunbowale got picked to fill in is a bit of a mystery as of now.

Adam Winkler of ABC 13 in Houston posted to social media that Ogunbowale had said in the past that he played soccer in high school.

Winkler also posted a video of Ogunbowale kicking around a soccer ball at a Texans practice with several teammates. 

As for Fairbairn, the Texans ruled him out with a quad injury, 

Fairbairn did kick a 50-yard field goal with 5:17 remaining in the second quarter before the injury got the best of him. 

https://twitter.com/AdamWinkABC13/status/1721264426571973113

Going into the Week 9 matchup with Tampa Bay, Ogunbowale had just two rushing attempts for four yards.

Both came back in Week 2 when Houston hosted Indianapolis.