HOUSTON – The phone often rings and despite the time difference Marlin Klein is happy to take the call from his home country of Germany.
Klein’s a family guy and the support of his parents means everything to the Texans rookie tight end. His hometown of Cologne, Germany is where his passion for football began. As a young teen he was locked in on his goals of becoming a professional football player and specifically in the National Football League.
Nearly five thousand miles away in Cologne is where his journey began and where his decision was made after playing the sport on the youth levels. Then came the big decision to leave Germany and make his way to the United States to pursue his dream.
“It was in 2019 I made the decision that this is what I wanted to pursue,” said Klein in an interview with KPRC 2 Sports Director Randy McIlvoy. “I told my parents and they thought I was crazy. I had tunnel vision though and knew exactly what I wanted.”
A flight to Atlanta was the first step for high school and thanks to a large frame the skills were evident and the Michigan Wolverines came calling.
“I arrived in Atlanta and I couldn’t speak English,” added Klein. “That was obviously a big hurdle for me to overcome but I was able to learn the language and man it’s been quite the story.”
Once in Ann Arbor, Klein excelled and became a team captain while also earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors.
The Texans scouts liked what they saw in Klein and made his the 59th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Klein’s dream of playing in the NFL quickly became real. He proved at Michigan he can catch the ball, play physical and block and the Texans were sold that he could develop into a major piece to the tight end group.
“Marlin’s progressed every single day. His trajectory is definitely pointing up,” Head Coach DeMeco Ryans said on Monday. “Seeing him in the pass game, you guys have seen him make a lot of plays out here in the passing game. He’s still learning a lot. We’re throwing a lot at him but for a rookie to be where he is at this point in camp, I’m very encouraged. He’s an exciting young player to watch for this year.”
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