Amid the potential 0-3 start, one of the more underlying stories for the Houston Texans in their return to Duval County to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3 is the return of Azeez Al-Shaair to the place where his season nearly ended.

In Week 13’s win over the Jaguars, Al-Shaair made headlines for his diving collision against Trevor Lawrence while the quarterback was sliding for a first down. As Lawrence lay motionless on the ground, the Jaguars’ sideline went after the veteran linebacker and seemed ready to fight.

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The altercation lasted several minutes before being broken up, resulting in Al-Shaair being ejected for an unsportsmanlike conduct call. A week later, the NFL slapped him with a three-game suspension for an illegal hit. The Texans tried to appeal the suspension but after a meeting with the NFLPA, it was upheld, and Al-Shaair was out without pay until Week 18’s regular-season finale.\

So, while the Texans are looking to right the ship with their offensive woes, Al-Shaair is looking to play the game the way he knows best. When asked about the return, he said he’s put the incident behind him, making sure it won’t affect his performance when the defense takes the field.

“I’m gonna go out there and do what I’ve done my entire career,” Al-Shaair told reporters. “Play as hard as I can. Anybody who got the ball in their hand, that’s who I’m trying to hit and just do my job.”

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Al-Shaair said that while he understands the backlash from fans in the stands, he believes that the NFL used him as an example to ensure the game is played more safely. As a response, Al-Shaair said he feels he must make an extra effort to show he’s changed his ways enough to not have officials breathing down his back.

“I’ve just kind of been trying to prove a point every single week of who I am,” Al-Shaair said. “I play hard, but I play the game the right way, so that’s just what I’m going to keep doing.”

Kickoff from EverBank Stadium is scheduled for noon CT.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texas LB Azeez Al-Shaair won’t make changes to play style vs. Jaguars