The first time Damion Square played where NRG Stadium stands today, the Houston retractable-roof facility was not yet built, the space but a parking lot beside the Astrodome. He and friends would hop a fence into the area, which he recalled Thursday as being used for carnivals and rodeos prior to stadium construction beginning in 2000.
Square was in elementary school during those playground days. He and his mother lived a stone’s throw away on Westridge Street.
On Sunday, he will play on that developed lot as an NFL player.
“It’s crazy,” Square said.