HOUSTON – Texans rookie safety Jalen Pitre, a former all-district selection and defensive MVP, was honored Friday night at his alma mater.
The second-round draft pick from Baylor and former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year had his No. 24 jersey retired by Stafford High School.
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“Huge honor,” Pitre said. “I’m thankful for the city of Stafford recognizing me. I am Stafford. I love the city I’m thankful for everything they’ve done for me and I’m going to continue to build off of that.
Pretty cool moment for Texans safety, Jalen Pitre tonight. (@JalenPitre1)
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) October 15, 2022
The Houston native had his high school jersey retired at Stafford. pic.twitter.com/vwRCuEqm7B
“I think this is probably near the top. This means a lot to me. It means a lot for the city as well, all the help they’ve put into me. It’s a really special moment. I’m just trying to be a role model. There’s a lot of great talent that comes from Stafford year in and year out. I’m just trying to be a guy they can look up to.”
At Stafford, he had 83 tackles, six interceptions, one sack, four fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles as a senior in leading his team to the Class 4A regionals.
The son of Rick and Devita Pitre has 38 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery, and two interceptions as one of the top rookies in the NFL.
He is continually striving for improvement and models his game after top NFL safeties, including Budda Baker and Tyrann Mathieu.
View Jalen Pitre’s comments here.
“Jalen is a good football player, but he’s missed a lot of tackles,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “If tackling is something you can certainly improve, we’ve talked to Jalen about that. Over the last couple of weeks, he’s certainly gotten better. Finding areas that you can improve as a football player, it’s not just about all the splash. It’s about being consistent and improving areas that maybe you’re not performing as well. He’s got the right attitude.
“He’s got as good as a routine as any young player from the time he walks in the building in the morning. Before practice, he’s in the weight room, he’s stretching, he’s going through his preparation. Being a good player is about having the routine, having preparation, being committed to that week after week, day after day.”
Aaron Wilson is a Pro Football Network reporter and a contributor to KPRC 2 and click2houston.com