Houston Style Magazine Vol 33 No 40

Inaugural Houston - African Energy Summit

Summit

Jesse Jackson

Houston Symphony Experience Music with Daniel Bartholomew - Poyser

By Jo-Carolyn Goode / Photo Courtesy of TSU

Publisher Francis Page, Jr. fpagejr@stylemagazine.com

Associate Publisher Lisa Valadez lisa@stylemagazine.com

Managing Editor Jo-Carolyn Goode editorial@stylemagazine.com

Social Media Editor/Videographer Reginald Dominique reggiedominique@me.com

Sports Editor

Brian Barefield brian_barefield@yahoo.com

Food Writer

Alex Jack alexandriajack1991@gmail.com

NATIONAL WRITERS

Jesse Jackson jjackson@rainbowpush.org

Roland Martin www.rolandmartin.com

Judge Greg Mathis www.askjudgemathis.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Vicky Pink vhpink@gmail.com

William Ealy Williamealy1906@gmail.com

Mike Munoz artrepreneur91@gmail.com

Robert Franklin editorial@stylemagazine.com

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By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

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Members of Greater Houston

National Association of Hispanic

(NAHP,

Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Latin Women’s Initiative (LWI), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and Supporters of Great er Houston Partnership(GHP)

In 1838, in a shameful chapter of American history, U.S. forces under Gen. Winfield Scott forced tens of thousands of Cherokee Indians – one of the “Five Civilized Tribes” that had embraced the customs and language of white settlers – to march 1,200 miles to what was designated “Indian Terri tory” across the Mississippi (centered in what is now Oklahoma). Their lands were confiscated; their homes looted. Along what became known as the Trail of Tears, whooping cough, typhus, dysentery, and starvation took a deadly toll, with an estimated one-quarter of the Cherokee people perishing along the way.

The U.S. government claimed that an 1835 agreement with Cherokee leaders – the Treaty of New Echota – provided the terms for forcibly re moving the Cherokee and confiscating their land, which was in high demand by white plantation owners seeking to expand their cotton fields. As part of the treaty, the U.S. government explicitly guaranteed the Cherokee people a seat in the U.S. Congress.

Nearly 200 years later, that legal promise goes unfulfilled. It is far past time for the U.S. to fulfill its promise. The Cherokee Nation has designated a delegate – Kim Teehee, an experienced leader who has worked on Capitol Hill and in the Obama administration. The treaty provision is an explicit promise only to the Cherokee nation. Yet because of the importance of having a seat at the table in Congress, the National Con gress of American Indians has united behind the call to fulfill the promise. This is a question of honor. A treaty is a legal promise; breaking it is breaking the law. For the U.S., which prides itself as championing a “rules-based international order,” not honoring that promise is a glaring violation of our own principles.

COMMENTARY A QUESTION OF JUSTICE

By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

This is a question of justice. The Trail of Tears was a brutal act of terror enforced on a proud people that, ironi cally, were among the Native American leaders in seeking to make peace with the new American settlers. The injustice inflicted upon them did not end with their arrival in what was known as “In dian Territory.” The condition of Native Americans in America continues to be appalling to this day.

From 2019 to 2021 as COVID raged across the country, the life expec tancy of Native Americans plummeted from 71.8 years to 65.2, an unprece dented and staggering decline. COVID preyed on the most vulnerable. Native Americans had higher rates of vaccina tion than African Americans or Hispan ics. But they suffer far higher rates of poverty, far worse access to health care, and as a direct result greater numbers of pre-existing conditions like obesity and diabetes. The result was a modern-day Trail of Tears.

Needless to say, having a del egate in Congress won’t correct that reality. But it will provide Native Amer icans with a voice so that their reality

does not go unnoticed. It would give them the opportunity to build coalitions and advance legislation to address this shameful reality.

This is also a question of wisdom. At a time when zealots seek to drive America apart, to turn whites against people of color, natives against immigrants, Christians against Jews and Muslims, fulfilling the treaty prom ise would be an expression of simple wisdom. We all do better when we all do better. Giving the Cherokee Nation a seat in the Congress would not only fulfill a treaty promise, but it would also symbolize that reality.

According to the provisions of the treaty, creating the promised seat in the Congress requires only a vote of the House of Representatives. The delegate would be non-voting but could sit on committees and speak from the floor of Congress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has expressed her support. Now is the time to act.

This fall, the Rules Committee – chaired by Rep. Jim McGovern –should convene a hearing to forward a resolution to create the seat. The House

of Representatives should formally vote to create the seat. Both the speaker and Rep. McGovern should be flooded with messages urging them to act.

November is designated as Na tive American Heritage Month. There can be few better ways to recognize it than to honor a nearly 200-year-old legal obligation, and create the congres sional seat promised to those who were in this nation long before the Pilgrims arrived.

You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this Newspaper or by email at: jjackson@rainbowpush.org

HBCUs are more than a place for higher education

They are a legacy, a place you become your true self and where past generations uplift you to your destiny. It's your family's history and your community’s future. It's your HBCU.

Xfinity recognizes the legacy, harmony, necessity, and impact of HBCUs. And as the world changes, the more we must remain connected to the culture. Just say, "Black Experience," into your Xfinity Voice Remote to experience more HBCU.

Visit x finity.com/blackexperience to learn more.

Texas Southern University Celebrates 95 Years of Excellence in Achievement

By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor/ Photos Courtesy of TSU

From the first group of 88 in 1927 to welcoming the largest in coming first-year class in its history and surpassing over 10,000 enrolled students, every nation and tongue is now represented in the student body.

When people of color went out to discover more for them selves in the early 1920s, there weren’t a lot of open doors but closed ones. Opportunities were few, and there weren’t many individuals with extended hands to show them the way. However, a courageous few found opportunity tucked away in the heart of Third Ward at a place to be called Texas Southern University.

The University has been a place that has opened its doors to embrace diversity, even before re ceiving its name. Ninety-five years later, the university continues to value multiculturalism.While a large segment of America was engrossed in the “roaring” 1920s, segregation and oppression made it hard for Black men and women to advance in certain areas of life. In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, the Houston Public School Board established two junior colleges in Houston. One of those colleges would be founded on September 14, 1927, and called the Houston Colored Junior College. With a loan of $2,800, the first class of 1927 had 88 students ready to learn and conquer.

Four years after the first class stepped foot on campus, the Houston Colored Junior College was called the Houston College for Negroes, complete with a higher distinction as a four-year university. The move in prestige allowed the initial class of 63 Blacks to get full-fledged degrees, not only an associate's degree. Soon after, a graduate program was formed and the College for Negroes became a bastion for higher education inside another Third Ward institution for learning: Jack Yates High School. While housed within the walls of Yates’ campus, enrollment grew by

the hundreds, culminating with a peak in 1946 at 1,400 students.

The sudden growth of the college prompted a need for the school to have its own campus. Noted Houston philanthropist Hugh Roy Cullen provided the financial backing required for the college to move from Yates to a new cam pus with 53 acres of land to work around. The first building erected on the grounds was the T.M. Fair child Building, named after Black Houston businessman Thorton Mc Nair Fairchild. Quickly, the school needed a new name to match its new campus and an emphasis on nurtur ing higher education in Houston. In 1947, the college was renamed the Texas State University of Negroes. At the time, controversy brewed in Austin as Herman Marion Sweatt, a Black man, applied to attend law school at the University of Texas. However, due to the terms handed down by the “separate but equal” ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson some 51 years prior, the school did not admit Sweatt on the grounds of race. His desire to attend the state’s largest college institution sent shockwaves throughout Texas. It gave way to the idea of the Texas State University of Negroes founding a law school where African Americans could not only enroll but graduate and thrive. The state legislature would draft two bills preventing future incidents such as Sweatt’s from occurring, estab lishing the law school at TSUN with $2,000,000 in funding. In 1951, the university underwent one final, per manent name change. After students petitioned to have Negroes removed from the school’s name, the Texas State University for Negroes was renamed Texas Southern University on June 1, 1951.

Dexter Maryland, the Student Government Association President, has been vocal about revving up the student body to celebrate TSU’s sig nificance in education. “I’ve learned that in this current environment, students want to connect to things that they can truly feel,” Maryland said. Under his leadership, SGA has launched Tap In Tigers, a social media campaign to help engage students with the hope and school spirit the administration hopes to continue throughout their collegiate experience.

Maryland, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and soon-to-be graduate in the Class of 2023, has cited TSU alums as one of his reasons for wanting to pass the torch to the next generation of TSU students.“They serve not only as a source of information but also a ha ven of support and love, we connect on a deeper level because our tiger stripes are forever connected,” he said. “I want my legacy to be one that is centered around the development and enhancement of every student I serve and come in contact with. One that will elevate the mindset of our students to understand that their degrees are attached to their future.”

Class of 2011 graduate Reginald Dominique echoes Maryland’s sentiments. After a stint at Bethune Cookman in Tallahassee, Florida, Dominique transferred to Texas Southern after his parents expressed outrage over how expensive Bethune was. Initially given a choice of moving to a Louisiana HBCU that previous family members attended, Dominique chose his own legacy and began his stroll on the Tiger Walk. “I didn’t know much about [TSU], but when I got there, I immediately fell in love with the culture, with the city, where the school was located,” Dominique said. “I loved how the school is so intertwined directly with the community.

“Third Ward wouldn’t be Third Ward without TSU and TSU wouldn’t be TSU without Third Ward. So the fact that the school is intertwined in the Black community and there are so many great people that come out of TSU that I knew that I was in the right place.” (Story continues on pg.7)

Dexter Maryland

Reginald Dominique

Texas Southern University Celebrates 95 Years of Excellence in Achievement

By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor / Photos Courtesy of TSU Courtesy of TSU

can go back home, and people still know who you are. They still care about what you are doing now, and I just feel like that is at any HBCU period,” Williams said. “That is an HBCU legacy that you can go some where and be taught for four years and then always have a place at that institution. I feel like Texas Southern provided that not only for myself but for every student.”

did from those professors. The care that they give doesn’t just stop once the class is over. It was such a wel coming environment. They actually do care about you. They have an investment in you, and they want to see you succeed.”

Williams also noted that this makes former students active in the alumni association. “Those same people go back home and feel like they have a place still at TSU because it is home for us."

(Continued)

Current student Kenne di Southall attests to the university's culture being a strong point for future attendees.“It’s everywhere at TSU,” Southall said. “Not only do the stu dents give you a family feel but even the people around TSU and outside of TSU. They give you the same support without you even having to know them. The Third Ward family experience as a whole is something you just can’t get anywhere else.”

That community for South all includes her Tiger family, her sorority sisters and hanging out with friends at her favorite spot on campus: the student center.“From the on-campus restaurants to the

outside Greek plots, I just always love the opportunity to go out and socialize with my sisters and my friends any time that I can,” she said. The close-knit relationships formed at an HBCU like TSU, where your professors and friends become like your extended family, is all part of the entire experience, according to National Texas Southern University Alumni Association President Corrie Williams.

A graduate of the Class of 2002, Williams can still go back on campus and find professors who call her by her name to ask how she’s doing some 20 years after she grad uated. That just feels good when you

Before attending TSU, Wil liams came from a community where she was among the few Black faces in her class. She never experienced the love or care or felt the wealth of how much a teacher wanted the best for her until attending TSU. “I’ve never received an education before like I did at Texas Southern like I

Read More at Stylemagazine.com

Kennedi Southall

Corrie Williams

Hispanic Heritage and History Lives on in Campus Namesakes Throughout HISD

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

HISD has 22 schools that rec ognize the contributions of Hispanic civic and community leaders who range from educators and civil servants to local restaurateurs, newscasters, Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, and even Nobel Prize-winners.

Davila ES — Named for Jaime Dávila, the son of immigrant parents from Mexico, the school opened in August 1990, not far from the site on which Dávila was born in 1959. Dávila was a product of HISD and the first student from Houston’s East End to receive a full scholarship to Harvard University.

DeAnda ES — This school, which opened in the fall of 2011, was designed to provide relief for overcrowded conditions at nearby Mitchell ES. It was named for the late Judge James DeAnda, Houston native and graduate of Davis HS. DeAnda was one of the first Mexican-Ameri can attorneys to argue before the Su

preme Court and the second Mexican American to serve as a federal judge.

DeZavala ES – Opened in 1929, this school is named for Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala (1789–1836), who was a distinguished Mexican statesman and diplomat. He was giv en the responsibility of colonizing Texas and led the struggle for its in dependence. He was elected interim vice president of the New Republic.

Herrera ES – John J. Herrera was the 21st national president of the League of United Latin-American Citizens (LULAC) and established 15 districts of this organization throughout the state of Texas.

The son of a San Antonio policeman, he was descended from one of the 14 original families to settle that city. He was born in 1910 and passed away in Houston in 1986.

The school named for him was built in 1992.

Laurenzo ECC – One of the first two facilities built by HISD to serve prekindergarten students exclusively, this school opened in the autumn of 2004. It is named for the Ninfa Rodríguez Laurenzo, a much-loved Houston restaurateur and community leader who recognized the importance of early childhood education. Laurenzo opened her first Mexican-food restaurant in 1969 in a converted warehouse on Houston’s east side.

Over the next 10 years, she parlayed that restaurant’s success into a multi-million-dollar empire. The school named after her is located in the same neighborhood as her original restaurant. She died in June 2001.

Read more at: Stylemagazine.com

HEALTH: HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT BEGINS ADMINISTERING UPDATED COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOTS

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

The Houston Health Department (HHD) is now administering the updated Pfizer and Moderna biva lent booster shots at its health centers and several multi-services centers.

The CDC’s Advisory Commit

Macy's Backstage Opens at Memorial City

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

Macy's, celebrates the opening of a new Macy’s Backstage at Me morial City. With the addition of Backstage at Memorial City, Macy’s now offers 4 Backstage locations in the Houston area. Macy’s Backstage de livers a store-within-store shopping experience with a changing assortment of on-trend items to give shoppers another way to express their personal style at significant savings. The new location at Memorial City will official ly open Saturday, October 1 at 10am with more than 11,000 square feet of dedicated retail space on the 2nd floor inside the full-line Macy’s.

The grand opening will be celebrated with a variety of giveaways for custom ers (while supplies last).

Macy’s has successfully expanded its off-price business to more than 300 Ma cy’s stores, allowing customers to shop both merchandise offerings in one shopping trip. To support the growth of Macy’s Backstage, a Backstage dis tribution center in Columbus, Ohio, is dedicated to expediting merchandise to Backstage locations nationwide and ensuring each store always has fresh and exciting product.

At Macy’s Backstage, shoppers can earn and redeem Star Rewards and use their Macy’s credit card at all locations, creating a seamless experience for those shopping at both Macy’s fullline and Backstage stores. Customers will be inspired to “post and share” their favorite finds and looks using #macysbackstagefinds and tagging @ macysbackstage.

H Mayor Sylvester Turner H Mohamed Bazoum, President of Niger H Hilda Suka- Mafudze, African Union Ambassador to the United States

Puttery Houston is Modernizing Mini Golf with Curated Cocktails and Upscale Bites!

By Alexandria Jack, Culinary Writer

Belly. They have also curated a fabulous cocktail menu that includes their "BBQ on a Saturday Night" cocktail with bourbon, honey, smoked peach, lemon, and bitters. You can have a sip of one of their curated cocktails as you play on their transformative courses. Making the game a ton more fun!

The classic windmill and clown mini golf course are now of the past, and Put tery has three mini golf courses that are perfect for modern times, The Library, The Lodge, and The Conservatory. Each course is a 9-hole experience with dig ital scorekeeping and a scoreboard that everyone in the course can see. Puttery

has put great details into each course. There are many great spots for selfies, and in the lodge, you can take cute pics by the ski lift.

Puttery has a sophisticated flare that can be appreciated by adults but satisfies the inner child.

Next time you are looking for a place that includes elements of fun, sexy, and adventure, Puttery is the spot!

To learn more about Puttery, visit puttery.com

and follow them on Instagram @putteryofficial

This week celebrates International Mini Golf Day, and there is a new mini golf experience that satisfies those that are a kid at heart, foodies, and cocktail enthusiasts! Puttery is Houston's newest grown and sexy mini golf hotspot changing how we enjoy mini golf.

Puttery, located on Washington Ave, brings three bars, three mini golf cours es, and an amazingly great time for your next date night, meetup, or kickback!

Their drink and food menu is definitely for Houston's foodies and cocktail enthusiasts. Their menu in cludes upscale classics like Lamb Slid ers, Tuna Tostada, and Sous Vide Pork

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There may be money in your house. And not just in the couch cushions.

ARTS: Experience Classical Music to Ragtime Jazz, Classic Rock, and Beyond with the Houston Symphony

By StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

Take a musical journey through time as the Symphony pays homage to over a century of trailblazing Black artists, from classical music to ragtime, jazz, classic rock, and beyond! Rock out to Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” dance to Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer,” Flor ence Price’s exhilarating “Juba” Dance, and much more! This program will also feature an exceptional performance by American Idol contestant Douglas Mills Jr. and students from Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Canadian Conductor, Daniel Bar tholomew-Poyser, is co-creator of the program.

Bartholomew-Poyser, a pas sionate communicator, brings clarity and meaning to the concert hall, fos tering deep connections between au diences and performers. Daniel is the resident conductor of engagement and education at the San Francisco Sym phony, the Barrett principal education conductor and community ambassador of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the principal youth conductor and

creative partner with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. He also is the artist in residence and community ambassador of Symphony Nova Scotia, conducting ballet and pops with national and international artists and designing diverse and relevant family and outreach shows for the Halifax community. Daniel has conducted leading orchestras throughout North America. He was a guest conductor with the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Centre in 2020. Additionally, he has served as assistant conductor of the Kitchen er-Waterloo Symphony and associate conductor of the Thunder Bay Sym phony Orchestra. In April 2022, Daniel debuted with Carnegie Hall’s Link Up Orchestra, conducting the world premiere of Ram Tori Maya by Indian American composer Reena Esmail and We Shall Not Be Moved, arranged by American vocalist and composer Nath alie Joachim.

Houston-raised vocalist Doug las Mills, Jr. is a freshman at Sam Hous ton State University and an alumnus of

Kinder HSPVA’s vocal department. He received a golden ticket to participate in the most recent season of American Idol, where he advanced to the top 50. He was also a merit winner for the 2021 National YoungArts Foundation. He is currently studying music therapy to help others the way music helped him and hoped to continue growing in experience to give back to the community.

more information, visit www.houstonsymphony.org

Daniel Bartholomew - Poyser Douglas Mills, Jr.

Raising Cane’s Founder Presents $100,000 Donation to Hispanic Scholarship Fund

By StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

Raising Cane’s and the Hispan ic Scholarship Fund (HSF) kicked off their long-term partnership to help empower Hispanic students all over the country to pursue and complete a higher education, as well as set them up for success in their future careers.

To mark the occasion, Raising Cane’s Founder and Co-CEO Todd Graves presented a $100,000 check to HSF Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, Araceli Ruano. The two leaders showed a genuine apprecia tion for each other’s work and discussed ways that this new partnership will work to advance higher education for all stu dents across the country. The meeting took place in one of Raising Canes’ new est locations in El Segundo, California.

Education and entrepreneurship are two of Raising Canes’ six areas of focus for Active Community Involvement – mak ing HSF a perfect fit for partnership with Raising Cane’s. Additionally, more than 30% of Raising Cane’s Crewmembers are Hispanic, and the company operates in several primarily Hispanic markets.

“Our top priority at Raising Cane’s has always been to support our Crewmembers and the communities in which we serve,” Graves said. “We believe in training our Crew to be the best at everything they do, and that’s exactly what HSF stands for. We are glad to partner with HSF in advancing their important mission of setting students up for success as they work to achieve their dreams.”

Since 1975, HSF has awarded more than $675 million to 65,000 HSF Scholars that are pursuing or have com pleted their college degree. The organi zation’s mission is to empower students and parents with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete higher education and earn a degree.

“It’s thanks to generous dona tions like this that allow us to provide students with the resources they need to succeed in higher education,” said Rua no. “It was great to spend some time with Todd yesterday afternoon, hearing about his commitment to supporting not just his Crewmembers, but the communities in which Raising Cane’s operates.

We’re excited to partner with Raising Cane’s and we look forward to

seeing all the lives that will be impacted by their support.” Raising Cane’s has a long history of supporting worthy caus es across the United States. More than 30,000 local organizations and nonprofits are supported through the brand’s 650+ Restaurants, totaling more than $100 million in funds given over the past 25 years.

Read More at Stylemagazine.com

TURNER, COUNTY AND

LEADERS ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF SECOND GUN BUYBACK

By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

Mayor Sylvester Turner joined city, county, and federal partners today to announce details of the next gun buyback as part of the One Safe Houston initiative. The Mayor was joined by U.S. Rep. Al Green, U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis, City Council Member Tiffany Thomas and METRO Chair Sanjay Ramabhadran.

Following an overwhelming turnout during the first gun buyback on July 30, the second event will take place on Oct. 8 at the METRO Park & Ride, 11050 Harwin Drive, between 8 a.m.- noon.

"Our goal is the same for the second event as it was for the first, and that is to get guns off the street," said Mayor Turner. "The guns turned in will never be stolen or used in the commis sion of a crime, suicide, or an accidental shooting by a child."

During the first gun buyback, Houston Police collected 793 guns, in cluding 281 long guns, and 512 pistols. HPD also gave priority vouchers to 150 additional people who were turned turned away because of the long lines and wait. In anticipation of another out pouring of support and robust public in

terest, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner announced that HPD would implement several changes to make the process more efficient on Oct. 8 including:

• More lanes to accommodate vehicles

• People given priority vouchers on July 30 will be moved to front of the line

• No privately manufactured weapons or "ghost guns" accepted.

• No questions asked. Remain in vehicles

The gun buyback is one tool in the One Safe Houston initiative, a compre hensive holistic approach to reducing violent crime. It has four components.

• Violence Reduction and Crime Prevention

• Crisis Intervention, Response and Recovery

• Youth Outreach Opportunities

• Key Community Partnerships

Today, violent crime is down overall in Houston, and the murder rate is down 4%.

Mayor Sylvester Turner

Rodney Ellis

SPORTS: TEXANS ROOKIE JALEN PITRE HAS COMING OUT PARTY AGAINST THE BEARS

By Brian Barefield – Sports Editor

The Houston Texans head coach and defensive coordinator have been telling anyone who would listen that there was just something special about rookie safety Jalen Pitre. From the time he was drafted until he played in his first NFL regular season game, coach Smith has raved about the potential of the second-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Baylor University.

We got a glimpse of his ball awareness skills against the Indianap olis Colts where he almost had his first interception. He was a very intricate part of stopping the run game of the Denver Broncos in Week 2, but on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, Pitre displayed his talents that made him the 2021 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a Consensus First-Team All-American.

Pitre’s first interception came in the first quarter after the Texans had scored on a four-yard touchdown pass

from quarterback Davis Mills to tight end Jordan Akins and cut the Bears lead to three points. Chicago quarterback Jordan Fields dropped back to pass and had a significant amount of time in the pocket to find his tight end Cole Kemet cutting across the middle of the field. The ball sailed over the head of Kemet and into the arms of Pitre as he secured his first NFL interception of his career.

“Big shout out to my coaches,” said Pitre when asked about his game plan preparations. “They do a great job throughout the week of putting me in great spots and helping me the things I am going to see when game time comes.”

“So, I give a big shout out to them and my teammates. We put in a lot of work on first down, second down and third down. Looking at everything we need to see and come into the game prepared. I give a big shout out to the older guys in the locker room and my coaches for helping me with that.”

The 23-year-old rookie came up with another spectacular grab for his second interception of the game on third down early in the fourth quarter with the game tied to give his offense another possession.

“We were in Cover-2, and I understood the weak part of the defense in the middle part of the field,” Pitre said after the game to reporters. “Kirko (Christian Kirskey) did a great job of making him put some air on the ball

and with that that allowed me to make a play.”

With his two interceptions on the day, Pitre became one of only four rookies since 2020 to record multiple interceptions in a single game. He is just the second rookie in Texans history to record two interceptions in the same game since CB Dunta Robinson did it vs. the Oakland Raiders in 2004. The former two-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection also added eight total tackles and a sack which made him the fourth rookie in NFL history and first rookie in franchise history to record two inter ceptions and a sack in the same game.

“He was phenomenal,” said Texans defensive lineman Jerry Hughes about Pitre’s play on Sunday. “Young guy, he's making great plays for us. I know he wanted to get up and score, but two big picks to kind of keep our offense in scoring territory, that's what you want as a secondary.”