‘I’m a little bit low cost’: Why Houston Texans rookie Jalen Pitre lives at residence along with his dad and mom – Houston Texans Weblog

HOUSTON — It was night time when Houston Texans second-round choose Jalen Pitre was in his childhood bed room, learning movie.

Jalen’s mom, DeVita, was sitting on a black sofa in the lounge explaining why her multimillion-dollar son had determined to dwell along with his dad and mom after being drafted in April.

The backstory facilities round Jalen asking DeVita to go looking on-line on his behalf, as he was unfamiliar with residence possession. As she was about to disclose the costs she found, Jalen’s dad, Rick, leaned over and playfully interrupted DeVita.

“She’s going round in circles,” Rick stated as DeVita giggled. “Aye man! Reduce to the chase. Jalen’s low cost! He ain’t finna be flashy. He desires to look good, don’t get me improper, however Jalen ain’t finna get off the airplane with no mink coat.”

DeVita and Rick instantly burst out laughing.

The Pitres dwell in Stafford, Texas, which is roughly 20 minutes from NRG Stadium, the place the Texans play. It’s the identical home the place Jalen and his brother, Jerick, have grown up since 2000.

So even after the 23 year-old signed a four-year, $8.9 million deal, with a $3.6 million signing bonus, Jalen knew he was “staying on the crib.”

The costs DeVita found for the kind of residence Jalen was desirous about have been round $10,000 per 30 days, which made staying along with his dad and mom financially useful.

“He was like, ‘Oh no, I am not finna give them those who sort of cash,’” DeVita stated.

Shortly after, Jalen strolled into the household room after he completed learning and confirmed the rumors.

“Yeah, that’s fairly correct,” Jalen stated with a smile. “I will spend my cash. However for probably the most half, I attempt to be a little bit accountable. So, sure, I might say I’m a little bit low cost. My dad and mom at all times advised me that their doorways are at all times open and to take my time earlier than selecting someplace.”

Jalen would not plan on shifting till he finds a house that makes monetary sense for him. However within the meantime, he enjoys with the ability to spend time along with his dad and mom in the lounge, the place they used to observe throwback films akin to “Unhealthy Boys” or their favourite sitcom, “Martin.”

That lounge is the place Jalen, Rick and Jerick, who’s 15 months older than Jalen, would watch sports activities collectively. Jalen wasn’t a diehard fan of any staff rising up, however he developed favourite gamers just like the late Kobe Bryant and Reggie Bush, who caught his youthful eye when Bush gained the Heisman at USC. Bush can be why Jalen wears No. 5.

However despite the fact that they lived in Houston, the family wasn’t mad when the Texans handed on Bush to pick out defensive finish Mario Williams No. 1 total in the course of the 2006 draft. Rick was a New Orleans Saints fan on the time, so it was a win-win state of affairs when the Saints took Bush with the No. 2 choose.

However Jalen nonetheless grew an affection for a selected participant from the hometown staff. When Jalen was a operating again in his youthful days, he modeled his recreation after Bush and Arian Foster.

However Jalen was candid about his operating again expertise.

“At one level, my favourite participant was Arian Foster,” Jalen stated of the Texans’ all-time main rusher. “However to be sincere, I actually wasn’t that good at operating again. Like, I used to be good, however it wouldn’t have gone too far. I in all probability would not have been capable of be a NFL operating again. Not an opportunity.”

As an alternative, Jalen earned his method to a beginning security place with the Texans, and the 2021 Massive 12 Defensive Participant of the 12 months at Baylor completed with 15 tackles by means of his first two video games towards the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.

But it surely’s not daily that you simply hear about an NFL participant residing in his childhood residence. And despite the fact that there was renovation over time, the go searching the home and the way his dad and mom deal with Jalen are the identical.

There is not any curfew for Jalen, and he admitted that there is not “even a cause to as a result of I am often in the home, asleep actually early.”

The room that Jalen now sleeps in has change into a little bit cramped along with his Baylor soccer gear, however not a lot has modified for him.

The structure of the room stays the identical, and when he goes by means of his morning routine, it is fairly much like when he attended Stafford Excessive Faculty.

He wakes up at 5 a.m. for follow, will get dressed and hops on the interstate for a 20-minute journey to the power in the identical Dodge Challenger he obtained from his dad and mom in his sophomore yr of faculty.

Due to his early mornings, nonetheless, Jalen not often sees his dad and mom earlier than he makes that journey, as issues stay comparable for them as nicely. DeVita has been a financial institution teller for 21 years, and Rick has labored for UPS as a truck driver for 28.

When Jalen arrives residence from follow round 6 p.m., he often solely sees his mother, who will get residence across the similar time. They’ll chat as he’ll hearken to his mom discuss work and poke enjoyable at her for complaining.

However two childhood mainstays have altered.

One, they not often discuss soccer.

“We do not like stressing him out,” Rick stated. “The NFL is simply a lot.”

The dearth of soccer discussions at residence helps Jalen take care of the each day rigors of the NFL.

“It calms my nerves lots,” Jalen stated. “I simply come residence and chill prefer it’s highschool, it is no stress. Not many questions on soccer stuff.

“[It] reminds you of little league if you have been at school ball, enjoying highschool or center faculty, it simply will get a really old-school really feel to it. It makes you’re feeling like an actual child once more, and it is actual enjoyable.”

The opposite change revolves round meals.

They nonetheless have dinner collectively, however Jalen eats what he brings residence from the power. As a lot as he loves his mother’s cooking, particularly his favourite dish of oxtail, he is aware of he has to eat like knowledgeable athlete.

“My mother and my dad are nice cooks, they usually’ll throw down if we request it,” Jalen stated. “However I attempted to maintain that burden off of them. And I am additionally making an attempt to be a little bit bit more healthy.”

Jalen’s food plan consists of no quick meals, cleaner forms of protein akin to fish and rooster and considerably extra inexperienced greens and fruits.

Rick often arrives residence round Jalen’s bedtime (9 p.m.), however typically the household will sit in the lounge, chat about life and reminisce.

And relating to reminiscing, it’s not possible for Jalen to not rekindle nostalgic ideas every time he returns residence from follow. When he enters the home from the storage, the sports activities recollections figuratively smack him within the face.

There are quite a few trophies from Jalen and Jerick’s youthful days.

There are additionally photos on the shelf from when Rick coached his sons’ AAU basketball staff, referred to as “In Ya Face,” within the sixth and seventh grades.

Two massive banners grasp from the ceiling of the storage: Considered one of Jalen and one other of Jerick of their highschool soccer jerseys from 2016 when each starred at Stafford.

Regardless that Jalen’s dad and mom crack jokes about his perceived cheapness, they don’t permit Jalen to pay hire, or some other payments.

“I alleviated all of that,” Rick stated. “All I requested my children was one factor: Do your half and we are going to do ours.”

Jalen residing along with his dad and mom goes past him being frugal; it is a few household bond that brings him peace from the each day grind of the NFL.

However possibly subsequent offseason, Jalen and his mother will begin looking the online once more for his first residence.