JALEN PITRE: A real professional. Every day he's looking for something to get better at. Today after OTA2, he come up to the DBs asking different things we're seeing and different ways he can get better.
It's a real professional in C.J., and you could see why he was drafted so high because he really cares about the game of football.
Q. What are some of the nuances that you got better at to contribute to your success as a rookie?
JALEN PITRE: Just overall knowledge of the game. You're never complete in your knowledge about the game. It's always evolving, and you always learn new things.
Just leadership. I want to be a guy that the team could use in hard times. I'm just trying to step up in that role.
Q. When you hear C.J. say -- he said, I have to earn everything, which I love. What do you think about that comment from your quarterback?
JALEN PITRE: It just shows that he's a true competitor, a guy that wants to work and a guy that wants to compete at everything. You can hear that in his voice, and I'm happy he's on my team.
Q. In your words, what is the difference between last year's defense and this year's defense, if you're explaining it to the fans out there.
JALEN PITRE: That's a great question. A lot of familiar faces, but I would just say new energy. There is a couple new faces. Obviously we have a new coach and a new defensive staff. I would just say new energy.
Q. What's the difference in you going from year one to year two, just approaching the OTA with some experience?
JALEN PITRE: Just overall continue to do the things that I do well and also improving the things that I do not as well. I'm trying to be more vocal and just be that fun guy on the team, be a guy that you could look at for the energy. I'm just trying to be a guy that is positive out there on the field.
Q. What's your interactions been like with Jimmie Ward?
JALEN PITRE: Great interactions. We already got a handshake. He a good guy. He's a leader. You can see why he's been in the league so long. I'm excited to play with him. He plays with his hair on fire, and it's fun when you can play with a guy like that.
Q. What do you think about DeMeco and getting to know him and then seeing him as a head coach for the first time?
JALEN PITRE: He's a great head coach, a guy that's really intentional with what he's doing. You can see it in his meetings. You can really feel it at practice. He's making sure that every rep that I'm doing, whether it's a walkthrough, a practice, even in the film room, that I'm seeing the things that I need to see and finishing the right way.
He's always talking to me about my body position and my leverage. I'm thankful to have a coach that cares so much about the game and really loves the game of football.
Q. Jalen, what are some of the qualities of Will Anderson?
JALEN PITRE: Yeah, another guy that plays with his hair on fire, a guy that is excited about the game of football and loves to do what he do.
He made a play in OTA2 today, and he had a celebration. So it's a guy that's used to just making plays. I love to be around that type of energy.
Q. As you self-scout your rookie year, what are some things you like about it or some things you think you can do to be much better?
JALEN PITRE: The biggest thing I would say is my patience. I feel like I developed good patience throughout the year. It's also one of those things that you could never perfect. So I'm trying to build on that and trying to just slow my eyes down, and that will allow me to play faster and make those plays that need to be made.
Q. What's it like working with Cory Undlin? What are the differences you see in how they're going to work with you?
JALEN PITRE: I love Cory. He's in the meetings. He's very interactive. He knows a lot about the game of football as a whole and especially about the secondary. In the meeting room, he's not going to let anything slide and make sure every detail is said in the meeting room and making sure we get everything squared away.
Q. From Houston you've watched this team go through the ups and the downs. This past weekend you got a chance to participate in the Texans Volunteer Day out at Houston Food Bank. Can you just see the renewed energy as far as with DeMeco coming in, you're going into your second year, some of the draft picks they made, can you see that renewed energy in advance?
JALEN PITRE: I definitely can. I feel it. I feel like there's fresh air. Just a great time to be in Houston. We're trying to bring that feeling back, and we're trying to just continue to stack days and get better.
We're not really trying to look forward to anything, but we're just trying to take one day at a time and continue to improve on a day-to-day basis.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports