FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE + LEISURE
PERFORMING LIKE A PRO
BRIAN PETERS NEVER DROPPED THE BALL DURING HARVEY
By Carlos Brandon | Photgraphy by Michelle Watson
ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 26 , 2017 , I was stuck in the New Orleans airport . My flight from Ft . Lauderdale to Houston was rerouted mid-flight due to flooding on the runways . Hurricane Harvey was battering the city of Houston . Brian Peters was in New Orleans that same night for a preseason game against the Saints . While he played , his home in Bellaire took on almost three feet of water . Brian came back to a flooded house , flooded car and nearly all his possessions destroyed . None of that stopped the third-year Texan from getting to work restoring his community . Brian has been involved in various recovery efforts , volunteering his time and energy , all while finding new housing and attempting to replace what he lost . I got the chance recently to sit and talk to Brian about his career , his time in Houston and his Harvey experience .
CB – Brian , your journey to the NFL took you to a few different places : arena football , Canadian football , Minnesota , Houston . Tell me about that transition to the NFL . Did you come into the league with a chip on your shoulder ?
BP – Yeah , definitely . I didn ’ t get a call on draft night , so I tried out for a few teams at their rookie camps . Then my agent sent me out to arena ball where I played four weeks for a couple hundred bucks a week . I did a couple years in the CFL and then got an opportunity with the Vikings . They put me on their practice squad and then Houston signed me . But yeah , all that builds the chip on my shoulder ; I guess my struggle is not getting complacent now that I ’ m where I want to be .
CB – You ’ ve just started your third year with the Texans . Do you feel that you ’ re more at home now in the league ? More established ?
BP – I always knew I belonged here . When I got those tryouts originally , I always knew I could play . That ’ s what got me here ; hopefully , that ’ s what keeps me here – the feeling of belonging . But , yeah , every year you get under your belt you continue to gain confidence and comfort .
CB – Brian , as I understand , you felt the effects of Harvey very personally . Can you tell our readers a little about what you went through ?
BP – So , the storm hit while we were in New Orleans . My landlord , out of the kindness of his heart , went over and put my furniture on cinder blocks . His name is Scott Williams ; he did a lot for me . I ended up getting about two and a half feet of water . My car got water up to the windshield . Furniture , clothes … all that was damaged . But nothing you can ’ t replace .
CB – And despite that , you ’ ve been doing a lot of volunteering , a lot of giving back . Tell me a little about what you ’ ve been doing .
BP – Well , all credit goes to our community team ; they made everything very easy . We got a chance to go over to the NRG Center and interact with some people affected by the hurricane . You start to see the effects and you see what people have lost . And we had other opportunities ; I went to the Boys and Girls Club . I haven ’ t gotten to do too much ; I ’ ve been trying to get my home base in order .
CB – What drives you to want to give back to your community so soon after a natural disaster like this , especially while you are dealing with your own losses ?
BP – This whole thing puts everything into perspective . You learn what ’ s important and what ’ s not . At a time when the good people of Houston are hurting , it ’ s just a responsibility to give back . You have to take care of the people that have taken care of you .
CB – One last question , Brian . You ’ re from up north . Born in Ohio , played in Illinois and in Canada . I imagine the transition to the South was a little difficult for you . After going through this experience , do you feel more connected now to the city of Houston and its people ?
BP – Definitely . I ’ ve bumped into so many random people lately that have heard my story . And just being associated with the Houston Texans , the community seems to embrace you . Houston is just good people . Every day that I ’ ve been here I ’ ve continued to get more comfortable and feel that I ’ m more a part of the community .
10 . 2017 | LOCAL 49