Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock continues to thrive in the second NFL start of his career

Defensive backs live by the simple mantra of “tips and tumbles – you've got to get them,” and no one exemplifies that more than Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock, who recorded his second career interception on Sunday.

Bullock developed a reputation as a ball hawk during his three years with the USC Trojans that helped him earn first-team All-American honors, and he's carried that into the NFL. Late in the first quarter, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye shot past his intended receiver, DeMario “Pop” Douglas, and the ball landed in the waiting arms of Bullock. He also recovered a fumble in the Texans' 41-21 win over the Patriots.

Houston Texans coach Demeco Ryans highlighted Bullock's play in his postgame press conference.

“Calen shows up at football every week and that’s why we picked Calen,” Ryans said. “He showed that in college and it's cool to see Calen like that, right?” He did that in college and now he's doing it here in the league. The game isn't too big for him and he made a lot of plays again, intercepting the ball and recovering the fumble. Very proud of him.”

Bullock made his second career start on Sunday due to an injury to veteran Jimmie Ward and is developing into everything the Texans hoped he would be when they selected him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The 21-year-old has quickly become an impact player in Houston's secondary and continues to develop into one of the NFL's best young safeties. Bullock recorded his first career interception in his first-ever NFL game when Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson also overshot his intended target. As he did so many times in college, Bullock showed off his incredible range and athleticism when he intercepted a diving shot.

In Week 5, with the Texans trailing 20-17 early in the third quarter, Bullock chased down Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby and forced him out of bounds inside the five-yard area. The Texans defense held strong around the goal line and the Jaguars were kept out of the end zone and walked away with zero points.

His incredible individual performance kept the Texans alive in a game where the offense struggled to get anything done in the second half. The Houston offense finally got going late in the fourth quarter and quarterback CJ Stroud connected with running back Dare Ogunbowale for a touchdown with 18 seconds left in regulation, giving the Texans the 24-20 victory.

One game can be the difference when it comes to playoff positioning, and this move from Bullock could pay dividends down the line for the Texans.

“One thing our defense relies on is effort, and there's no play that shows that more than Calen giving us a little grass to stand on,” Ryans said. “Calen trying to run him down and get him to stop and regroup is a big challenge for us. It was a huge play for us to regroup and then get a stop in the red zone. I mean, this is a big turning point in the game and it shows what effort means and if the game is run right, that kind of effort could put you in a position to be on the winning side.