On Tuesday, July 7, Mayor Roy West stood in the Beaumont City Council Chambers and presented the Key to the City to P.J. Locke III, a Beaumont native and safety for the Dallas Cowboys. The ceremony was open to the public. The room was full.

Locke graduated from Beaumont Central High School before going on to build an NFL career that has taken him to one of the most recognized franchises in professional football. But what has defined his relationship with this city as much as anything he has done on the field is what he does when he comes back.

Every year, Locke returns to Beaumont to run a free youth football camp for local children. Not an appearance. Not a photo opportunity. A camp. Where kids from this community get the chance to learn fundamentals, build confidence, and be mentored by someone who played on the same fields they are playing on now and made it to the highest level of the sport.

That is the kind of investment that does not have to happen. He chooses it.

The Key to the City is Beaumont's formal recognition of someone whose achievements and character reflect the values of this community. P.J. Locke III has represented Southeast Texas on a national stage while staying connected to the streets, schools, and neighborhoods that shaped him.

Beaumont produces people like this. It is worth saying out loud every time it happens.

Photo courtesy of PJ Locke III / Facebook.