Calvin Powitzky anchored the offensive and defensive lines for Pasadena High School’s 1964 football team—the only team in district history to finish undefeated. That season, the Eagles went 9-0-3, advancing to the state quarterfinals before falling short on tie-breaking penetrations. A dominant presence in the trenches, Powitzky earned All-State and All-Greater Houston honors and was named District 12-4A’s Most Valuable Player, a rare distinction for a lineman.

While he signed to play football at Rice University, Powitzky’s true passion was architecture, a field he had admired since childhood while watching his father, Calvin Sr., design many of Pasadena’s most iconic buildings. At Rice, he lettered in 1965 and 1966, highlighted by the Owls’ upset of Darrell Royal’s fifth-ranked Texas Longhorns. But after legendary coach Jess Neely retired, Powitzky was forced to make a choice between continuing football or pursuing his dream. He chose architecture, graduating with distinction, including the Alpha Rho Chi Medal, the School of Architecture’s highest honor.

Powitzky went on to co-found Bay Architects, also known as the Texas Studio for the IBI Group, a global firm specializing in educational design. Over his career, he has led more than 28 campus renovation projects across Pasadena ISD, including the Kirk Lewis Career and Technical High School. Among them, none meant more than his work at his alma mater, Pasadena High School—bringing his story full circle from the gridiron to the drafting table.