Houston Texans facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Houston Texans
Current season
Logo Wordmark Uniforms
Basic info
Established	October 6, 1999; 25 years ago (1999-10-06)
Stadium	NRG Stadium Houston, Texas
Headquartered	NRG Stadium Houston, Texas
Colors	Deep steel blue, battle red, liberty white, H-Town blue
Fight song	"Football Time in Houston" "Hats Off To The Bull" by Chevelle (de facto)
Mascot	Toro
Personnel
Owner(s)	Cal McNair
CEO	Cal McNair
President	Mike Tomon
General manager	Nick Caserio
Head coach	DeMeco Ryans
Nicknames
Bulls on Parade
Team history
Houston Texans (2002–present)
Home fields
NRG Stadium (2002–present)
League / conference affiliations
National Football League (2002–present) American Football Conference (2002–present) AFC South (2002–present)
Championships
League championships: 0
Conference championships: 0
Division championships: 8 AFC South: 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024
Playoff appearances (8)
NFL: 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024
Owner(s)
Bob McNair (1999–2018) Janice McNair (2018–2024) Cal McNair (2024–present)

The Houston Texans are a professional American football team from Houston. They play in the National Football League (NFL) as part of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Their home games are at NRG Stadium.

The Texans started in 1999. They took the place of Houston's old NFL team, the Houston Oilers. The Oilers played from 1960 to 1996 before moving to Nashville and becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Texans began playing as a new team in 2002. This makes them the newest team in the NFL today.

The Texans had some tough years in the 2000s. But things got much better in the 2010s. They won their first division championship in 2011. This also earned them their first spot in the playoffs. The Texans have since won seven more AFC South division titles. These wins happened in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2024.

The Texans are the only NFL team that has never won a playoff game away from home. They are also the only team that has never played in a conference championship game. They are one of four teams that have never been to a Super Bowl. The other teams are the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and their division rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bob McNair owned the Texans until he passed away in 2018. After that, his wife, Janice, became the main owner. Their son, Cal, started running the team when his father died. He became the main owner when his mother gave him ownership in 2024. In August 2022, Forbes magazine said the Houston Texans were the eleventh richest team in the NFL. They were valued at $4.7 billion.

After the Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series, the Houston Texans became the only major professional sports team in Texas without a championship.

Team History

In 1997, Houston businessman Bob McNair tried to bring a new National Hockey League (NHL) team to the city. Around the same time, Bud Adams moved Houston's NFL team, the Houston Oilers, to Nashville, Tennessee. They were renamed the Tennessee Titans in 1999. In 1996, the Cleveland Browns had also moved. They became the Baltimore Ravens. As part of a deal, the NFL promised to bring football back to Cleveland within three years.

To make the number of teams even at 32, the NFL thought about adding another new team. Houston was a top choice for this new team. Other cities considered were Toronto and Los Angeles. Los Angeles had lost its teams, the Rams and the Raiders, in 1995. McNair decided to join the football project. He started Houston NFL Holdings with his partner Steve Patterson. They worked with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to push for a domed stadium. This was part of their plan to bring the NFL back to Houston. On October 6, 1999, the NFL gave the 32nd team to Houston for $700 million.

The McNair Family Era (2002–Present)

The Houston Texans joined the NFL in the 2002 season. They played at the new Reliant Stadium with head coach Dom Capers. On September 8, 2002, they won their first game against the Dallas Cowboys. This made the Texans the first new team to win its first game since the Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears in 1961. The Texans finished their first season with 4 wins and 12 losses. They were last in the AFC South. The team got a bit better in 2003 with a 5–11 record. They continued to improve with a 7–9 record in 2004. But in 2005, the Texans had a very bad season, finishing 2–14. This was the worst record in the league. After the season, Coach Capers was fired. The team then got the first pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Gary Kubiak's Time as Coach (2006–2013)

The team struggled in its first few years. But things started to get better when Houston native Gary Kubiak became the head coach in 2006. The Texans finished with an even record (8–8) in 2007 and 2008. They almost made the playoffs in 2009 with a 9–7 record. The Texans started the 2010 season well, with 4 wins and 2 losses. But they then lost 8 of their next 10 games, finishing 6–10.

In the 2011 NFL draft, the Texans picked Wisconsin star defensive end J. J. Watt as the 11th overall pick. The next season, former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips became the Texans' defensive coordinator. The improved defense helped them finish 10–6. They won their first AFC South title. The Texans then beat the Cincinnati Bengals 31–10 in the first round of the 2011–12 playoffs. But they lost 20–13 to the Ravens in the next round.

NRG Stadium

Houston lines up on offense against the Titans in 2012

The Texans became a strong team in the AFC South in 2012. They started with 5 wins and 0 losses. By week 14, they had an 11–1 record. However, they lost three of their last four games, finishing 12–4. They beat the rival Indianapolis Colts during that time, which helped them win their second AFC South title. The Texans beat the Bengals again in the wild-card round. But they lost to the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round.

In the 2013 NFL draft, the Texans picked Clemson wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins as the 27th overall pick. In 2013, the Texans started with 2 wins and 0 losses. But then they lost every game after that. Kubiak was fired as head coach after losing twice to the rival Jacksonville Jaguars, who had started 0–8. Wade Phillips took over as interim head coach. But the Texans' poor play continued. They finished 2–14, which tied their worst record in team history from 2005. Their 14-game losing streak was the longest in team history.

Bill O'Brien's Time as Coach (2014–2020)

The Texans started the 2014 season with a 14-game losing streak. Former Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien became the Texans' new head coach. He was the third head coach in the team's history. In 2014, the Texans won three of their first four games. They beat the Redskins in the first game, ending their losing streak. They also beat the Raiders and the Bills, but lost to the New York Giants. They then lost three of their next four games to the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Texans finished the 2014 season with a 9–7 record. They just barely missed the playoffs.

In the 2015 season, the Texans were featured on the HBO show "Hard Knocks." That year, they started with a 2–5 record. Quarterback Ryan Mallett was released after some issues when he was benched for Brian Hoyer during a loss to the Indianapolis Colts. After a tough start, the Texans finished with a 9–7 record. They won their third AFC South title. However, they lost badly to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round, 30–0. This ended their hopes for a championship that year.

On March 9, 2016, the Texans signed former Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler to a big 4-year, $72 million deal. Even with this large contract, Osweiler struggled a lot during the 2016 season. After throwing two interceptions in Week 15 against the Jaguars, coach Bill O'Brien benched him. Backup quarterback Tom Savage took his place. Savage led a comeback win against the Jaguars. He was named the starter for the rest of the season. The Texans won their fourth AFC South division title in six years in Savage's first start against the Bengals in Week 16. They beat the wildcard Oakland Raiders 27–14 in the first round of the playoffs. Osweiler started this game because Savage was out with a concussion. Osweiler also started in the Divisional Playoffs game against the New England Patriots. He threw three interceptions in the second half. The Texans lost 34–16.

In the 2017 NFL draft, the Texans traded up to pick Clemson star quarterback Deshaun Watson as the 12th overall selection. Watson started six games in his first year. He had 3 wins and 3 losses. Many said he had one of the best rookie seasons for a quarterback in NFL history. He became the Texans' main quarterback. However, his success was cut short. After a 41–38 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8, Watson tore his ACL in practice. He was out for the rest of the season. This led to one of the Texans' worst seasons. Many players got injured, including J. J. Watt. There was also a problem with the team possibly not following the league's rules for concussions. This happened after backup quarterback Tom Savage had a seizure after a Week 14 game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Texans won only 1 game and lost 9 for the rest of the season. They finished 4–12 and last in the AFC South in 2017. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. This was also Bill O'Brien's first losing season as Texans head coach.

All-Pro DE J. J. Watt (2011–2020)

In 2018, the Texans started the season with 0 wins and 3 losses. They lost closely to the New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and New York Giants. But then they won a thrilling 37–34 overtime game against Indianapolis. This win started a nine-game winning streak for the Texans. It was their first long winning streak since starting 5–0 in 2012. This streak included a Week 8 win against the Miami Dolphins where Deshaun Watson threw five touchdown passes. This was the longest winning streak ever for a team that started the season 0–3. The old record was seven wins by the New York Giants in 1918.

On November 23, 2018, the owner of the Houston Texans, Bob McNair, passed away from skin cancer. On November 26, 2018, McNair's wife, Janice McNair, became the main owner and Senior Chair of the Houston Texans. Their son, D. Cal McNair, became the chairman and Chief Operating Officer.

The Texans finished the season 11–5. They won another AFC South division championship under Bill O'Brien. They lost 21–7 in the first round of the playoffs to their AFC South division rival Indianapolis Colts.

In 2019, the Texans won the AFC South division championship again. They made it to the NFL playoffs with a 10–6 record. They went on to beat the Buffalo Bills 22–19 in overtime in the AFC wild-card round. However, the Texans' 2019 season ended the next week. They lost to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs 51–31 in the AFC divisional round. The Texans had a 24–0 lead in that game before the Chiefs made a big comeback.

On March 22, 2020, the Texans traded away star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round draft pick. They sent them to the Arizona Cardinals. In return, Houston received running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick, and a 2021 fourth-round pick. Many fans and sports writers found this trade confusing and controversial. They felt the Texans should have gotten more for Hopkins, who was one of the best receivers in the NFL.

The Texans started the 2020 NFL season with 0 wins and 4 losses. Because of this disappointing start, Bill O'Brien was fired after a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. Romeo Crennel, who had been a head coach for other teams, was named the interim head coach for the rest of the season. Crennel managed to win more than half of his first 7 games. This gave Houston a record of 4 wins and 7 losses. However, the Texans ended the season with a five-game losing streak. With a final record of 4–12, the Texans did not make the playoffs.

Rebuilding Years (2021–2022)

On January 27, 2021, the Texans hired David Culley as the team's head coach. Culley had recently worked as the Baltimore Ravens assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. On February 12, 2021, the Texans released star defensive end J.J. Watt. It was confirmed that Watt had personally asked owner Cal McNair to be released.

On January 13, 2022, the Texans fired David Culley after he led the team to a 4–13 record. They then promoted defensive coordinator Lovie Smith to be the team's fifth head coach on February 7, 2022. The team traded away their starting quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns on March 20, 2022. This trade happened because of lawsuits against Watson. The Texans received three 1st round picks, a 3rd round pick, and a 4th round pick in return. The Texans started their 2022 season with a tie game against the Indianapolis Colts. This was the team's first tie in its 20-year history. On January 9, 2023, the Texans announced they were firing Lovie Smith after a 3–13–1 season.

Ryans and Stroud Era (2023–Present)

On January 31, 2023, the Texans hired former player and 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their new head coach. He became the sixth head coach in the team's history. In the 2023 NFL draft, the Texans picked Ohio State quarterback C. J. Stroud. They also traded up to the third pick to select Defensive End Will Anderson Jr.. With Ryans as coach and Stroud as quarterback, the team got much better. They made the playoffs and won the AFC South for the first time since 2019 with a 10–7 record. They became the first NFL team to win their division with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback.

The team beat the Cleveland Browns 45–14 in the Wild Card Round. The Texans' season ended in the Divisional Round with a 34–10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Stroud was later named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson Jr. was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Ryans also tied for votes for NFL Coach of the Year. He lost the award in a tiebreaker. The 2024 season saw the Texans win the AFC South again with a 10–7 record and make the playoffs. They beat the Los Angeles Chargers in the wildcard round but lost to the Chiefs in the divisional round.

Team Rivalries

The Texans are the newest team in the NFL. They have only been playing for 23 seasons since 2002. They haven't had a lot of success in regular seasons or playoffs. Because of this, they don't have many long-standing rivalries like older teams. However, they have developed some rivalries. Their main rivals are the other teams in their division, the AFC South. These teams are the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Indianapolis Colts.

Divisional Rivals

Tennessee Titans

Many Houston fans see the Tennessee Titans as the Texans' biggest rival. The Titans used to be the Houston Oilers before they moved in 1996. Houstonians dislike the Titans because their former owner, Bud Adams, kept the Oilers' name and colors. Many Houston fans believe the Oilers' history belongs to the city of Houston. For example, Houston Police cars used to be the same blue and red colors as the Oilers. The "Oilers" name also relates to Houston's oil and gas industry. In 2023, Tennessee showed off Oilers Throwback Uniforms. They wore these uniforms when they played the Texans. As of 2025, the Titans still sometimes use these uniforms. As of the 2023 season, the Titans have won more games in the series, leading 23–21.

Indianapolis Colts

Since the early 2000s, the Texans also have a rivalry with the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. The Texans did not beat the Colts until the 2006 season. The first time the Texans beat the Colts twice in one season was in the 2016 NFL season. More recently, Houston has felt more strongly about the Colts. This is partly because their young quarterback, Andrew Luck, who was from Houston, was drafted by the Colts in 2012. The Texans also had their first two-game sweep against the Colts with Luck in 2016. In 2018, the two teams played in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs. The Colts won that game 21–7.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars started playing in 1995, and the Texans in 2002. This makes them two of the newer teams in the NFL. The Jaguars moved from the AFC Central to the new AFC South, where the Texans were placed. They have been division rivals ever since. The Jaguars are the only division rival the Texans have a winning record against. The Texans lead the series 29–15.

Conference Rivals

Cincinnati Bengals

Even though they are not in the same division, the Bengals and Texans had important games in the 2010s. For example, they played in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs in 2011 and 2012. The Texans won both of those games. The two teams also played on prime time TV in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The Texans gave the Bengals their first loss after an 8–0 start in one of those games.

Interconference Rivals

Dallas Cowboys

2019 pre-season matchup between the Texans and the Dallas Cowboys

The Texans also have a rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys. This is a rivalry between two teams in the same state but different conferences. They play for the Governor's Cup every year. This tradition started before the Oilers moved. They play either in the preseason or the regular season to see who is the best team in Texas. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused a lot of damage and flooding. Because of this, their Week 4 preseason game was moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. However, the game was canceled to keep fans and players' families safe. As of the 2024 season, the Cowboys lead the all-time series 4–3.

Team Culture

The Texans are the newest team in the league. But many famous people have supported them since they joined the NFL in 2002. The team has also gained many former Houston Oilers fans who needed a new home team. Even though they haven't won many playoff games, they have many loyal fans. Several celebrities, like Ryan Trahan, George Foreman, Paul Wall, Rico Rodriguez, and Raini Rodriguez, are strong supporters. In the 2010s, the team started using the nickname "Bulls on Parade". This was inspired by the Rage Against the Machine song, which was often played before the team entered the field.

Team Identity

The Williams Tower in Houston showing the word "TEXANS" using its office lights.

The club's nickname "Texans" was previously used by two franchises in Dallas (NFL: 1952; AFL: 1960–1962)

Team Name

When choosing the new team's name, the leaders did a lot of research. The final list of names was chosen after months of work by Houston NFL 2002 and NFL Properties. They even had an online survey where fans could share their ideas. Over 65,000 people responded in one week. On March 2, 2000, they announced the top five choices: Apollos, Bobcats, Stallions, Texans, and Wildcatters.

On September 6, 2000, the NFL's 32nd team was officially named the Houston Texans. This was announced at a big event in downtown Houston. McNair explained that the name and logo were chosen to "show the pride, strength, independence, and achievements that make the people of Houston and our area special." The name "Texans" had been used by other football teams that no longer exist. These included a team in San Antonio, a team in Houston that moved to Louisiana, the Dallas Texans of the NFL (who played only in 1952), and the team that became the Kansas City Chiefs (who were the second Dallas Texans in the AFL). Owner Bob McNair got permission from Chiefs' owner Lamar Hunt to use the Texans name for his new team. It's also a bit like how the NHL team the Montreal Canadiens named their team after people from their area.

Logo and Uniforms

Along with the team name, McNair showed off the team's logo. It's a picture of a bull's head. It's designed to look like the flag of Texas and the state of Texas itself. The bull's eye is a lone star, and its five points stand for pride, courage, strength, tradition, and independence. McNair described the team's colors as "Deep Steel Blue", "Battle Red", and "Liberty White". A year later, the Texans showed their uniforms at another event in downtown Houston. The bull represents the state's cattle ranching history, which was important when Texas was first settled in the 1800s.

The Texans' helmet is dark blue with the Texans bull logo. When the team name and logo were first shown, the helmet was white, but it was later changed to dark blue. The uniforms have red trim and either dark blue or white jerseys. The team usually wears white pants with their blue jerseys and blue pants with their white jerseys. Starting in 2006, the Texans wore all-white for their first home game. They also started wearing an all-blue uniform for home games against the Indianapolis Colts. In 2003, the Texans added an alternate red jersey with blue trim. They wear this jersey for one home game each year, usually against a team in their division. In 2007, the Texans wore red pants for the first time. They paired them with the red jerseys for an all-red look. They wore this until 2010, but brought it back in 2023. In October 2008, the Texans wore blue socks (instead of red) with their blue pants and white jerseys. This eventually became their main road uniform. In 2016, the Texans showed a new uniform combination against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They paired the red jersey with blue pants and red socks. In 2017, the Texans showed a Color Rush uniform. It was all blue with very little white. In 2021, the Texans started wearing all-white socks for some home and away games. In 2022, the Texans started using a red alternate helmet with the red uniform. In 2023, the red alternate helmet was worn with the Color Rush uniform in a 21–16 win against the Arizona Cardinals.

In 2002, the team wore a patch to celebrate their first season. They also celebrated 10 years as a team by wearing an anniversary patch throughout 2012. From 2018 to 2019, the Texans wore a special patch to honor Bob McNair after he passed away.

The Texans' uniform set from 2002 to 2023. The red helmet was introduced in 2023, the Color Rush uniform was introduced in 2017, and the red pants were briefly worn from 2007 to 2010 before being reintroduced in 2023.

In April 2024, the Texans showed off their new uniform designs. The main dark blue helmets stayed the same. But the home blue uniforms were updated with the Texans' main logo on the sleeve and new collar stripes. The road white uniform has blue and red horn stripes on the sleeves, and blue numbers with red trim. The white uniform's design was also used for the red alternate uniform. This red uniform is worn with a red helmet that has blue horn stripes. A second alternate uniform is navy blue with "H-Town blue" accents. The numbers are red with "H-Town blue" trim. This set is worn with a navy blue alternate helmet that has the "H-Star" logo in "H-Town blue" with red trim. Teams were allowed to show new helmets early this season if they had new uniforms.

Key Players and Achievements

Current Team Roster

NFL Draft History

First-Round Draft Picks by Year

The Texans have had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft three times.

Awards and Honors

Ring of Honor

On November 19, 2017, Andre Johnson was the first person added to the Texans Ring of Honor. On October 6, 2019, Bob McNair was added after he passed away. He was the second person honored. On October 1, 2023, J. J. Watt became the third person added to the Texans Ring of Honor.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Only two people in the Pro Football Hall of Fame have played for the Texans. This is partly because of the rules for getting into the Hall of Fame and because the Texans only started in 2002. In 2024, Andre Johnson became the first player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame mainly for his time with the Texans.

Team Staff and Coaches

Staff

Head Coaches

The Texans have had six full-time head coaches in their history. The team has also had two temporary head coaches.

Community Involvement

Team Traditions

• Battle Red Day – On Battle Red Day, the team wears their red alternate jerseys. Fans are encouraged to wear red to the game too. From 2007 to 2008, this included the Texans wearing red pants with their red jerseys.
• Liberty White-Out – On Liberty White-Out Day, the team wears their white road jerseys and white pants. Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game.
• Bull Pen – The sections behind the north end zone of NRG Stadium are called the Bull Pen. Some of the most excited Texans fans sit here. They have helped create many fan traditions and chants, such as:
  • Holding up giant Texans jerseys when the visiting team's players are announced.
  • Turning their backs on the other team after they score.
  • Tailgating in the purple lot, which is the parking area with the most barbecue for sale by fans.
  • Gathering for tailgating in the NW corner of the Platinum Lot at NRG Stadium. This is where the "Blue Crew" tailgate happens, and they do the Bull Pen Toast about an hour and a half before kickoff.
  • Walking in the HEB Holiday Parade on Thanksgiving Day.
  • Visiting the Bull Pen Pub for Toro Wraps, cheerleader autographs, and to listen and dance with the Bull Pen Pep Band.
• Bull Pen Pep Band – This is a 45-member music group that plays at all Houston Texans home games.
• Pre-Kickoff Tradition – Before each kickoff at a home game, the Texans show a short video of a raging bull attacking the opponent of the week. The video plays with the AC/DC song "Thunderstruck."
• Player Introduction – When players are introduced before the game, the announcer says the player's first name. Then the crowd yells out the last name. For example, the announcer says "Defensive End J. J." and the crowd yells "WATT!!!"

Mascots and Cheerleaders

Houston Texans Cheerleaders

The team's official mascot is Toro. He is a blue bull that acts like a person. The team also has a cheerleading squad called the Houston Texans Cheerleaders.

Community Outreach

The Houston Texans Foundation leads the team's community work. They work with many community groups. The Houston Texans also support a program called Heart of a Champion, which teaches good character. In 2017, the 15th annual Houston Texans Charity Golf Classic raised over $380,000 for the Foundation. Since it started in 2002, the Foundation has raised more than $27.2 million.

Former Texans player J. J. Watt raised $41.6 million to help people after Hurricane Harvey hit the city in 2017. Watt won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award that season for his efforts.

Radio and Television

As of 2023, the Texans' main radio stations were KILT SportsRadio 610AM and KILT 100.3FM. The AM station plays only sports talk. The FM station plays country music. Both are owned by Audacy. Marc Vandermeer is the play-by-play announcer. Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware gives extra comments. SportsRadio 610 host Rich Lord reports from the sidelines. Preseason and regular season Monday night games from ESPN are shown on KTRK, an ABC station. Kevin Kugler calls the preseason games on TV, with former Texans defensive end N. D. Kalu giving comments. Regular season games are shown on CBS station KHOU. If the Texans play a team from the NFC at home, the game is on Fox station KRIV. Sunday night games are on NBC station KPRC.

Spanish-language radio broadcasts of the team's games are on KGOL ESPN Deportes 1180AM. Enrique Vásquez is the play-by-play announcer. José Jojo Padrón gives comments, and Fernando Hernández reports from the sidelines.

Radio Stations

Map of radio affiliates.

Texans Radio Affiliates

See also

In Spanish: Houston Texans para niños

• List of Houston Texans seasons