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)
Colors	Deep steel blue, battle red, liberty white, H-Town blue
Fight song	"Football Time in Houston"
Mascot	Toro
Personnel
Owner(s)	Cal McNair
CEO	Cal McNair
President	Greg Grissom
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: 7 AFC South: 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023
Playoff appearances (7)
NFL: 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023
Owner(s)
Bob McNair (1999–2018) Janice McNair (2018–2024) Cal McNair (2024–present)

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

The Texans team was started in 1999. Bob McNair owned the team until he passed away in 2018. After that, his wife, Janice McNair, became the main owner. In 2024, their son, Cal McNair, took over ownership. The Texans replaced 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, making them the youngest team in the NFL today.

The Texans had a tough time in the 2000s. But things got better in the 2010s. They won their first division championship in 2011 and made it to the playoffs. The Texans have won the AFC South division seven times: in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2023. They are the only NFL team that has never won a playoff game away from home. They are also one of four teams that have never played in a Super Bowl. The other teams are the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and their division rival Jacksonville Jaguars.

In August 2022, Forbes magazine said the Houston Texans were worth $4.7 billion. This made them the eleventh richest team in the NFL. After the Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series, the Houston Texans became the only major professional sports team in Texas without a championship title.

Team History: How the Texans Began

In 1997, Houston businessman Bob McNair tried to bring a National Hockey League (NHL) team to the city, but it didn't work out. Around the same time, Houston's NFL team, the Houston Oilers, moved to Nashville, Tennessee. They were renamed the Tennessee Titans in 1999. The NFL wanted to have 32 teams. Houston was a top choice for a new team.

McNair decided to focus on bringing football back. He created Houston NFL Holdings. With the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, they worked to get a domed stadium built. This was part of their plan to attract the NFL. On October 6, 1999, the NFL chose Houston to get the 32nd team. It cost $700 million to start the team.

Joining the NFL: Early Years (2002–2005)

The Houston Texans officially joined the NFL in the 2002 season. They played their games at the new Reliant Stadium (now called NRG Stadium). Dom Capers was their first head coach. In their first game on September 8, 2002, the Texans beat the Dallas Cowboys. This made them the first new team to win their very first game since the Minnesota Vikings did it in 1961.

The Texans finished their first season with 4 wins and 12 losses. They came in last in the AFC South. They improved slightly in 2003 with a 5–11 record. In 2004, they had a 7–9 record. But in 2005, the team had a very tough year, finishing with only 2 wins and 14 losses. This was the worst record in the league. After this season, Coach Capers was fired. The Texans then got the first pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.

The Gary Kubiak Era (2006–2013)

Things started to get better when Gary Kubiak, who grew up in Houston, became the head coach in 2006. The Texans finished with an even record of 8 wins and 8 losses in both 2007 and 2008. In 2009, they almost made the playoffs with a 9–7 record. The 2010 season started well with 4 wins and 2 losses. However, the team struggled in the second half, finishing 6–10.

In the 2011 NFL Draft, the Texans picked J. J. Watt, a talented defensive end from Wisconsin. He was the 11th player chosen overall. The next season, Wade Phillips, a former coach for the Dallas Cowboys, became the Texans' defensive coordinator. The defense improved a lot, and the team finished 10–6. They won their first AFC South title and made the playoffs. The Texans beat the Cincinnati Bengals 31–10 in the first round of the 2011–12 playoffs. But they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 20–13 in the next round.

NRG Stadium

Houston lines up on offense against the Titans in 2012

In 2012, the Texans were one of the best teams in the AFC South. They started with 5 wins and no losses. By Week 14, their record was 11–1. However, they lost three of their last four games. They still finished 12–4 and won their second AFC South title by beating the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans again beat the Bengals 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 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from Clemson. In 2013, the Texans started with 2 wins and no losses. But then they lost every game after that. Coach Kubiak was fired after the team lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wade Phillips took over as interim coach, but the team's struggles continued. They finished with a 2–14 record, which tied their worst record ever. They had a 14-game losing streak, which is the longest in team history.

The Bill O'Brien Era (2014–2020)

The Texans started the 2014 season with a 14-game losing streak. Bill O'Brien, who used to coach Penn State, 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, Raiders, and Bills. They finished the 2014 season with a 9–7 record but just missed the playoffs.

In 2015, the Texans were featured on the HBO show "Hard Knocks." They started the season with a 2–5 record. Quarterback Ryan Mallett was released after he was benched for Brian Hoyer. Despite the slow start, the Texans finished 9–7 and won their third AFC South title. However, they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 30–0 in the Wild Card round.

On March 9, 2016, the Texans signed quarterback Brock Osweiler from the Denver Broncos. He signed a big contract for $72 million over four years. But Osweiler struggled a lot during the 2016 season. Coach Bill O'Brien benched him in Week 15 for backup quarterback Tom Savage. Savage led a comeback win against the Jaguars and became the starter. The Texans won their fourth AFC South title in six years in Savage's first start. They beat the Oakland Raiders 27–14 in the first round of the playoffs. Osweiler started because Savage had a concussion. The Texans then lost to the New England Patriots 34–16 in the Divisional Playoffs. Osweiler threw three interceptions in that game.

In the 2017 NFL Draft, the Texans traded up to pick Deshaun Watson, a star quarterback from Clemson. Watson started six games in his first year. He had a great rookie season, becoming the team's main quarterback. But his success was cut short. After a close loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8, Watson tore a ligament in his knee during practice. He missed the rest of the season. This injury, along with other injuries (like J. J. Watt's second season-ending injury), caused the Texans to have a very bad season. They finished 4–12 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. This was 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 close games to the New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and New York Giants. But then they won a thrilling overtime game against the Indianapolis Colts. This win started a nine-game winning streak for the Texans. It was their first long winning streak since 2012. This streak was the longest ever for a team that started 0–3.

On November 23, 2018, the Texans' owner, Bob McNair, passed away. On November 26, 2018, McNair's wife, Janice McNair, became the main owner. Their son, D. Cal McNair, became the chairman. The Texans finished the 2018 season with 11 wins and 5 losses. They won another AFC South division championship under Bill O'Brien. However, they lost 21–7 in the first round of the playoffs to their division rival, the Indianapolis Colts.

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

On March 22, 2020, the Texans traded away their star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a draft pick. In return, they got running back David Johnson and two other draft picks. Many fans and sports writers were confused by this trade. They felt the Texans should have received 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 Week 4. Romeo Crennel became the interim head coach for the rest of the season. Crennel helped the team win more than half of his first seven games. This gave Houston a 4–7 record. However, the Texans ended the season with a five-game losing streak. They finished with a 4–12 record and did not make the playoffs.

Rebuilding the Team (2021–2022)

On January 27, 2021, the Texans hired David Culley as their new head coach. Culley had been an assistant coach for the Baltimore Ravens. On February 12, 2021, the Texans released star defensive end J.J. Watt. 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. On February 7, 2022, they promoted defensive coordinator Lovie Smith to be the team's fifth head coach. The Texans started their 2022 season with a tie game against the Indianapolis Colts. This was the team's first tie in their 20-year history. On January 9, 2023, the Texans announced they were firing Lovie Smith after a 3–13–1 season.

The 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 quarterback C. J. Stroud from Ohio State. They also traded up to pick defensive end Will Anderson Jr..

Under Ryans and Stroud, the team played much better. They made the playoffs and won the AFC South division for the first time since 2019. They finished with a 10–7 record. This made them the first NFL team to win their division with both a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback. The team defeated 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. Ryans also tied for NFL Coach of the Year votes, but he lost the award in a tiebreaker.

Team Rivalries

The Texans are the newest team in the NFL. They have only been playing for 23 seasons since 2002. Because of this, they haven't had as much time to build long-standing rivalries like older teams. However, they have developed some rivalries. Their main rivals are the other teams in their AFC South division: 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. The Texans and Titans have played each other as AFC South rivals since the early 2000s. As of the 2023 season, the Titans have won more games in the series, leading 23–21.

Indianapolis Colts

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 2016. The rivalry became more intense when the Colts drafted Houston-native quarterback Andrew Luck in 2012. 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 to the AFC South when it was created, and they have been division rivals with the Texans ever since. The Jaguars are the only division rival that the Texans have a winning record against. The Texans lead the series 29–15.

Inter-Conference Rivalry

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, either in the preseason or regular season. This tradition started before the Oilers moved. In 2017, a preseason game between them was canceled due to Hurricane Harvey. As of the 2024 season, the Cowboys lead the all-time series 4–3.

Team Culture and Identity

The Texans are the newest team in the league. But they have been very popular with many fans and celebrities since 2002. Many former Houston Oilers fans have also become Texans supporters. Even without many playoff wins, the team has a lot of loyal fans. Celebrities like Ryan Trahan, George Foreman, and Paul Wall support the team. In the 2010s, the team adopted the nickname "Bulls on Parade". This comes from the Rage Against the Machine song, which is often played before the team enters the field.

Team Name and Logo

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)

When choosing the team name, the leaders did a lot of research. They also asked fans for their ideas online. More than 65,000 people responded in one week. On March 2, 2000, the list of names was narrowed down to five: 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. Owner Bob McNair said the name and logo were chosen to show the "pride, strength, independence and achievement" of the people of Houston and Texas. The name "Texans" had been used by other football teams in the past. Bob McNair got permission from the Kansas City Chiefs' owner, Lamar Hunt, to use the name.

Uniforms and Team Colors

Along with the team name, McNair showed off the team's logo. It's a bull's head that looks like the flag of Texas and the state itself. The bull's eye is a lone star, which stands for pride, courage, strength, tradition, and independence. McNair described the team colors as "Deep Steel Blue", "Battle Red", and "Liberty White". A year later, the Texans showed their uniforms at another event.

The Texans' helmet is dark blue with the bull logo. It was originally white but was changed to dark blue. The uniforms have red trim. They use either dark blue or white jerseys. Usually, they wear white pants with blue jerseys and blue pants with white jerseys. Since 2006, they have sometimes worn all-white for their first home game. They also started wearing all-blue for home games against the Indianapolis Colts.

In 2003, the Texans added a red jersey with blue trim. They wear this jersey for one home game each year, often against a division rival. In 2007, they introduced red pants for the first time, making an all-red look. This was used until 2010 but came back in 2023. In 2017, the Texans got a special Color Rush uniform, which is all blue with very little white. In 2022, they started using a red alternate helmet with the red uniform.

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 newly designed uniforms. The main dark blue helmets stayed the same. The home blue uniforms now have the Texans' main crest on the sleeve and new collar stripes. The white road uniform has blue and red horn stripes on the sleeves, with blue numbers and red trim. The red alternate uniform uses the white uniform's design but with a red helmet that has blue horn stripes. A second alternate uniform is navy blue with "H-Town blue" accents. This set comes with a navy blue alternate helmet that has an "H-Star" logo in "H-Town blue" with red trim.

Notable Players and Honors

Current Team Roster

NFL Draft History

First-Round Draft Picks

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

Awards and Special Honors

Texans Ring of Honor

The Texans have a "Ring of Honor" to celebrate important people. On November 19, 2017, Andre Johnson was the first player added to it. On October 6, 2019, Bob McNair, the team's founder, was added after he passed away. On October 1, 2023, J. J. Watt became the third person in the Ring of Honor.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Members

Only two people who have played for the Texans are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is partly because the Texans are a newer team. In 2024, Andre Johnson became the first player to be inducted mainly for his time with the Texans.

Team Staff and Coaches

Current Staff

Head Coaches Through the Years

The Texans have had six full-time head coaches in their history. They have also had two temporary (interim) head coaches.

Team Traditions and Community

Texans Game Day Traditions

• Battle Red Day – On this day, the team wears its red alternate jerseys. Fans are asked to wear red to the game too.
• Liberty White-Out – For this day, the team wears its white road jerseys and white pants. Fans are encouraged to wear white.
• Bull Pen – The sections behind the north end zone at NRG Stadium are called the Bull Pen. Some of the most dedicated Texans fans sit here. They have created many fan traditions, songs, and chants.
  • They hold up giant Texans jerseys when the visiting team's players are announced.
  • They turn their backs on the opposing team after they score points.
  • Fans gather for tailgating (pre-game parties) in the purple lot. This area has lots of barbecue for sale.
  • The "Blue Crew" tailgate group gathers in the NW corner of the Platinum Lot. They do the Bull Pen Toast about 90 minutes before each game.
• Bull Pen Pep Band – This is a 45-member music group that plays at all Houston Texans home games.
• Pre-Kickoff Tradition – Before each home game kickoff, a short video plays. It shows 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 a game, the announcer says the player's first name. Then the crowd yells out the player's last name. For example, the announcer says "Defensive End J. J." and the crowd yells "WATT!!!"

Team Mascots and Cheerleaders

Houston Texans Cheerleaders

The Texans' official mascot is Toro. He is a blue bull character. The team also has a cheerleading squad called the Houston Texans Cheerleaders.

Community Work

The Houston Texans Foundation leads the team's community work. They partner with many groups to help the community. The Texans also support "Heart of a Champion," a program that teaches good character. In 2017, the Texans Charity Golf Classic raised over $380,000 for the Foundation. Since 2002, the Foundation has raised more than $27.2 million.

Former Texans player J. J. Watt raised $41.6 million to help with relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The storm caused a lot of damage in Houston. Watt won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award that season for his efforts.

Radio and Television Broadcasts

As of 2023, the Texans' main radio stations are KILT SportsRadio 610AM and KILT 100.3FM. Marc Vandermeer is the play-by-play announcer. Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware gives color commentary. Rich Lord is the sideline reporter. Preseason and regular season Monday night games are shown on KTRK, an ABC station. Regular season games are also shown on CBS station KHOU, Fox station KRIV (for games against NFC teams), and NBC station KPRC for Sunday night games.

Spanish-language radio broadcasts of the games are on KGOL ESPN Deportes 1180AM. Enrique Vásquez is the play-by-play announcer. José Jojo Padrón provides color commentary, and Fernando Hernández is the sideline reporter.

Texans Radio Affiliates

Map of radio affiliates.

Texans Radio Affiliates

See also

In Spanish: Houston Texans para niños

• List of Houston Texans seasons