Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team plays its home games at NRG Stadium.

The Texans were founded in 1999. They began playing as an expansion team in 2002, making them the youngest team in the NFL. The team is owned by the McNair family.

History

Main article: History of the Houston Texans

In 1997, a businessman named Bob McNair wanted to bring a hockey team to Houston but it didn't work. Around that time, another team, the Houston Oilers, moved to Tennessee. To keep the number of teams balanced, the NFL decided to add a new team. In 1999, Houston was chosen, and McNair helped start the Houston Texans. The team joined the NFL in 2002 and played their first game in a new stadium.

The Texans had some difficult early years but got better over time. A coach named Gary Kubiak joined and helped the team improve. They made it to the playoffs a few times. Later, under coach Bill O'Brien, the team had some good and bad seasons. In 2018, the team's original owner, Bob McNair, passed away from illness. His family took over the team.

In recent years, the Texans made changes, including new coaches and players. In 2023, they hired DeMeco Ryans as coach and chose a new quarterback, C. J. Stroud, in the draft. With these changes, the team improved and made the playoffs again, starting a new hopeful chapter.

Rivalries

The Houston Texans joined the NFL in 2002, so they are one of the newer teams. Because they are young, they don’t have very old rivalries like some older teams. But they have created some fun competitions with other teams.

Their biggest rivals are the teams in their own division, the AFC South. These include the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Indianapolis Colts. Fans often see the Titans as a special rival because the Titans were once the Houston Oilers before moving to Tennessee. The Texans also have strong contests with the Colts and Jaguars.

The Texans also have exciting matchups with teams not in their division, like the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys. With the Cowboys, they compete for the Governor’s Cup, a tradition that started before the Texans existed. One game was canceled because of safety concerns after Hurricane Harvey.

Culture

Some fans of the old Oilers team became fans of the Houston Texans. Famous people who support the Texans include Ryan Trahan, George Foreman, Paul Wall, Rico Rodriguez, and Raini Rodriguez.

In the 2010s, the team started calling themselves the "Bulls on Parade," a name taken from a song by Rage Against the Machine. They use this name when they introduce the team before games.

Team identity

The Houston Texans chose their name after listening to ideas from fans. The team became the Houston Texans in 2000. The name "Texans" shows respect for the people of Houston.

The team's logo is a bull's head that looks like the flag of Texas, with a star for the eye. The team's colors are deep blue, battle red, and liberty white. The uniforms use these colors, with blue helmets and jerseys in different styles. Over the years, the team has made special uniforms for special events. In 2024, the Texans changed their uniforms with new designs for home and away games.

Players of note

The Houston Texans have had some very important players over the years. They have had the very first pick in the NFL Draft three times. This means they chose the player everyone thought was the best that year.

Further information: List of Houston Texans first-round draft picks

Main article: List of Houston Texans awards and honors

Some special players are honored in the Texans Ring of Honor. Andre Johnson was the first player added in 2017. Bob McNair, the team's founder, was added in 2019. J. J. Watt joined in 2023, and Janice McNair, Bob’s wife, was added in 2025.

Only a few players from the Pro Football Hall of Fame have played for the Texans. Andre Johnson became the first player mainly recognized for his time with the Texans when he was inducted in 2024.

Staff and head coaches

Staff

Head coaches

The Houston Texans have had six main head coaches during their time as a team, along with two temporary head coaches.

Main article: List of Houston Texans head coaches

Community

Traditions

The Houston Texans have special traditions that fans enjoy. On Battle Red Day, the team wears red jerseys and fans are encouraged to wear red too. On Liberty White-Out Day, the team wears white jerseys and fans wear white.

The Bull Pen is a special area in the stadium where the most enthusiastic fans gather. They have created fun traditions like holding up big jerseys when the visiting team’s players are introduced.

The team has a Bull Pen Pep Band with 45 members who play music at every home game. Before each game, a short video of a bull is shown while the song “Thunderstruck” plays.

Mascots and cheerleaders

The team’s mascot is Toro, an anthropomorphic blue bull. They also have a cheerleading squad called the Houston Texans Cheerleaders.

Community outreach

The Houston Texans help the community through the Houston Texans Foundation. They support programs like Heart of a Champion.

Former player J. J. Watt helped raise money for relief after Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Radio and television

As of 2023, the Houston Texans' main radio stations are KILT SportsRadio 610AM and KILT 100.3FM. The AM station focuses on sports, while the FM station plays modern country music. Both stations are owned by Audacy. Marc Vandermeer is the main announcer, and Andre Ware gives special insights during games.

Games shown on TV during certain weeks are broadcast by KTRK, an ABC station. Kevin Kugler speaks about these games, with help from former player N. D. Kalu. Most regular games are shown on KHOU, KRIV, or KPRC, depending on the schedule.

Spanish-language listeners can hear games on KGOL ESPN Deportes 1180AM, with Enrique Vásquez as the announcer and José Jojo Padrón giving special insights.

Texans Radio Affiliates Archived

Season-by-season record

Main article: List of Houston Texans seasons

The Houston Texans are a professional football team. They play in a big league called the National Football League. They are part of a group of teams called the American Football Conference South division. Their home games are at NRG Stadium. Every year, they play other teams to see how well they do.

Notes and references