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, replacing the city's previous NFL franchise, the Houston Oilers, who played from 1960 to 1996 before moving to Nashville and eventually becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Texans began play as an expansion team in 2002, making them the youngest franchise currently competing in the NFL.

While the Texans faced challenges in the early years, they improved in the 2010s, winning their first division championship in 2011 and going on to win several more. They have yet to appear in a Super Bowl, but they made history by winning their first road playoff game in 2025. The team is owned by the McNair family and is valued at over four billion dollars.

History

Main article: History of the Houston Texans

In 1997, a businessman named Bob McNair tried to bring a hockey team to Houston but was unsuccessful. Around the same time, another team, the Houston Oilers, moved away to Tennessee. To balance the number of teams in the league, 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 at a new stadium.

The Texans had some tough early years but gradually improved. One key moment was when a coach named Gary Kubiak joined, and the team started to do better. They even made it to the playoffs a few times. Later, under coach Bill O'Brien, the team had more ups and downs, including some very tough seasons. In 2018, after a great start followed by a rough end, the team's original owner, Bob McNair, passed away from illness. His family took over running the team.

In recent years, the Texans went through 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, marking a hopeful new chapter for the franchise.

Rivalries

The Houston Texans joined the NFL in 2002, making them one of the newest teams. Because they are young, they don’t have long-standing rivalries like older teams. However, they have built some exciting 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 notable matchups with teams outside their division, like the Cincinnati Bengals and even the Dallas Cowboys. With the Cowboys, they compete for the Governor’s Cup, a tradition that started before the Texans existed. Unfortunately, a game was once canceled due to 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 a long process that included feedback from fans. The team was officially named the Houston Texans in 2000. The name "Texans" honors the pride and spirit of the people of Houston.

The team's logo shows a bull's head designed to look 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 feature these colors, with blue helmets and jerseys in various combinations. Over the years, the team has introduced special uniforms for different occasions. In 2024, the Texans updated 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, which 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 and turning their backs after the opposing team scores.

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. When players are introduced, the announcer says their first name and fans shout out the last name together.

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. In 2017, they raised over $380,000 for the Foundation through a golf event, and more than $27 million has been raised since 2002.

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, a winner of a big sports award, 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 that plays in a big league called the National Football League. They are part of a group of teams known as the American Football Conference South division. Their home games are held at a stadium named NRG Stadium. Each year, they compete against other teams to see how well they do during the season.

Notes and references