49 Fun Facts About Houston Texans

The Texans replaced which previous Houston NFL franchise, which had left for Nashville?

The Oilers left Houston after the 1996 season and became the Tennessee Titans; the league then retired the Oilers name, so a new Houston team could not revive it.

Who founded the Texans and owned the team until his death in 2018?

Bob McNair won the franchise in October 1999 and owned the team until his death in November 2018, when his wife Janice succeeded him as principal owner.

Houston won the NFL's 32nd franchise in 1999 with a $700 million bid, beating which city that had been promised the team?

Los Angeles had been awarded the team that March on condition that it settle an owner and a stadium plan by September; when it could not, the owners took Houston's offer instead.

Which team did the Texans beat in their inaugural regular-season game?

The Dallas Cowboys fell 19–10 on a Sunday night after rookie David Carr threw a touchdown pass on the Texans' third play; a late safety sealed the upset.

Who was the Texans' first head coach?

Dom Capers, previously the expansion Carolina Panthers' first coach, led the Texans for their first four seasons and was fired after the last of them.

What unwanted NFL record did rookie quarterback David Carr set in 2002?

Most times sacked in a season became Carr's record when he went down 76 times as a rookie behind an expansion line; he was sacked 68 times more in 2005.

Whom did the Texans take first overall in 2006, passing on Reggie Bush and Vince Young?

Mario Williams, the NC State defensive end, had signed his contract the night before the draft; he made two Pro Bowls in Houston before leaving for Buffalo in 2012.

Which native Houstonian coached the Texans from 2006 to 2013, leading them to their first two division titles?

Gary Kubiak, a Houston native who quarterbacked at Texas A&M, coached the Texans from 2006 until his dismissal in December 2013, then won Super Bowl 50 with Denver.

Which team did the Texans beat 31–10 in January 2012 for the first playoff win in franchise history?

The Cincinnati Bengals led early, but the game turned when rookie J. J. Watt returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown just before half-time.

Which wide receiver, drafted third overall in 2003, was the first Hall of Fame inductee primarily as a Texan?

Andre Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards in 2008 and 2009, though Houston missed the playoffs both years; in 2024 he became the first Texan elected to the Hall of Fame.

Which undrafted running back out of Tennessee, signed by Houston, led the NFL in rushing in 2010?

Arian Foster spent much of 2009 on Houston's practice squad after going undrafted, then led the league with 1,616 rushing yards the next season.

J. J. Watt was drafted 11th overall out of which college?

Watt started at Central Michigan as a tight end, then walked on at Wisconsin, where he won the 2010 Lott Trophy as a defensive end before going 11th overall to Houston.

J. J. Watt's third Defensive Player of the Year award in 2015 tied whose record?

Lawrence Taylor won the award three times in the 1980s; Watt's three came in four seasons, one of them a 2014 campaign in which he also caught three touchdown passes.

J. J. Watt became the first player to do what since sacks became an official statistic?

Record two 20-sack seasons: Watt posted 20.5 in both 2012 and 2014, something no player had managed since sacks became an official statistic in 1982, and he also scored receiving touchdowns in 2014.

J. J. Watt set out to raise $200,000 after Hurricane Harvey in 2017; roughly how much came in?

About $41 million came in, more than 200 times the goal of his first online appeal; the effort earned him the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Which Clemson receiver, drafted 27th by the Texans in 2013, was traded to Arizona in 2020?

DeAndre Hopkins went to the Cardinals in March 2020 for running back David Johnson and a second-round pick, weeks after his third straight first-team All-Pro season.

Which quarterback did the Texans trade up to take 12th overall in 2017?

Deshaun Watson, fresh from Clemson's national title, went 12th after Houston traded up; a torn ACL in practice ended his rookie season after six starts and 19 touchdown passes.

In 2022 the Texans traded their star quarterback to which team for a haul including three first-round picks?

The Cleveland Browns sent first-round picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024 plus three more selections, then gave the quarterback a $230 million contract; he missed their first 11 games under an NFL suspension.

The Texans started 0–3 in 2018 and then did what, an NFL first for a team with that start?

Won nine straight games is exactly what they did, the longest winning run ever to follow an 0–3 start; it carried Houston to 11–5 and the division title before a first-round playoff exit.

The Texans blew a 24–0 playoff lead to lose 51–31 to which team?

The Kansas City Chiefs scored 28 points in the second quarter, helped by a failed Houston fake punt, to lead 28–24 at half-time; they went on to win Super Bowl LIV.

Which quarterback signed a big four-year deal with Houston in 2016, then was benched?

Brock Osweiler signed for $72 million over four years, was benched for Tom Savage that December and was traded away after a single season.

Which HBO series featured the Texans in 2015?

Hard Knocks spent its 2015 training-camp season with Houston; the team later released quarterback Ryan Mallett after he missed a team flight, and still went on to win its division.

Which former Texans linebacker became the team's sixth head coach in January 2023?

DeMeco Ryans, the Texans' 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year, arrived from the 49ers, where he had been defensive coordinator, and won the AFC South in his first season.

C. J. Stroud was drafted second overall in 2023 out of which school?

Stroud's last game for Ohio State was a 42–41 playoff loss to Georgia in which he threw four touchdown passes; four months later Houston took him second overall.

C. J. Stroud's 470 passing yards against Tampa Bay in 2023 broke whose single-game rookie record?

Andrew Luck had held the mark since 2012; Stroud passed it with five touchdown throws, the last in the final seconds of a 39–37 win over the Buccaneers.

Which defensive end did Houston trade up to take third overall in 2023, later Defensive Rookie of the Year?

Will Anderson Jr. went one pick after C. J. Stroud: Houston traded up from 12th with Arizona to take the Alabama pass rusher, who was named Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The 2023 Texans became the first NFL division champions led by what pairing?

A rookie head coach and rookie QB led Houston from last in the AFC South the previous year to a 10–7 division title; Stroud then became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game.

Which team did the Texans beat 30–6 in January 2026 for their first road playoff win?

The Pittsburgh Steelers stayed close until Houston's defense scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter; the Texans had never before won a playoff game away from home.

Which Texans linebacker was named 2009 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year?

Brian Cushing, a 2009 first-round pick from USC, won Defensive Rookie of the Year and kept the award when the AP held a re-vote after his 2010 suspension became public.

The Texans' logo is an abstract bull's head split to resemble what?

The Texas flag is echoed in the bull's red and blue halves, with a lone white star for the eye; thousands watched the logo's unveiling at a downtown Houston rally in September 2000.

The Texans' founder gave the team colours what names?

Deep Steel Blue, Battle Red and Liberty White are the official names; the primary helmet has always been the dark blue, and on Battle Red Day the team wears its red jerseys.

What is the name of the Texans' costumed mascot?

Toro, a blue bull, brings to life the bull's head on the Texans' helmets, the logo the franchise unveiled in 2000.

The Texans' defense took its nickname 'Bulls on Parade' from a song by which band?

Rage Against the Machine released 'Bulls on Parade' in 1996; in the 2010s it became the theme of the Texans' defense, played at home games to fire up the crowd.

The Texans' stadium, known as both Reliant and NRG Stadium, was the first NFL venue with what?

A retractable roof made Reliant Stadium the first NFL venue of its kind in 2002; Hurricane Ike tore away part of the roof in 2008 and forced the home opener to be postponed.

Which team won both Super Bowls played at the Texans' home stadium, in 2004 and 2017?

The New England Patriots beat Carolina 32–29 there in 2004, then came from 28–3 down to beat Atlanta in overtime in 2017, the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Which team beat the Texans in their first nine meetings before Houston finally won in 2006?

The Indianapolis Colts, with Peyton Manning at quarterback, won the first nine meetings before Houston finally beat them 27–24 late in the 2006 season.

The Texans and their in-state NFC rivals contest what trophy when they meet?

The Governor's Cup goes to the winner whenever the state's two NFL teams meet; the Texans inherited the series, long a summer exhibition fixture, when they kicked off in 2002.

Which coach's only season in charge of the Texans opened with the franchise's first tie, in 2022?

Lovie Smith's Texans led 20–3 going into the fourth quarter of that opener and had to settle for a 20–20 tie; they finished 3–13–1 and he was fired after one season.

Which head coach was fired after an 0–4 start in 2020, seven months after trading an All-Pro?

Bill O'Brien, who had also taken on the general manager's job, was dismissed in October 2020 after an 0–4 start that followed his March trade of the team's star receiver; Houston finished 4–12.

Who became the Texans' principal owner in 2024 when his mother transferred control to him?

Cal McNair had run the club as chairman and CEO since 2018, and NFL owners approved the transfer of his mother Janice's controlling interest to him in 2024.

The Texans' 14-game losing streak in 2013 earned them the first overall pick, used on which pass rusher?

Jadeveon Clowney, the South Carolina defensive end, went first in the 2014 draft after Houston followed a 2–0 start with 14 straight defeats and fired its head coach in December.

What are the fan sections behind the north end zone of the Texans' stadium called?

The Bull Pen, behind the north end zone, is the home supporters' section, whose regulars start many of the chants, songs and traditions heard around the stadium.

Before turning to football, the Texans' founder made a failed 1997 bid for an expansion team in which league?

The NHL chose Atlanta, Columbus, Minnesota and Nashville in its 1997 expansion round, passing over the Houston bid; its backer then turned to the NFL.

Which Texans quarterback threw an interception returned for a touchdown in four straight games in 2013, an NFL record?

Matt Schaub's streak came at the start of a season that collapsed into 14 straight losses; he lost his place and was playing for Oakland a year later.

Before the Texans in 2002, which 1961 newcomer was the first NFL expansion team to win its debut game?

The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears 37–13 in their 1961 debut as rookie Fran Tarkenton came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes; the Texans matched the feat 41 years later.

Who served as the Texans' interim head coach for the final 12 games of 2020?

Romeo Crennel, a 73-year-old assistant, took over a winless team in October 2020 and won his first game in charge; no one that old had been an NFL head coach before.

David Culley, hired as head coach in January 2021, came from which team's staff?

The Baltimore Ravens had employed Culley as assistant head coach and receivers coach; in his first job as a head coach he went 4–13 and was fired after a single season.

Which four-time Pro Bowl receiver did the Texans acquire from Buffalo in a trade in April 2024?

Stefon Diggs cost Houston a second-round pick, but a knee injury ended his season after eight games and he left as a free agent the following spring.

Which rookie third-string quarterback started the Texans' first playoff win after injuries to the two men ahead of him?

T. J. Yates, a fifth-round pick from North Carolina, took over late in 2011 when both quarterbacks ahead of him were hurt, and clinched the franchise's first division title.