Houston Texans

For the 1970s WFL team once called "Houston Texans", see Shreveport Steamer.

Houston Texans
Current season
Established 2002 Play in and headquartered in Reliant Stadium Houston, Texas
Logo
League/conference affiliations
National Football League (2002–present) American Football Conference (2002–present) AFC South (2002–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	Deep Steel Blue, Battle Red, Liberty White
Mascot	Toro
Personnel
Owner(s)	Bob McNair (95%)
Chairman	Bob McNair
CEO	Bob McNair
President	Jamey Rootes
General manager	Rick Smith
Head coach	Gary Kubiak
Team history
Houston Texans (2002–present)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (2) AFC South: 2011, 2012
Playoff appearances (2)
NFL: 2011, 2012
Home fields
Reliant Stadium (2002–Present)

The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is a member of the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Texans joined the NFL in 2002 as an expansion team after Houston's previous franchise, the Houston Oilers, moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where they are now the Tennessee Titans. The team majority owner is Bob McNair. The team clinched its first playoff berth during the 2011 season as champions of the AFC South. The Texans repeated as AFC South champions in 2012.

Franchise history

Main article: History of the Houston Texans

Nickname

The name "Houston Oilers" was unavailable to the expansion team, as that name was still owned by the Tennessee Titans, whose owner Bud Adams had retired the name from use in 1999.

On March 2, 2000, Houston NFL 2002 announced that the team name search had been narrowed down to five choices: Bobcats, Stallions, Texans, Toros, and Apollos. The list of names was determined after several months of research conducted jointly by Houston NFL 2002 and NFL Properties. An online survey regarding the name generated more than 65,000 responses in just seven days. The name which was chosen, the "Houston Texans," had previously been the name of a defunct World Football League franchise, which moved to Louisiana to become the Shreveport Steamer. The nickname "Texans" was also used by the precursor of the NFL's present-day Kansas City Chiefs, the Dallas Texans, which was also the name of a former Arena Football League franchise. The nickname "Texans" was more recently used by the now-defunct Canadian Football League franchise in San Antonio. Owner Bob McNair did have to make a deal with Chiefs' owner Lamar Hunt to use the Texans nickname for his new team.

Logos and Uniforms

Houston Texans uniform combination

On September 6, 2000, the NFL's 32nd franchise was officially christened the Houston Texans before thousands at a downtown rally on Texas Avenue. Before unveiling the logo Bob McNair described the colors as "Deep Steel Blue", "Battle Red" and "Liberty White". The logo was an abstract depiction of a bull's head, split in such a way to resemble the flag of Texas, including a lone star to stand for the eye, the five points of which representing pride, courage, strength, tradition and independence. A year later the Texans unveiled their uniforms during another downtown rally.

The Texans' helmet is dark blue with the Texans bull logo. The helmet was initially white when the team name and logo were unveiled, but was later changed to dark blue. The uniform design consists of red trim and either Navy blue or white jerseys. The team wears white pants with its blue jerseys, blue pants with its white jerseys. Starting with the 2006 season, the Texans wear all-white for their home opener and the team began to wear an all-blue combination for home games vs. the Indianapolis Colts. In 2003, the Texans introduced an alternative red jersey (most of the time worn in divisional games against the Jacksonville Jaguars) with blue trim. In 2007 the Texans introduced red pants for the first time, pairing them with the red jerseys for an all-red look. In October 2008 the Texans paired blue socks (instead of the traditional red) with their blue pants and white jerseys.

In 2002 the team wore a patch commemorating their inaugural season.

• 

  Inaugural Season Patch
  (2002)

• 

  Expansion Draft Logo
  (2002)

• 

  Secondary Logo
  (2006–present)

Mascots and cheerleaders

The team's official mascot is Toro. The team also has a cheerleading squad simply named the Houston Texans Cheerleaders.

Rivalries

The Texans are the youngest franchise in the NFL, having only been competing in the League since 2002. For most of that time, they were considered perennial bottom-dwellers in the AFC South. For that reason, they have not had the history or the reputation on which to build classic rivalries like the ones that exist between older and more successful franchises such as the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, there are a few franchises for whom Texans fans hold special animosity. The Tennessee Titans, formerly the Houston Oilers before their relocation in the 1990's, are viewed by many Houston fans as the Texans' chief rival. The Jacksonville Jaguars, the only other team in the AFC South against whom the Texans have a winning all-time record, and the Indianapolis Colts, whom the Texans have never defeated in Indianapolis (compiling an all-time record of 0-11 at Lucas Oil Stadium), are also rivals to the Texans.

More recently, Houston has defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild-Card Round of the playoffs in two consecutive seasons, fomenting a potential future rivalry with that franchise. The Texans' back-to-back playoff appearances, and their growing reputation as one of the AFC's premier franchises, puts them into direct competition with the Ravens, New England Patriots, Steelers, and Denver Broncos, which are generally considered the top-flight teams in the conference.

Statistics

Main article: Houston Texans records

Win-loss record

As of the end of the 2012 season, the Texans' overall regular season win-loss record is 77-99 (.438). They are 2-2 (.500) all-time in playoff games. The Texans posted their best-ever season record in 2012 finishing at 12-4. The team's worst-ever season record was 2-14 in 2005.

The Texans participated in the playoffs for the first time at the end of the 2011 season, after having clinched the South Division title and qualifying as the AFC's third seed. In the Wildcard Round they hosted a playoff game for the first time, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10. The following weekend they were defeated 20-13 by the Baltimore Ravens on the road in the Divisional Round.

In 2012 the Texans again won the AFC South Division and were seeded third. They again beat the Cincinnati Bengals at home in the Wildcard Round, this time by a score of 19-13. On the road in the Divisional Round against the New England Patriots, the Texans were defeated 41-28.

Notable records vs opponents

As members of the AFC South, the Texans play six of their sixteen games each season against other AFC South teams. The Texans have a cumulative record of 25-41 (.379) against their three divisional rivals. This includes lifetime records of 4-18 against the Indianapolis Colts, 13-9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and 8-14 against the Tennessee Titans. The Texans have never won at Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Colts play their home games, even in the 2011 season, in which the Colts had only 2 wins. The Texans have fared better against the rest of their conference, posting a record of 32-34 (.485) against AFC teams from divisions other than the South. The Texans are 20-24 (.455) against the NFC.

As of the end of the 2012 season, there are two teams against which the Texans have never lost: the Chicago Bears (3-0) and Miami Dolphins (7-0). There are also three teams which the Texans have never beaten: the Minnesota Vikings (0-3), Philadelphia Eagles (0-3) and San Diego Chargers (0-4).

In 2013, the only team the Texans are scheduled to play that they are unbeaten or winless against is San Diego.

In both the 2012 playoffs and the 2013 playoffs, the #3-seeded Texans hosted and defeated the #6-seeded Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round.

NFL playoffs record

Main article: 2011–12 NFL playoffs

Main article: 2012–13 NFL playoffs

Players of note

Main article: List of Houston Texans players

Current roster

Houston Texans roster
Quarterbacks  7 Case Keenum  3 Stephen McGee  8 Matt Schaub 13 T. J. Yates Running Backs 45 Zach Boren FB 40 Tyler Clutts FB 23 Arian Foster 37 Ray Graham 28 Dennis Johnson 33 Greg Jones FB 39 Deji Karim 44 Ben Tate 43 Cierre Wood Wide Receivers 16 Alan Bonner 12 Andy Cruse 10 DeAndre Hopkins 18 Lestar Jean 80 Andre Johnson 17 Alec Lemon 15 Jeff Maehl 82 Keshawn Martin 87 Uzoma Nwachukwu 11 DeVier Posey 86 Mike Smith Tight Ends 89 Jake Byrne 81 Owen Daniels 88 Garrett Graham 84 Ryan Griffin 48 Phillip Supernaw		Offensive Linemen 79 Brandon Brooks G 76 Duane Brown T 61 Bryan Collins G 66 Andrew Gardner G 68 Ryan Harris T 78 Tyler Horn C 60 Ben Jones C 62 Alex Kupper G 69 Nick Mondek T 55 Chris Myers C 75 Derek Newton T 77 David Quessenberry T 74 Wade Smith G 67 Cody White G 73 Brennan Williams T Defensive Linemen 65 Keith Browner, Jr. DE 93 Jared Crick DE 91 Ra'Shon Harris NT 72 David Hunter DE 96 Tim Jamison DE 95 Chris Jones DE 97 Terrell McClain NT 92 Earl Mitchell NT 71 Earl Okine DE 94 Antonio Smith DE 99 J. J. Watt DE		Linebackers 50 Bryan Braman OLB 49 Cameron Collins ILB 56 Brian Cushing ILB 61 Ja'Gared Davis ILB 52 Tim Dobbins ILB 62 Evan Frierson ILB 63 Willie Jefferson OLB 64 Delano Johnson OLB 59 Whitney Mercilus OLB 53 Mike Mohamed ILB 57 Sam Montgomery OLB/DE 58 Brooks Reed OLB 51 Darryl Sharpton ILB 47 Justin Tuggle OLB 54 Trevardo Williams OLB/DE Defensive Backs 42 Johnny Adams CB 34 A. J. Bouye CB 22 Roc Carmichael CB 26 Brandon Harris CB 27 Travis Howard CB 25 Kareem Jackson CB 30 Orhian Johnson SS 24 Johnathan Joseph CB 31 Shiloh Keo FS 38 Danieal Manning SS 21 Brice McCain CB 35 Eddie Pleasant SS 20 Ed Reed FS 29 Jawanza Starling SS 36 D. J. Swearinger FS Special Teams  4 Randy Bullock K  9 Shane Lechler P 14 Andrew Shapiro P 46 Jon Weeks LS				Reserve Lists Currently vacant Rookies in italics Roster updated May 24, 2013 Depth Chart • Transactions 86 Active, 0 Inactive, 3 Unsigned → More rosters
AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAC TEN West DEN KC OAK SD NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI STL SF SEA

NFL Draft history

Further information: Houston Texans draft history

First-round draft picks by year

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

= Pro Bowler

* Asterisk indicates a player who was selected to the Pro Bowl only as a member of another team.

Year	Pick	Player	Position	College
2002	1st overall	David Carr	Quarterback	Fresno State
2003	3rd overall	Andre Johnson	Wide receiver	Miami (FL)
2004	10th overall	Dunta Robinson	Cornerback	South Carolina
2004	27th overall (from Tennessee)	Jason Babin*	Defensive end	Western Michigan
2005	16th overall (from New Orleans)	Travis Johnson	Defensive tackle	Florida State
2006	1st overall	Mario Williams	Defensive end	North Carolina State
2007	10th overall (from Atlanta)	Amobi Okoye	Defensive tackle	Louisville
2008	26th overall (from Baltimore)	Duane Brown	Offensive tackle	Virginia Tech
2009	15th overall	Brian Cushing	Linebacker	Southern California
2010	20th overall	Kareem Jackson	Cornerback	Alabama
2011	11th overall	J.J. Watt	Defensive end	Wisconsin
2012	26th overall	Whitney Mercilus	Defensive end	Illinois
2013	27th overall	DeAndre Hopkins	Wide receiver	Clemson

Awards and honors

Main article: List of Houston Texans awards and honors

Coaches of note

Head coaches

Main article: List of Houston Texans head coaches

Name	From	To	Seasons	Record			Division Titles
				W	L	T
Dom Capers	January 21, 2001	January 2, 2006	4	18	46	0	0
Gary Kubiak	January 26, 2006	Present	7	61	55	0	2

Offensive coordinators

• Chris Palmer (2002–2005)
• Troy Calhoun (2006)
• Mike Sherman (2007)
• Kyle Shanahan (2008–2009)
• Rick Dennison (2010–Present)

Defensive coordinators

• Vic Fangio (2002–2005)
• Richard Smith (2006–2008)
• Frank Bush (2009–2010)
• Wade Phillips (2011–present)

Current staff

Houston Texans staff
	Front Office Founder/Chairman/CEO – Bob McNair Vice Chairman – Philip Burguières Vice Chairman – D. Cal McNair Executive Vice President/General Manager – Rick Smith President – Jamey Rootes Vice President of Football Administration – Chris Olsen Director of Pro Personnel – Brian Gardner Senior Personnel Advisor – Bobby Grier Director of College Scouting – Mike Maccagnan Head Coaches Head Coach – Gary Kubiak Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – Rick Dennison Quarterbacks – Karl Dorrell Running Backs – Chick Harris Wide Receivers – Larry Kirksey Assistant Wide Receivers – Marc Lubick Tight Ends – Brian Pariani Offensive Line – John Benton Assistant Offensive Line – Jim Ryan Offensive Assistant – Dan Hammerschmidt			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Wade Phillips Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line – Bill Kollar Linebackers – Reggie Herring Assistant Linebackers – Bobby King Defensive Backs – Vance Joseph Assistant Defensive Backs – Perry Carter Special Teams Coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Joe Marciano Strength and Conditioning Head Strength and Conditioning – Cedric Smith Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Matt Schiotz → Coaching Staff → Management → More NFL staffs
AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAC TEN West DEN KC OAK SD NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI STL SF SEA

Traditions

• Battle Red Day – On Battle Red Day the team wears the red alternate jerseys and fans are encouraged to wear red to the game. Starting in 2007 and including 2008, this included the Texans wearing red pants along with the red jerseys.
• Bull Pen – The sections behind the north end zone of Reliant Stadium are known as the Bull Pen. Some of the most avid Texans fans attend games in the Bull Pen and regular members have helped create and implement fan traditions, songs and chants.
• Bull Pen Pep Band – 45-member musical group that performs at all Houston Texans home games.
• Pre-Kickoff Tradition – Before each kickoff at a home game, the Texans will run a short clip of a raging bull thrashing the opponent of the week. The video is paired with the AC/DC song "Thunderstruck"
• Player Introduction – When the players are introduced before the game, the announcer says the player's first name and the crowd yells out the last name (e.g. The announcer will say "Linebacker Brian....." and the crowd will yell out "CUSHING!!!").

Radio and television

As of 2007, the Texans' flagship radio stations were KILT SportsRadio 610AM and KILT 100.3FM. The AM station has an all-sports format, while the FM station plays contemporary country music. Both are owned by CBS Radio. Marc Vandermeer is the play-by-play announcer. Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware provides color commentary, and SportsRadio 610 host Rich Lord serves as the sideline reporter. Preseason games are telecast by KTRK, an ABC owned and operated station. Joel Meyers calls the preseason games on TV, with former Oilers running back Spencer Tillman providing color commentary.

Spanish-language radio broadcasts of the team's games are aired on KLAT Univisión América 1010AM. Enrique Vásquez is the play-by-play announcer. José Jojo Padrón provides color commentary, and Fernando Hernández serves as sideline reporter.

Radio affiliates

Texans Radio Affiliates

City	Call Sign	Frenquency
Alpine, Texas	KVLF-AM	1240 AM
Athens, Texas	KLVQ-AM	1410 AM
Austin, Texas	KVET-AM	1300 AM
Big Spring, Texas	KBYG-AM	1400 AM
Brenham, Texas	KWHI-AM	1280 AM
Carthage, Texas	KGAS-AM	1590 AM
Carthage, Texas	KGAS-FM	104.3 FM
College Station, Texas	KZNE-AM	1150 AM
Corpus Christi, Texas	KSIX-AM	1230 AM
Henderson, Texas	KWRD-AM	1470 AM
Houston, Texas	KILT-AM	610 AM
Houston, Texas	KILT-FM	100.3 FM
Liberty, Texas	KSHN-FM	99.9 FM
Livingston, Texas	KETX-FM	92.3 FM
Lufkin, Texas	KSML-AM	1260 AM
Marshall, Texas	KMHT-AM	1450 AM
Marshall, Texas	KMHT-FM	103.9 FM
New Braunfels, Texas	KGNB-AM	1420 AM
Orange, Texas	KOGT-AM	1600 AM
San Angelo, Texas	KKSA-AM	1260 AM
San Antonio, Texas	KZDC-AM	1250 AM
Texarkana, Texas	KTFS	940 AM
Temple, Texas	KTEM-AM	1400 AM
Wichita Falls, Texas	KSEY-AM	1230 AM

Theme music

The theme song of the Texans is "It's Football Time In Houston" by Clay Walker. The Texans tried to introduce a new fight song in 2003 written by Chad Kroeger from Nickelback, but quickly returned to the original after a negative reception by fans. The song was donated by Walker to the City of Houston.

The Texans' defensive squad takes the field to the sound of "Bulls On Parade" by Rage Against the Machine. The Texans started using the song after OLB Connor Barwin coined the nickname in a Tweet in 2011.

On January 5, 2012, local Houston rap artists Slim Thug, Paul Wall and ZRo released a song titled "HOUSTON" supporting the Houston Texans. The YouTube video has amassed over a million views becoming unofficially the Texans most popular theme song.

Work in the community

The Houston Texans organization is a supporter of the character education program, Heart of a Champion.

External links

• Official Houston Texans website
• Sports E-Cyclopedia.com