50 Fun Facts About Houston Texans

In which season did the Houston Texans begin play, making them the NFL's youngest franchise?

The league awarded Houston the 32nd franchise in October 1999; the team was founded that year but did not kick off until 2002.

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

That team played in Houston from 1960 to 1996 before becoming the Tennessee Titans; the Adams family kept the rights to the old name.

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

He made his fortune selling the cogeneration company Cogen Technologies to Enron in 1999, after a failed bid to bring an NHL team to Houston.

How much did the NFL charge for the expansion franchise awarded to Houston on October 6, 1999?

Houston beat out Toronto and Los Angeles, which had lost both the Rams and the Raiders in 1995.

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

It made them the first expansion team to win its opener since the 1961 Vikings beat the Bears; they finished the year 4–12.

Who was the Texans' first head coach?

He was fired after a 2–14 season in 2005, which handed the team the first pick in the 2006 draft.

What unwanted NFL record did the Texans' first-ever draft pick, David Carr, set as a rookie?

He went down 76 times as a rookie behind an expansion offensive line and led the league again with 49 sacks in 2004.

Whom did the Texans surprisingly take first overall in 2006 over Reggie Bush and Vince Young?

The NC State defensive end made two Pro Bowls in Houston; Ryans, taken in round two that year, was Defensive Rookie of the Year.

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

He was fired mid-season in 2013 during a 14-game losing streak and won a Super Bowl with Denver two years later.

In which season did the Texans win their first AFC South title and reach the playoffs for the first time?

Wade Phillips's arrival as defensive coordinator and rookie J. J. Watt transformed the defense; they beat the Bengals 31–10 in the wild-card round.

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

The Miami Hurricane was also the first inductee into the Texans' Ring of Honor in 2017; his Hall call came in 2024.

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

He ran for 1,616 yards that season, celebrated touchdowns with a bow, and made four Pro Bowls.

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

He started at Central Michigan as a tight end, walked on at Wisconsin, and was born in Pewaukee to a firefighter father.

How many times was J. J. Watt named AP Defensive Player of the Year in his first five seasons?

Only Lawrence Taylor and Aaron Donald have matched three; Watt also won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

J. J. Watt is the only player in NFL history to do what?

He hit 20.5 in both 2012 and 2014, and also caught three touchdown passes on offense in 2014.

After Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston in 2017, J. J. Watt's fundraiser brought in roughly how much?

He had set a target of $200,000; the total helped win him the Walter Payton Man of the Year award that season.

Which Clemson receiver, drafted 27th by the Texans in 2013, was traded to Arizona in a much-criticised 2020 deal?

Houston got running back David Johnson and a second-round pick back, a return widely seen as far too little for an All-Pro.

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

He had just won a national title at Clemson; a torn ACL in practice ended his sparkling rookie season after six starts.

The Texans traded Deshaun Watson to which team for a haul including three first-round picks?

The deal came amid sexual misconduct lawsuits against the quarterback; the picks helped fuel the rebuild that followed.

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

The streak began with a 37–34 overtime win in Indianapolis; the previous record for an 0–3 team was seven straight by the 1918 Giants.

In the 2019 divisional round the Texans led Kansas City 24–0 before losing by what score?

The Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl; it remains one of the biggest blown leads in playoff history.

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

He was benched for Tom Savage but started the playoff win over Oakland when Savage was concussed, then threw three second-half interceptions in New England.

Which HBO series featured the Texans in 2015?

That season they started 2–5, released Ryan Mallett amid controversy and still won the AFC South, only to be shut out 30–0 by the Chiefs.

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

The 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year came from the 49ers, where he was defensive coordinator, and won the division in his first year.

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

He was a Heisman finalist in 2021 and 2022 and went on to be NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

As a 2023 rookie, C. J. Stroud threw for how many yards in one game, a rookie record?

He did it with five touchdowns and no interceptions against Tampa Bay in Week 9, a stat line only two others had ever managed.

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

Paired with Stroud's Offensive Rookie of the Year award, it gave one team both rookie prizes; the head coach lost Coach of the Year only on a tiebreaker.

The 2023 Texans became the first NFL team to win their division under what combination?

They went 10–7 and then thumped Cleveland 45–14, with Stroud becoming the youngest quarterback ever to win a playoff game.

Which team did the Texans beat 30–6 in 2025 for their first road playoff win?

They had been the only franchise never to win on the road in the postseason; the run ended a week later at New England after four first-half Stroud interceptions.

The Texans are the only NFL franchise never to have done what?

They are also one of four teams never to reach a Super Bowl, with the Browns, Lions and division rival Jaguars.

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

The lone star forms the eye, its five points standing for pride, courage, strength, tradition and independence.

The Texans' founder gave the team colours what names?

On Battle Red Day the team wears the red alternates, and since 2007 red pants too; the helmet was originally white before going dark blue.

What is the name of the Texans' mascot, an anthropomorphic blue bull?

Before every home kickoff a clip of a raging bull thrashing the week's opponent plays to AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck'.

The Texans' 2010s nickname 'Bulls on Parade' comes from a song by which band?

The track was used regularly in the team's pregame introduction; the end-zone seats are known as the Bull Pen.

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

It has hosted two Super Bowls, WrestleMania 25 and a College Football Playoff final.

Which two Super Bowls were played at the Texans' home stadium?

That is February 2004, when New England beat Carolina, and February 2017, when the Patriots came back from 28–3 against Atlanta.

Which division rival did the Texans fail to beat until the 2006 season?

Peyton Manning's team owned the early series; the Colts still led it 33–15–1 as of 2025 and only got swept by Houston for the first time in 2016.

The Texans and their in-state NFC rivals play each year for what trophy?

The tradition predates the Texans, going back to Houston's previous NFL team, and is contested in preseason or regular season for state bragging rights.

In which season did the Texans record their first franchise tie, in an opener against the Colts?

Lovie Smith's only season as head coach ended 3–13–1 and with his firing.

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

He had also been general manager; Crennel took over as interim and the team finished 4–12.

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

He had run the franchise since his father's death in 2018; Janice McNair joined the Ring of Honor in 2025.

Which team owns the Texans' longest losing streak, and the joint-worst record, from the 2013 season?

They started 2–0 and lost out; Kubiak was fired mid-season and Wade Phillips finished the year as interim.

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

Regulars there hold up giant jerseys during visiting introductions and turn their backs on the opposing team after it scores.

Before turning to football, Bob McNair made a failed 1997 bid for an expansion team in which league?

That same year Bud Adams moved the Oilers to Nashville, opening the door for a new NFL bid.

The five points of the lone star in the Texans' logo stand for pride, courage, strength, tradition and what?

The bull itself nods to the cattle-ranching economy that helped settle Texas in the 19th century.

The 2002 Texans were the first expansion team to win their opening game since which team in 1961?

The Vikings had beaten the Chicago Bears; Houston beat Dallas, then went 4-12 to finish last in the AFC South.

Who served as the Texans' interim head coach for the rest of 2020 after Bill O'Brien was fired?

He had previously been head coach of the Browns and Chiefs, and won more than half of his first seven games before a five-game skid.

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

He lasted one season, going 4-13, before defensive coordinator Lovie Smith was promoted to replace him.

Alongside Houston, which two cities were the favorites for the NFL's 32nd franchise in the late 1990s?

Los Angeles had lost both the Rams and the Raiders in 1995, but Houston won the vote in October 1999.

With which partner did Bob McNair found Houston NFL Holdings to chase the expansion franchise?

They teamed with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to push for a domed stadium as part of the pitch.