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The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Texans joined the NFL as a 2002 expansion team. The city's previous franchise, the Houston Oilers, moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1997 and changed their name to the Tennessee Titans.

Franchise history

The birth of the Texans

After the 1995 Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, and the establishment of both the Baltimore Ravens and a newly reactivated Browns club, the NFL sought another expansion team to give the league an even number of 32 clubs.

The NFL's newest team was originally destined for Los Angeles, as the league desired a franchise in the United States's second-largest media market (having lost both the Rams and the Raiders to relocation). Thus, initially the NFL was dealing exclusively with Los Angeles-based groups. For reasons unknown and unexplained, Los Angeles seemed to be indifferent with the prospect of being awarded an NFL franchise. No real progress seemed to be made toward securing a suitable stadium (both the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Bowl are aging facilities).

Seeing this, Houston (which itself lost the Oilers to relocation) took a highly aggressive approach toward gaining the franchise for itself, marketing its size (Houston is the fourth-largest city and tenth-largest media market in the United States), the regions broad support for football at all levels, and the fact that it too had lost a franchise to relocation. Having learned from the loss of the Oilers that an aging stadium (the Astrodome) would not sway the NFL, Houston put together a package which included a new stadium. Houston's aggressiveness (and LA's slothfulness) paid off, and thus the Houston Texans were born.

On the field: 2002-2004

The Texans made NFL history by becoming the first expansion team to win consecutive season openers: first in 2002, defeating its established NFC in-state rival Dallas Cowboys in its first regular season game by a score of 19-10; then in 2003, beating the Miami Dolphins 21-20. In 2004, the Texans were the host team for Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Until 2005, the team had steadily improved with each successive season with a record of 4-12 in its first season, 5-11 in 2003, and 7-9 in 2004. In 2004, they cleared some major hurdles and won two consecutives games twice in that season after failing to do so in either 2002 or 2003. The team could have won three in a row to end the season, but they were stymied by the Cleveland Browns. During one notable series in 2004, the Texans won several competitions against the Tennessee Titans (the previous Houston franchise) and the Jacksonville Jaguars. As of 2005, they have not yet won a game against the Indianapolis Colts (a bellwether of the AFC South division). Texans fans were pleased with the progress made up to this point, even though they booed the team for its dreadful performance in the aforementioned Browns game that ended the 2004 season.

2005 Fallout

In 2005, there were expectations for a .500 season or even a playoff berth. However, the team got off to a slow start and with the offense not playing well, offensive coordinator Chris Palmer was fired and replaced by Joe Pendry. This marked the first major shakeup of the Texans' coaching staff in franchise history. In the 2005 NFL Draft the Texans drafted seven players but only one offensive lineman, long considered the team's weakest area. In December 2005, the (at the time) 1-12 Texans hired former Broncos, Giants, and Falcons coach Dan Reeves as a consultant. With their loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the last game of the season, called by many as the Toilet Bowl, the Stupor Bowl, or the Reggie Bush Bowl (after potential number one 2006 NFL Draft pick Reggie Bush out of University of Southern California) , the Texans ended their season with a 2-14 record, the worst record in the NFL in the 2005 season (a record some have laid blame on the Texans' front office or a certain curse, and earned the right to the first selection in the draft. However, the team announced the day before the draft that they would pick defensive end Mario Williams out of NC State instead of Bush. * Williams was signed to a six-year, $54 million contract. Then on the day of the draft, they first selected Alabama linebacker DeMeco Ryans. The rest of their picks included Pittsburgh offensive tackle Charles Spencer, Miami University (FL) offensive tackle Eric Winston, Wisconsin tight end Owen Daniels, Virginia running back Wali Lundy, and Colorado St. wide receiver David Anderson.

2006 Rebuilding

On January 2, 2006, head coach Dom Capers was fired by owner Bob McNair. General Manager Charley Casserly was also rumored to be a target for firing, but remained with the team. Dan Reeves will continue in his consultant role as the team searches for a new coach and prepares for the 2006 NFL draft. On January 22, 2006, Bob McNair announced that Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak would become the Texans' second head coach.

On May 10, 2006, GM Charlie Casserly, the team's first GM, resigned from his post, ostensibly to pursue a job in the NFL league offices. *

As of the 2005 NFL season, Houston is the only NFL team with three distinctions: they have yet to post a winning season, they have yet to play in a regular-season Monday Night Football game, and have yet to make their first playoff appearance. The Texans are also one of three franchises, along with New Orleans and Jacksonville, to have never played in a Super Bowl or NFL championship game.

Logo and uniforms

The Texans' helmet is "steel" blue with the logo of a bull head in the red, white, and blue colors of the Texas flag. The uniform design consists of "battle" red trim and either Steel blue or "liberty" white jerseys. The team wears white pants with its blue jerseys, and vice versa. In 2003, the Texans introduced an alternative battle red jersey with blue trim, posting a 3-2 record when wearing those jerseys.

Like many other NFL teams located in subtropical climates, the Texans traditionally wear their white jerseys at home during the first half of the season — forcing opponents to wear their dark ones under the hot autumns in Houston. The team will still wear white jerseys during those early regular season games even though the retractable roof of the club's home field, Reliant Stadium, may be closed.

Season-by-season records

Totals 18 46 0 (including NFL playoffs)

Single Season Records

Players of note

Current players

First Round Draft Picks

2006 NFL Draft selections

Pro Football Hall of Famers

none

Retired numbers

none

Pro Bowl selections

2002

2003

  • No selections

2004

2005

Other notable alumni

Head Coaches

Current staff

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special Teams coaches

Conditioning coaches

Trivia

The Houston Texans are the sixth professional football team to adopt the nickname "Texans." The first was the Dallas Texans, who after one season became the last NFL team to fold in 1952. The second was the American Football League Dallas Texans, who played in three AFL seasons starting with the league's inauguraral season in 1960 before becoming the Kansas City Chiefs. The third was also named the Houston Texans, playing in the World Football League before the league folded in 1974. A fourth incarnation of the Dallas Texans played four seasons in the Arena Football League before disbanding in 1993. Finally, one of the Canadian Football League's U.S. teams, the Sacramento Gold Miners moved to San Antonio where they played one season as the San Antonio Texans before disbanding in 1995.

External links

Houston Texans | National Football League teams | 2002 establishments

Houston Texans | Houston Texans | Texans de Houston | Houston Texans | יוסטון טקסאנס | Houston Texans | ヒューストン・テキサンズ | Houston Texans | Houston Texans

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Houston Texans".

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