In June of 1997 the National Hockey League (NHL) discarded Chuck Watson and Bob McNair’s endeavors to add an expansion team to the city of Houston, Texas. After the undertaking failed, Watson and McNair moved on to their next venture; which involved bringing the NFL back to the city of Houston.
Once a settlement was agreed upon, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes endorsed the final consent judgment against the team. On July 3, 1997, Bud Adams, owner of the Houston Oilers, was granted permission to relocate his franchise to Nashville, Tennessee.
On October 6, 1999, a unanimous vote granted Bob McNair the 32nd NFL franchise in Houston for approximately $700 million.
In April of 2000, the team’s name was narrowed down to three options- Apollos, Stallions, and Texans.
On September 6, 2000, in front of thousands of fans at a downtown rally on Texas Avenue, McNair’s franchise formally became the NFL’s 32nd team. After his introduction from NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, McNair revealed the team name, Texans, as well as the colors and logo. The Houston Texans home stadium is Reliant Stadium.
On January 21, 2001, Dom Capers was employed as the Texans first head coach. Capers was previously the head coach for the Carolina Panthers from 1995 to 1998. He led the Panthers to the NFC West title in 1996, as well as the NFC Championship Game.
On May 22, 2001, the NFL placed the Houston Texans in the AFC South Division, along with the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans.
On December of 2001, the Texans signed their first ten players.
Tony Boselli, a tackle, was the Texans first overall pick in the NFL expansion draft, which was held on February 18, 2002. The expansion draft was the Texans opportunity to select available players from each NFL team.
The Texans first trade was with the Washington Redskins, as they sent quarterback Danny Wuerffel in exchange for defensive tackle Jerry Deloach.
The Texans selected quarterback David Carr out of Fresno State as their first overall draft pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.
The Texans opening preseason game was held on August 5, 2002 against the New York Giants in Canton, Ohio. The Giants would topple the Texans 34-17 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
They would finally score their first preseason win five days later by defeating the Saints 13-10 in the Louisiana Superdome
In front of an estimated crowd of 69,604, the Texans become the first NFL team in 41 years to win their NFL debut game. They defeated their inner-state counterparts, the Dallas Cowboys, by a score of 19-10.
On January 29, 2004, the Texans running back Domanick Davis was awarded as the NFL Rookie of the Year.
The Texans home field, Reliant Stadium, hosted the Super Bowl on February 1, 2004 between the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots.
The Texans completed their first consecutive winning streak in team history by defeating the Oakland Raiders 30-17 at Reliant Stadium. The week prior, they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 24-21.
The Texans would conclude the 2004 NFL season with a 7-9 record.
On February 13, 2005, wide receiver Andre Johnson became the first Houston Texans offensive player to be selected into the NFL Pro Bowl.
The Texans completed the 2005 season with a dreadful record of 2-14.
On April 29, 2006 the Texans were awarded the first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
They selected defensive end Mario Williams. He was signed to a six year contract. Many fans in Houston were disappointed that the Texans passed up on running back Reggie Bush.
Prior to the 2007 season, the Texans released quarterback David Carr following the acquisition of quarterback Matt Schaub.
As of the conclusion of the 2006 NFL season, the Houston Texans have yet to clinch a post-season berth.
Reference:
- Houston Texans Homepage
