How They Got Their Name: Houston Texans

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When the Houston Oilers moved from the Bayou City to Tennessee in 1997, Bob McNair moved quickly in attempt to bring an NFL franchise back.  It didn’t take long before McNair had the attention of NFL’s Commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, who thought highly of his well-articulated plans.  In 1998, it was decided that if the city of Los Angeles couldn’t work out a plan for a stadium, then the 32nd NFL franchise would be awarded to McNair and the city of Houston instead.  And that’s exactly what happened the following year.  After assembling a front office, it was time to come up with a team identity.

Months of extensive research and focus group sessions were held by the new franchise, as well as the NFL, and the list of names were narrowed down to five: Apollos, Bobcats, Stallions, Texans, and Wildcatters.  A month later, the list was trimmed to just the Apollos, Stallions, and Texans.  McNair would choose the Texans and unveil it at a downtown rally, explaining that the new name and logo “embody the pride, strength, independence, and achievement that make the people of Houston and our area special.”  It actually wasn’t the first time a professional football team had used the name.  A former Canadian Football League team in San Antonio, a World Football League team in Houston, the NFL’s Dallas Texans (who only played in 1952), and the AFL’s Dallas Texans (who are now the Kansas City Chiefs), all used the Texans nickname.

Garett