J-Speaks: Texans Win One Their Founder

On Monday night, the National Football League (NFL) American Football Conference South Division leading Houston Texans won their eighth consecutive game over the rival Tennessee Titans. This after losing their first three contest to open the 2018 season. The win had a lot more meaning because the most important person in franchise history, who also gave back in a major way to the community was no longer with them. 

On Friday Texans owner Robert C. McNair passed away at the age of 81. He is survived by his wife Janice, and their four children Cal, Cary, Ruth, and Melissa.  

Mr. McNair was diagnosed with skin cancer in 1994 and battled it quietly for 20 years. He had been receiving treatment for various forms of cancer over since then but had withdrawn from the team’s operations in the last months of his life and his son Cal, the Texans’ chairman and chief operation officer had been handling the day-to-day operations and is expected to inherit the team. 

In their 34-17 win versus the Titans (5-6) on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, the Texans (8-3) in honor of their founder wore a “RCM” decal on the back of their helmets. 

On this night, the Texans, who trailed 10-0 in the first quarter set a single-game franchise record with 282 rushing yards, with 162 of them coming from halfback Lamar Miller, which included a 97-yard run in the second quarter. It not only represented the longest scoring run in franchise history, it was the longest run in the league since a 97-yard run Miller had with the Miami Dolphins in Week 8 of the 2014 season. Miller is the only player in league history with two rushing scores of 95-plus yards in his career, according to per NFL Research data. 

That 97-yard score came on the heels of a 4^th and 1 defensive stand by All-Pro defensive lineman J.J. Watt and the Texans defense.

“That’s all he wanted was the win. That’s all he wanted for Houston was a winner,” Watt said to ESPN’s Lisa Salters about the meaning of the Texans win on Monday night. “That’s all he wanted for us every week was a winner and tonight that was for him. So, were glad we can get one in his stadium, in his building and I believe he was watching. So, that one was for you, Mr. McNair.”

Texans quarterback DeShaun Watson also had a solid performance going 19 for 24 passing for 210 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also had 70 yards on the ground.

“The McNair family is special to us,” the second-year QB said. “This night—and every game, really—is for the McNair family. I know he’s watching over us, and we’re going to make sure that we make him proud.”  

Before the Texans tilt versus the Titans, the team honored Mr. McNair with a video tribute and performance of “Amazing Grace.” 

After the win, head coach Bill O’Brien gave Cal the game ball in honor of his dad saying of the moment in the team’s locker room, “We had a great man who owned this team, who founded this team. Bob McNair passed away, and that game right there is Houston Texans football right there. And that was for Bob McNair.” 

The respect that Mr. McNair not only came from the entire Texans organization from the players, coaches, and employees but the entire NFL. 

In the days leading up to the game on Monday night, Texans players and coaches shared stories to the ESPN Monday Night Football crew of commentators Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, and Salters about the love Mr. McNair had for the Texans franchise, the players, coaches, employees and above all the city of Houston. 

That connection began in 1960 when the man who was born on Jan. 1, 1937 in Tampa, FL, grew up in Forest City, NC moved to Houston, TX the same year the then Houston Oilers, now the Titans began playing. 

Mr. McNair used the $700 in his pocket to become a season ticket holder. After he made enough money through the success in the energy business via his company Cogen Technologies, which he sold to Enron and CalPERS in 1999 to feed his two main loves of football and philanthropy. 

That dream of being involved in football began in 1998 when Mr. McNair former Houston NFL Holdings to bring NFL football back to the city of Houston after the Oilers left to become the Titans in 1996. 

Mr. McNair and his group were successful as on Oct. 6, 1999 the NFL announced that the city of Houston was going to be rewarded with the 32^nd NFL franchise. The Texans began their inaugural season three years later, with a new stadium that was first named Reliant Stadium and is now NRG Stadium. 

NRG Stadium besides being home to the Texans has hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII, won by the New England Patriots 32-29 against the Carolina Panthers on Feb. 1, 2004 and Super Bowl LI, a 34-28 by those same Patriots against the Atlanta Falcons on Feb. 5, 2017. 

In their nearly two decades as a franchise, the Texans under McNair won four AFC South titles and made four playoff appearances. 

To put into context how important the Texans were to Mr. McNair, Watt said to Salters that he came to practice every single day that he could and made his players as mentioned earlier feel like they were a part of a family, something his son Cal said to the players on Monday night after their victory versus the Titans. 

“He loved you guys,” he said. “He’s loved being around you, coming to practice, coming to games, being around you as much as he did. And he is watching from above. So, thank you guys.”

Coach O’Brien said that since McNair passing, the team has talked about him a lot in their locker room and his impact on the city that they represent. 

That impact was not made via his business ventures and bringing back football to the city he and his family have called home for many years but through his philanthropy. 

The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation has donated more than $500 million to various charities and causes like Texans Volunteer Care Day; the United Way of Greater Houston ($743,000) on 12/22/2013; Lymphoma Research Foundation ($100,000.00) on 10/09/2014 and $100,000,000.00 to the Baylor College Medicine in Houston, which help to create the Texas Medical Center. 

To put into context the kind of philanthropist Mr. McNair was in giving back to Houston, Watt said to Salters over the weekend that every single charity event the Texans’ founder attended at the conclusion of it, whatever dollar amount that was raised he would match it. 

As Watt put it to Salters about Mr. McNair, “He gave a lot of money to a lot of people.” 

Over the weekend, the Houston Texans said goodbye to the founder and leader of their franchise that brought football back to the city they play for. He was an owner who was hands on in a good way where he made everyone that was involved matter and that they were an important part of what took place on the field, in the stands, at the concession and stands and merchandise stores. He made sure that every player and coach that played for him felt important and the players, and coaches on the field of the stadium against the team that left the city 22 years ago honored him in the right way by winning the game in spectacular fashion.

Above all Robert C. McNair and his family gave back in a big way to the people of Houston to make their lives better and built a relationship that will continue with his wife and children. 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 11/26/18 8 p.m. edition of ESPN’s “GMC Monday Night Kickoff” with Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, and Lisa Salters; 11/27/18 www.espn.com stories, “DE J.J. Watt Dedicated Win to Late Texans Owner Bob McNair,” and “Big Games by Lamar Miller, Deshaun Watson Boost Texans’ Playoff Hopes,” by Sarah Barshop; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Texans; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRG_Stadium; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXVIII; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_LI; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_McNair.