Tag: community outreach

Hurricane Laura 2020: Houston Texans donate $25K to United Way of Orange County

The Houston Texans are donating $25,000 to the United Way of Orange County to assist the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.

The Houston Texans announced Friday evening they will be helping out Orange County following the devastation from Hurricane Laura.

According to a statement from the team via the official Twitter account, the Texans will be donating $25,000 to the United Way of Orange County to assist with the efforts to cleanup and aid the community in the aftermath of Laura.

On early Thursday morning, Laura made landfall in southeastern Texas and southwester Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane. As of Friday evening, the storm had claimed the lives of 14 people.

Laura threatened to cancel the Texans’ scrimmage at NRG Stadium Thursday, and the team was extra cautious on Wednesday and sent personnel home to work virtually. However, the storm’s devastation was far to the east of Houston and had no material impact on the Bayou City or the surrounding area.

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Report: Andre Johnson out as Texans’ special advisor to general manager

Former All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson is out as the special advisor to the general manager. He will still stay on a Houston Texans ambassador.

Andre Johnson is not a part of the daily operations of the Houston Texans again.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Johnson, who had a unique role as a special advisory to the coach, general manager, and scouting department, will be stepping away from the job. However, he will still be a part of the team in a limited capacity that centers around the team’s community outreach.

“Yes, I’m not actually on the staff anymore, but I’ll still be around,” Johnson said. “For me, it just won’t be an everyday thing. I’ll still be around and helping the guys out.”

According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, Johnson is staying onboard as a Texans Ambassador, a former player, coach, or member of the team who takes part in community appearances.

Last year, Johnson spent time with the receivers.

“Pretty much now, on a day to day basis, I’m just around the receivers a lot,” Johnson said on June 4, 2019. “Helping them out, just giving advice in situations when I see it. Just trying to help out with anything I see and try to help make the team better.”

Johnson feels he can help the team better as an ambassador for community appearances. It doesn’t mean his off-field football career is over or that any bad blood exists between Johnson and the Texans. The inaugural Ring of Honor member will still be around the team and represent the franchise.

Texans’ Janice McNair donates $1M to city of Houston rent relief package

Houston Texans co-founder and senior chair Janice McNair and the McNair family donated $1 million to the city of Houston’s rent relief package.

Houston Texans co-founder and senior chair Janice McNair and the McNair family donated $1 million to the city of Houston’s second rent relief package.

Houston mayor Sylvester Turner announced the gift Thursday, and the the funds will be distributed to the most vulnerable families who cannot pay their rent due to the hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I appreciate Houston Texans’ Janice McNair and the McNair family for their contribution to our city’s rental relief program. Their contribution will help many families and Houstonians across our city while also providing hope as we all continue to combat COVID-19,” said Mayor Turner.

The second rent relief package already includes $15 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, better known as the CARES Act, along with $5 million from private donors.

“So many are struggling to provide for their families during the COVID-19 pandemic,” McNair said. “It was extremely important to me and my family to step up and make sure the most vulnerable in our community don’t lose their homes at this critical time. It’s one thing we can do to keep families together and provide some hope to people who need it. I’m thankful to Mayor Turner for providing programs focused on assisting our neighbors.”

The $1 million McNair donated is in addition to the more than $1 million the McNair family and the Houston Texans Foundation have donated to COVID-19 relief efforts. The Houston Food Bank, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, the YMCA of Greater Houston, the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund, Southern Smoke and more were recipients of those initial million-dollar funds.

More information on the Houston Rent Relief Package can be found by clicking here.

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Texans celebrating Juneteenth along with other NFL teams

The Houston Texans are one of several NFL teams that is celebrating Juneteenth.

The Houston Texans are celebrating Juneteenth as a team holiday, as are other NFL teams.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the NFL has also made June 19 a staff holiday.

The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Although president Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years prior, there was a reluctance in the state of Texas to announce the abolition of slavery.

On June 19, 1965, almost two months after the end of the Civil War, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to enforce Lincoln’s mandate.

According to Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy, although a Black man, because he grew up in Michigan, he didn’t find out about the holiday until he was an adult when he was exposed to other players who grew up in the South.

When I got to college many of my football teammates from Texas talked about celebrating this event growing up, so I had to do some research. As I talked to them and did some studying on the origin of the holiday, I learned that June 19, 1865, was when enslaved people in Texas finally got the announcement that they were free. 

My first reaction upon hearing this was sadness. The proclamation from the White House had been given almost two-and-a-half years earlier. Why did it take so long for those African Americans in Texas to hear about their freedom? 

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker says that Juneteenth 2020 will be “very, very special” to him and his family.

“It became really big to me when I played in the South,” Baker said. “I think it will mean more to people after all of the problems that we have going on.”

With the Texans being one of several NFL teams to celebrate Juneteenth, it is a commitment on the organization’s part to listen.

Texans S Michael Thomas displays 2019 Ed Block Courage Award

Houston Texans safety Michael Thomas displayed his 2019 Ed Block Courage Award that he won in his last season with the New York Giants.

Ever wondered what an Ed Block Courage Award looks like? New Houston Texans safety Michael Thomas gave the world a peek on Twitter.

The former New York Giant was nominated by his teammates in 2019 for the award, which is voted on exclusively by players in recognition of one’s ability to overcome great adversity as well as commemorate one’s extra efforts both on and off the field.

In Thomas’ tweet, which contained the video displaying the award, the Pro Bowl safety said that he wished he could have spent time in Baltimore at the Ed Block Courage House, named for former Baltimore Colts athletic trainer Ed Block, who was passionate about children’s causes.

One of Thomas’ big causes is social justice, and the former Nimitz High School product seeks to push for identifiable change in that area.

“Just keep pushing, keep trying to get everybody else not (just) in the city of Houston, to understand that our city is doing the right work, we’re on the right path, but we need to put pressure and try to hold all of the other cities accountable as well,” Thomas told reporters on June 3.

Coach and general manager considers Thomas to be a “dependable, tough, smart” player.

“This is what we’re trying to build here, layers of DTS guys, dependable, tough, smart guys,” O’Brien said.

In 2019, Texans players voted safety Justin Reid as their Ed Block Courage Award winner.

Could Texans DE J.J. Watt kneel during the national anthem in 2020?

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt expressed on Twitter a possibility of taking a knee during the national anthem in 2020.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt could be one of the newcomers to kneeling during the national anthem when the 2020 NFL season kicks off.

A Twitter user opined that the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year won’t be a part of the protests during the national anthem by stating, “Pretty sure you won’t see @JJWatt taking a knee…” followed by three American flag emojis.

Watt replied at high noon Central Time Saturday that the Twitter user doesn’t represent his views and that Watt’s own perception of the kneeling during the national anthem isn’t about disrespecting the flag or the American military.

Community outreach has been near to Watt’s heart since he entered the league. In 2017, Watt won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his efforts in fundraising over $33 million for south Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25 sparked outrage across the country, but also stirred Watt.

“I’ve seen the video and I think it’s disgusting,” Watt told reporters on May 27. “I think that there’s no explanation for it, to me it doesn’t make any sense. I just don’t see how a man in handcuffs on the ground, who is clearly detained and clearly in distress, I don’t understand how that situation can’t be remedied in a way that doesn’t end in his death. I think that it needs to be addressed strongly, obviously, and I just don’t see how that situation makes any sense whatsoever, and I think that anybody who saw the video, anybody who — I don’t know how you can defend it. I mean, it’s terrible. It’s extremely difficult to watch and it’s upsetting.”

In a similar vein, Texans safety Justin Reid reiterated in an interview with the Houston Chronicle that the kneeling during the national anthem relates to police brutality more so than a protest against the United States.

“We’re not distracted from the issue we’re trying to pay attention to, which is police brutality,” Reid said. “It isn’t exclusive to only African Americans. It happens to all races: black, white, Hispanic, Asian. There’s just a tendency that it happens more to African-Americans. This is a real thing; it’s just been taboo. It’s finally being talked about. People are speaking up, and I think that’s huge. I think the next step for us is turning that raw energy into action, into changes of the structure of society, the structure of the police and their behavior, their accountability.”

Texans coach and general manager said he would be all for kneeling with players. If Watt is one of those players, it adds even more unity to the cause.

Texans safety Justin Reid believes Bill O’Brien is sincere on social justice issues

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid believes that his coach, Bill O’Brien, is coming from a sincere place as it relates to social justice issues.

Social justice issues are near and dear to the heart of Houston Texans safety Justin Reid. In 2016, Reid was playing for Stanford in the Bay Area, the epicenter of the national anthem kneeling controversy as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the first NFL player to take a knee.

One of Kaepernick’s ardent supporters was safety Eric Reid, Justin’s brother, who was with the 49ers at the time.

The NFL has evolved in its sensitivity towards social justice, particularly the systemic treatment of African-Americans in the United States. The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police was the most recent act of police brutality against African-Americans that has released a torrent of emotions that could result in substantive change.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien gave players June 9 off to attend Floyd’s funeral in Houston, and he told reporters on June 3 that he has his team’s back.

“I’ve told my players since 2014 that I have their back,” said O’Brien. “I told my players in 2017, ‘I have your back,’ and I’ll continue to tell them that I have their back. If they need time to themselves, they can have time to themselves. If they need resources from us to try to begin to heal, we’ve got to help them, we have a lot of resources here to do that, they will get it.”

O’Brien’s sincerity is not lost on Reid.

“I’ve got all the respect in the world for OB,” Reid told the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson. “He had the public statement that he made publicly and also in a private team meeting. He let us have the opportunity to talk with him and give our opinion and feelings on what’s going on in the state of the country and what we can do about it. My true feelings are that him and [executive vice president] Jack (Easterby) and all the other guys are sincere.”

Reid remains optimistic, but what he hopes to see is how the conversations develop into “meaningful change.”

Said Reid: “What I’m going to be waiting to be seeing is how these conversations are going to go into the future and how we really start making some meaningful change and be a part of that. My first feelings I got from the conversation with him is that he is sincere and he’s going to do what he can to help.”

Reid collected 78 tackles, a tackle for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and a fumble recovery in his 15 games with Houston in 2019.

Texans safety Michael Thomas acts to make a better world, not just talk

Houston Texans safety Michael Thomas doesn’t simply talk about making the world a better place; the 30-year-old puts in the work off the field.

Houston Texans safety Michael Thomas cares deeply about the African American community and the world that will be left behind for his children.

Thomas has taken concerted action to improve the lives of the African American community, such to the point that the Pro Bowl safety has developed a good relationship with members of Congress.

“Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee [Texas’ 18th district] is like, ‘There are already bills on the floor,'” Thomas said. “I’ve interned with her. I know the work her and her staff, her chief of staff, they do on a daily basis to try to get real, sustainable change done through the bills being passed.”

Houston, behind the leadership of Mayor Sylvester Turner, is a city that has welcomed Thomas’ desire to make a better world.

Said Thomas: “To see what the city of Houston has already done from hearing from the Mayor, from hearing from the police officers and officials and chiefs that I have relationships with to say, ‘We stand by the people in the city of Houston. We’re walking with them, we’re protesting with them. We’re fighting for change right along with them.'”

The 30-year-old is coming to a Texans team that already has some of his former allies. Receiver Kenny Stills played with Thomas with the Miami Dolphins from 2015-17 and the two were of one accord when it came to social justice issues.

Now, that support is buttressed by statements from coach Bill O’Brien, quarterback Deshaun Watson, and defensive end J.J. Watt — the triumvirate of Texans leadership at the player and coach level.

“Just keep pushing, keep trying to get everybody else not (just) in the city of Houston, to understand that our city is doing the right work, we’re on the right path, but we need to put pressure and try to hold all of the other cities accountable as well,” said Thomas.

Bill O’Brien: Texans will be off June 9 for George Floyd’s funeral

Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien says the team will not meet on June 9 to encourage players and coaches to attend George Floyd’s funeral in Houston.

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Bill O’Brien has more authority in 2020 as the coach and general manager than he ever has in his previous six seasons with the Houston Texans.

The 50-year-old is using his authority for community outreach and healing as he has given the players and coaches June 9 off to attend George Floyd’s funeral in Houston.

“We will not meet on that day, so, we will encourage the guys that are here in Houston to go to the funeral if we’re able to go to that,” O’Brien said.

According to O’Brien, he told Texans players in 2014 that he had their back, and reiterated his support for them in 2017 during the fervor of national anthem protests.

“If they need time to themselves, they can have time to themselves,” said O’Brien. “If they need resources from us to try to begin to heal, we’ve got to help them, we have a lot of resources here to do that, they will get it.”

O’Brien also emphasized that he wants players to communicate about the issues facing society, and to take advantage of the resources the club has available.

If they just need someone to listen — maybe they don’t want to talk to me about it, but we have plenty of people here that they can talk to about it,” said O’Brien.

Texans S A.J. Moore, CB Cornell Armstrong cover Mississippi hometown after tornado damage

Houston Texans safety A.J. Moore and cornerback Cornell Armstrong teamed up to help their tornado ravaged hometown of Bassfield, Mississippi.

One aspect that fans and media judge defensive backs by is their coverage.

Houston Texans safety A.J. Moore and cornerback Cornell Armstrong are excelling at their coverage off the field. The two teammates distributed boxes of supplies to help their hometown of Bassfield, Mississippi, where four people died from tornadoes that hit on April 13.

Moore and Armstrong also teamed up with Detroit Lions safety C.J. Moore, who is A.J.’s twin brother and also from the town of 300 people.

Markeeth Taylor, who is based in Mississippi and has been representing the Moore brothers, knows just how much the residents appreciated the homegrown NFL players supplying food and toiletries at Jefferson Davis High School on Friday.

“It was good, and you could tell the people there really appreciated it and are in good spirits” Taylor said via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “Everything was in order. To have gone through what they’re dealing with along with the pandemic, they were very upbeat. One thing about Mississippi: We’re known as the hospitality state. Everyone is helping everyone to get back on their feet. This is deeply personal for all of them.”

The Moore brothers’ mother also sustained injuries during the severe weather event as she broke her foot along with cuts and bruises. In addition to damaging her home, the storm also overturned her vehicle. Their father was hospitalized after he broke his ankle, ribs, and suffered internal bleeding.

“Everybody is keeping in good spirits, knowing we’re all in this together and we’re all going to work together to help get them back on their feet,” Armstrong said. “Bassfield is a very small town. Everyone is like family.”