Tag: Hannah McNair

Hannah McNair remains salty about Titans wearing Oilers throwbacks

Hannah McNair, the wife of Texans owner Cal McNair, remains VERY salty about the Titans owning Oilers history.

All you have to do is take one look through Twitter to see how upset Houston Texans fans are that the Tennessee Titans wear Oilers throwbacks and rightly own and celebrate the team’s history, and that’s something that will never change.

We need not look any further for proof of that than Hannah McNair, the wife of Texans owner Cal McNair and the president of the Houston Texans Foundation.

Both recently sat down for an interview in which they were asked about the Texans beating the Titans in Week 15 while the latter was wearing the Oilers throwbacks. Cal tried to take the more diplomatic approach, but Hannah did not hold back on her feelings about things.

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“I think Houston liked that game a lot,” she said. “Especially winning that game there while (the Titans) were wearing something that Houston takes a lot of pride in. And, you know, Tennessee doesn’t care as much. It’s not as meaningful to their fans as we saw in a survey 20 or so years ago when they did change to the Titans. The Oilers didn’t mean as much to the Titans fans. So to win there meant a lot to Houston as they were shoving that in our face.”

The only reason Titans fans have as much fun as they do tormenting Texans fans is because of the ridiculous reaction Houston fans have about the situation.

The fact of the matter is, the Texans have nothing to do with the Oilers, and even Oilers greats have said their history lies with the Titans.

It’s time to let it go.

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Texans have found the right leader in DeMeco Ryans

The Texans finally chose the right captain to steer them towards success in DeMeco Ryans.

On Jan. 9, 2023, Houston Texans Chairman and CEO Cal McNair stood in front of the media in the team auditorium and announced that he had fired head coach and defensive coordinator Lovie Smith after serving a year in the head coaching position. It was the second consecutive year that the Texans had to make such an announcement, as former head coach David Culley was fired the year prior.

“As you know, Nick (Caserio) and I spoke with Lovie (Smith) last night and informed him that we would be moving in a different direction as an organization,” McNair said. “We just felt this was the best decision for us at this time. We know the last two seasons have not been what we had hoped for, but we’re committed to building a program that’s successful long-term.

“We’ve dealt with unprecedented circumstances over the last several years, but we’re excited about our future and where we’re headed. Now we’re committed to getting this one right. Like I said, I’m excited and optimistic about what’s possible moving forward on the field. I know our team has a bright future ahead.”

Sitting in the front row, staring intently at her husband speak about the franchise’s future, was Houston Texans Foundation vice president Hannah McNair. She looked directly at the podium intently, listening to every word from general manager Nick Caserio’s mouth as he spoke about how extensive the head coaching search would be and how the McNair’s would be a massive part of the process.

“In the end, it’s going to be my recommendation to ownership, and then ownership, our dialogue with each other, and then ultimately Cal and Hannah (McNair) own the team,” said Caserio about the collaborative effort in the coaching search. “I’m going to be respectful of their wishes. I think we’re going to be respectful of each other’s perspectives and wishes, and ultimately, we’re going to do what we feel is in the best interest of the Houston Texans organization. In the end, I think the owner has the trump card. For me to think otherwise, that’s probably rude of me, but that’s just the reality of it.”

As the press conference concluded, Hannah McNair made her way toward a couple of media members, me included, and spoke freely and candidly about ensuring they would hire the right leader for the rebuilding Texans.

“We will get this right, I promise you,” she said. “We know the narrative about this team, but that is not who we are. Neither is it the way we want this franchise to be. This will be corrected very soon. Cal will make sure of that.”

Every word Mrs. McNair spoke was with passion and zeal. Her numerous conversations with her husband were not for public consumption, but she conveyed the message as best she could. What she needed the fanbase to do was be patient throughout this process, which was a lot to ask for with all the internal adversity that had transpired over the last three seasons that led to a combined 11 wins during that stretch of turmoil.

Fast forward one year later, and in the same team auditorium where the news was delivered that Smith was fired, in walks former Texans player and first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans with a smile as he prepares for his weekly press conference.

Houston headed into the final week of the regular season needing a win over the Indianapolis Colts to advance to the postseason. Still, to Ryans, it was just another game and an opportunity for his team to improve. His players followed his lead and even played with his attitude as they pulled off a gritty 23-19 win over the Colts.

The spry 39-year-old has exceeded expectations by leading the Texans back to the playoffs with a 10-7 record and capturing the AFC South Championship for the first time since 2019. The 2022 Pro Football Writers of America Assistant Coach of the Year, during his last season with the San Francisco 49ers, has reenergized the Texans fanbase and organization.

“It means everything to me to provide this opportunity for our organization, to see the smiles on everyone’s faces,” Ryans answered when asked about his season thus far. “Not just the players, but all of our support staff, the owners, Cal and Hannah (McNair). Them entrusting us. To see the smiles on Nick’s (Caserio) face. Everybody. I’m happy to be a part of it. I’m happy to see everyone smiling. I’m happy, excited about this moment, excited about this opportunity that we have in front of us. It’s a proud moment for our organization, so I’m just happy to be a part of it and happy to be along for the ride.”

The Texans ship hasn’t fully gotten back on course yet, but as Houston prepares to host the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card playoff game at NRG Stadium on Saturday, at least it isn’t spinning in circles anymore. The executive group led by the McNair’s and Nick Caserio finally got the GPS to work and chose the right captain to steer them towards success in DeMeco Ryans.

“DeMeco has definitely brought in great energy,” Cal McNair told Texans Wire during training camp. “It has energized the town, so I am excited for that. We are really excited that DeMeco wanted to come home and finish the job that he started back in 2006 when we drafted him. He has stepped into that leadership role, and I think it is going to be a really exciting time for the Texans.”

Houston Texans playing with spirit of gratefulness during Salute to Service game

The Houston Texans shared what it meant to play in the Salute to Service game to honor America’s armed forces.

On Sunday, when the Houston Texans take on the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium, they will be playing for more than an opportunity to keep their winning streak and playoff aspirations alive. They will take the field in honor of all the men and women of the United States Military who have served or are actively serving the country.

“It is something that is personal to me,” Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud told the Texans Wire. “My brother was in the Navy; he is a veteran, and I have a lot of respect for the military. For those who put their lives on the line so that we can have freedom and peace. It means a lot for them to get to a month of us recognizing them and showing them love back. We appreciate them and thank them for their service; it doesn’t go unnoticed.”

The late Texans owner Bob McNair started the tradition in 2011 of honoring all military branches by incorporating a Salute to Service game where the team donated tickets to service members, inviting each branch to present colors on the field and present a field-sized United States flag that would be honored during the playing of the National Anthem. The NFL decided to follow what Houston had started and now holds a Salute to Service game in stadiums around the country during November.

This past week, the Texans and Community Coffee hosted a Salute to Heroes tailgate at NRG Stadium, honoring military personnel and first responders for their service. Over 50 military members and first responders had lunch with Texans Legends, Lady Texans, Toro, Texans Cheerleaders, and Hannah McNair, Vice President of the Houston Texans Foundation. They also had an opportunity to meet the players after practice.

“It’s nice to be able to say thank you in person and just to honor them and serve them as they have served us,” said McNair.

Coach DeMeco Ryans has been a part of the Salute to Service game as a player and a coach and knows just how much this game means to the players and military personnel, both past and present.

“I feel like the people who serve our country are the reason why we can do a lot of the things we do here,” Ryans told Texans Wire after meeting with the media on Friday. “A lot of the freedoms we have in America come from the people who are sacrificing for us. I have a lot of family members who have served, and I am very grateful and thankful to them for their service.

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Texans assist Houston Food Bank tackling hunger during Hunger Action Month

The Houston Texans teamed up with the Houston Food Bank to tackle hunger as part of a larger campaign for Hunger Action Month.

HOUSTON — Fresh off their first victory of the season on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, some of the Houston Texans players were still in competition mode, except this time, they were not being led into battle by first-year coach DeMeco Ryans but by someone whose competitive spirit is still the same.

Hannah McNair, the Vice President of the Houston Texans Foundation, made sure that tight end Teagan Quitoriano, linebackers Henry To’oTo’o, Christian Harris, Jake Hansen, and defensive end Adedayo Odeleye, along with the Lady Texans knew that the race was on to see who could fill the most boxes at the Houston Food Bank in support of Hunger Action Month.

“It’s always great to come and support Backpack Buddy at the Houston Food Bank; they’re one of our great partners,” Mrs. McNair said about the community event. “And during Hunger Action month, we got to feed a lot of kids and make sure they don’t go hungry on the weekend.

“The Lady Texans, they’re just the heart. We go out to the community throughout the year and give back. That just means a lot. To do it together and to also do it as a competition, I mean, we’re in sports, turn it into a competition; we got a lot done today.”

In case you were wondering, Mrs. McNair’s team won. Over 540 bags were prepared on Tuesday, and each bag contained six meals, which brought the total amount of meals to 3,270.

The Texans organization will now focus on the “Ring of Honor” ceremony for former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, who was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times during his tenure with the team.

“The Ring of Honor, we’re really excited to get J.J. back here and honor him appropriately,” said Mrs.McNair. “I think he’s a Hall of Famer. He’s incredible. He’s meant a lot to this organization, to this city. We’re going to be able to celebrate that this weekend, and let’s go get another win.”

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Houston Texans and partners announce 2023 Inspire Change Grant

The Houston Texans and their partners have launched the 2023 Inspire Change Grant.

The Houston Texans along with ConocoPhillips, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, and Ashley announced Tuesday the 2023 Inspire Change Grant.

The grant will be used to fund programs and projects that, “create partnerships that unlock pathways to new opportunities and support social justice and racial equity efforts in Houston,” according to a statement from the Texans.

The program is in its third year, and the team and partners will award $400,000 to area nonprofits and education programs.

An advisory committee of Texans representatives and community leaders will select grant recipients in the following areas: education, criminal justice reform, workforce and economic development, community resources, relational policing, poverty alleviation, racial equity, employment, support for children with incarcerated parents, homelessness, and access to mental health support in underserved communities and schools.

Since 2021 when the grant was created, more than $800,000 has been awarded to 30 local nonprofits.

Last year, the Texans and their partners surprised recipients with their grants at a reception at NRG Stadium with Texans players, Texans Foundation vice president Hannah McNair, and Texans Legends. Throughout the year, the Texans also visited grant recipients Bo’s Place, Santa Maria Hostel and Casa de Esperanza de los Ninos, Inc.

The grant application will be available Aug. 23 through Sept. 13 at  www.HoustonTexans.com/InspireChangeGrant.

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Houston Texans to host Season Premiere Aug. 31

The Houston Texans will host their annual Season Premiere Aug. 31 at NRG Stadium.

The Houston Texans announced the date of their second annual Season Premiere presented by Amegy Bank.

The Texans will host the Season Premiere Thursday, Aug. 31 at NRG Stadium.

All proceeds from the event will go towards the Houston Texans Foundation. The event chairs this year include Texans Foundation vice president Hannah McNair and Lady Texans Kathleen Caserio and Jamie Grissom.

“The Season Premiere will be a wonderful way for us to celebrate a new season with our team,” Texans co-founder Janice McNair said. “No one is more excited for this season of Texans football than I am, and I can’t wait to see the team on the field this fall.”

Hannah McNair says attendees will be treated to, “a delicious meal, live music and games.”

“Giving back to our great city is at the heart of who we are as an organization and funds raised at this special evening will help us amplify our efforts to make a meaningful impact across our community year-round,” Hannah McNair said.

Berg Hospitality will provide the dinner, and the night will include games and live music in the Texans Casino along with live and silent auctions.

Attendees will get to see the 2023 team for the first time, including chairman and CEO Cal McNair, president Greg Grissom, general manager Nick Caserio, coach DeMeco Ryans, TORO, Texans Legends, Texans Cheerleaders, and Lady Texans.

The 2022 Season Premiere raised over $800,000 to support the Texans’ efforts to inspire hope in the greater Houston area. Since 2002, the Texans Foundation has raised more than $45.3 million to support programs in education, character development, and health and wellness to empower the next generation.

More information can be found at www.HoustonTexans.com/SeasonPremiere.

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Houston Texans wear orange to remember Uvalde, support National Gun Violence Awareness Day

“We decided to wear orange shirts ahead of “Wear Orange Day” in a couple of days in support of, first and foremost, the one-year anniversary of the Uvalde school shooting,” said coach Ryans

HOUSTON — As I made my way into the gates of the Houston Texans practice field at the Methodist Training Center on Wednesday, I noticed the back of the t-shirts being worn by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Cal McNair and his wife Hannah, vice president of the Texans Foundation. 

The white cursive font that stood out on the bright orange shirts had only one word that will never be forgotten in the state of Texas or the nation.

Uvalde.

As I continued to look around the field, I noticed that head coach DeMeco Ryans, general manager Nick Caserio, assistant coaches, players, and staff members were also wearing the shirts in unison.

The Texans organization wore the shirts in honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Day, observed on the first Friday in June. It originated on June 2, 2015, in honor of Hadiya Pendleton, 15, who was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago, Illinois, on January 29, 2013. 

One year ago, the nation mourned as a gunman killed 19 children and two educators at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. The Houston Texans, along with volunteers and sponsors, made their way toward the city to help the families of the victims and the city as they mourned over the tragic incident. 

They also honored the victims of the Uvalde Elementary school shooting before their season opener against the Indianapolis Colts last season. Players from the Uvalde high school football team were in attendance as the team wore “Uvalde Strong” decals on their helmets. The Texans organization and players donated $600,000 to the Robb Elementary School memorial fund.

“We decided to wear orange shirts ahead of “Wear Orange Day” in a couple of days in support of, first and foremost, the one-year anniversary of the Uvalde school shooting,” said coach Ryans when asked about the meaning of the shirts. “We want to make sure that we support that situation and just the senseless gun violence that is going on. We want to use our voice as an organization and as a team to make sure that we put an end to it.”

“It’s senseless shootings that are going on around our country that sometimes we can just grow numb to it because it happens so often. We just have to bring awareness to it and understand the severity of the situation, where a lot of kids, unfortunately, are losing their lives to something that senseless, and we just make sure we support and get out in front of it. As I told our players this morning, it’s bigger than just being great football players. I want our guys to understand that we’re more than just players. We’re also great men, great leaders in our communities, and our guys are in support of it, and I’m proud of the way they represented from last year, seeing it from afar, all the way up until now.”

Coach Ryans also has felt the effects of gun violence personally after losing family members to the senseless act as recently as last week. With the rise of school shootings in the United States, Ryans thinks about the safety of his three young children when they are in class.

“I have three young kids,” Ryans said. “So, when you send your kids off to school, and you have to even have that thought in the back of my mind that man, ‘are my kids going to be safe, am I going to see them’, it’s not the mindset you want to have when you’re dropping your kids off at school. For all of us, it’s something we shouldn’t have to worry about, it’s something we shouldn’t have to discuss, but it’s here. We want to make sure we bring awareness to it because it is a real issue that hits home for a lot of people.”

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Hannah McNair sits in on Texans’ coaching interviews

Houston Texans Foundation vice president Hannah McNair is part of the search committee to help identify the club’s sixth full-time coach.

Many people would expect co-founder Janice McNair or chairman and CEO Cal McNair to be a part of the Houston Texans’ coaching search, but there is another key McNair sitting in on the interviews.

According to Aaron Wilson from KPRC-TV, Houston Texans Foundation vice president Hannah McNair is also sitting in on the club’s interviews with coaching candidates.

“It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly,” Hannah McNair said. “It’s really incredible to be trusted with that. There aren’t many people that get to sit in on these interviews. So, for him (Cal McNair) to bring me in on that, I feel really excited and honored.”

Hannah McNair said that their actions are all done for the sake of winning.

“We’re both Houstonians,” Hannah McNair said. “We want to make Houston proud and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

When general manager Nick Caserio, who is also part of the search committee, met with reporters on Jan. 9 following the firing of Lovie Smith as coach, he mentioned Hannah McNair as part of the discussions.

“In the end, it’s going to be my recommendation to ownership, and then ownership, our dialogue with each other, and then ultimately Cal and Hannah own the team,” said Caserio. “I’m going to be respectful of their wishes. I think we’re going to be respectful of each other’s perspective and wishes, and ultimately we’re going to do what we feel is in the best interest of the Houston Texans organization. In the end, I think the owner has the trump card. For me to think otherwise, that’s probably rude of me, but that’s just the reality of it.”

The Texans may have more clarity as to the direction they will go following conference championship weekend as two of their candidates, DeMeco Ryans and Jonathan Gannon, face off in the NFC Championship Game.

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LOOK: Texans’ Cal and Hannah McNair attend Rockets game with Andre Johnson

Houston Texans chairman Cal McNair and VP of the Texans Foundation Hannah McNair were at a Houston Rockets game with legendary WR Andre Johnson.

Houston Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair and his wife, Hannah McNair, the vice president of the Texans Foundation, were taking in the Houston Rockets versus Miami Heat Thursday night at the Toyota Center.

The McNairs were joined by former Texans receiver Andre Johnson, who is a semifinalist again for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Week 15 is “homecoming” for the Texans as they host the Kansas City Chiefs. Johnson will be in attendance at the game.

The last time Johnson was at a Texans homecoming game was Week 16 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The COVID-depleted 3-11 Texans pulled off the upset of the 8-6 Chargers at NRG Stadium.

WATCH: Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair hands out shirts, signs autographs at training camp

Houston Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair was at Houston Methodist Training Center signing autographs and giving out shirts at training camp.

The excitement of Houston Texans training camp is contagious.

The fans are back in greater numbers than they were in 2021, and it didn’t have as much to do with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as it did the pessimism surrounding the team. The Texans weren’t going to have a franchise quarterback on the field — but taking up salary cap space and a roster spot — the roster was bottom tier, and their solution at coach was a 65-year-old rookie who had never been as much as a coordinator in his nearly 30 years prior.

With the promotion of defensive coordinator and associate head coach Lovie Smith to the big role, the optimism has been spreading.

Chairman and CEO Cal McNair and his wife, Hannah McNair, took part in the fun on the sixth day of training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center by giving away shirts to the fans in the stands and also signing autographs.

 

The reality is the Texans haven’t won four games since 2019 and there are a bevy of question marks across the roster and coaching staff. Nevertheless the McNairs, team president Greg Grissom, and general manager Nick Caserio have done a magnificent job of generating energy and positivity surrounding the club as it carries on throughout its 20th year as the Texans.