Robert C. McNair, the owner of the Houston Texans and the man responsible for bringing football back to the city of Houston has passed away.
The Houston Texans announced through a press release in their official Twitter account that the Senior Chairman and CEO of the Houston Texans, Bob McNair, has sadly passed away at the age of 80. President of the Houston Texans, Jamey Rootes, expressed his condolences through a released statement:
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 23, 2018
Texans general manager Brian Gaine and head coach/offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien released an official statement after the tragedy via the Houston Texans official Twitter account:
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 23, 2018
McNair was the man that was finally able to bring a football franchise to the city of Houston after the Houston Oilers were uprooted and moved to the city of Tennessee in 1997 by Bud Adams, the Oilers owner. Besides the obvious impact he brought to the city of Houston through football, McNair was very active in the community through his foundations and contributions. He donated much-needed resources to the relief and recovery efforts during the devastating Hurricane Harvey.
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McNair impacted more than just the city of Houston, he also took six Texans’ players with ties to South Carolina to visit the Mother Emmanuel AME Church where the terrible shooting took place in 2015. His ties were strong in South Carolina which is where he went to school and graduated at the University of South Carolina.
Former and current Texans players expressed their condolences through their respective Twitter accounts:
Rest In Peace Mr. McNair. Thank you for giving myself and so many others an opportunity here in Houston. My thoughts are with Janice, Cal and the entire McNair family.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) November 24, 2018
My prayers are with the McNair family right now! Thank you for the opportunity to represent your team.
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) November 24, 2018
May my prayers be with the Mcnair family. I will forever be grateful to Mr. Bob Mcnair for giving me a chance to live my life long dream. A true legend
— Dj Reader (@Djread98) November 24, 2018
I will forever be grateful to Mr. McNair for believing in me and caring about me as player and a person. It was an honor to know him and witness all that he did to give back to our community. My thoughts are with Mrs. McNair, Cal and the entire McNair family. pic.twitter.com/ZprOF5iLOi
— Brian Cushing (@briancushing56) November 24, 2018
Can’t thank you enough for giving a kid from Miami a chance to live out his dream of playing in the NFL. My deepest condolences goes out to the McNair family. #RIP #houstontexans https://t.co/ZZim0X5oRd
— Andre Johnson (@johnson80) November 24, 2018
It is expected for the son of Bob McNair, Cal McNair, to take over of the operations of his father and serve as the new owner of the Houston Texans.