Still the youngest NFL franchise, the Houston Texans have already built a rich history in this league.
The team's Ring of Honor currently includes three names; all of which are essential to telling the story of the Texans.
Who are they? Let's begin with one of the very first to don the Texans uniform.
Andre Johnson - Wide Receiver
The pressure of being a first-round wide receiver is still as big as it ever was, but being just the second first-round pick of your franchise's history, and at no. 3 overall, nonetheless, is just about as much pressure as you could put on a player.
And, Andre Johnson handled that pressure with nothing but a veteran's class. Johnson went on to find himself no. 11 on the NFL's all-time receiving list with 14,185 career yards (over 13,000 with the Texans) and is part of the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame class.
Johnson played for the Texans from 2003-2014 and posted seven seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards, including three seasons over 1,500 and twice leading the league in that category. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and twice an All Pro.
Bob McNair - Owner and Founder
Of the three names in the Texans' Ring of Honor, of course the owner and founder must have a place. Bob McNair formed Houston NFL Holdings back in 1998, and the very next year, the league awarded McNair with the NFL's next franchise which would go on to become the Houston Texans.
Whether or not folks have agreed with his off-field opinions and stances, McNair is the reason for the NFL returning to Houston and fans can be thankful for his contribution to the city's football history. Since McNair's passing in 2018, the Texans' ownership still remains in the family.
There may be no more beloved Houston Texan, ever, than J.J. Watt
J.J. Watt - Defensive End
Eight years after the Texans selected Andre Johnson, they found themselves another future Hall of Fame player in the first round, drafting pass rusher J.J. Watt out of Wisconsin with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Watt would go on to land no. 24 on the NFL's all-time sack leader list with 114.5 career sacks. He made five All Pro teams, including four in a row from 2012-2015. Twice he led the league in sacks, including 20.5 back in his second season as a pro. Watt would go on to match that career number in 2014, giving him two career seasons with 20-plus sacks.
Impressively enough, Watt accomplished all of that while enduring four injury-shortened seasons that saw him play single-digit games. Had injuries not been such a major part of his career, it's not crazy to think that Watt could have cracked the top-5 on the NFL's all time sack list (Chris Doleman is no. 5 with 150.5).
Off the field, Watt is one of the good guys. There are few better human beings across this league than Watt. Whether it's his charitable contributions, volunteer efforts or the countless instances of him extending a helping hand out of the blue, Watt is as beloved a Texan as there ever will be.