Remembering Janice McNair: The Kind Lady Who Helped Bring Football Back to Houston

Who Was Janice McNair?

Janice McNair was a wonderful lady who helped create a football team called the Houston Texans. She was the co-founder and Senior Chair of that team. Think of a co-founder as one of the people who started the team, and Senior Chair as someone who held a very important leading position.

• She passed away recently at the age of 89.
• The Texans told everyone about her passing on a Tuesday afternoon.

Important: Janice was not just a fan—she was a key leader of the team from the very beginning.

How the Houston Texans Came to Be (A Simple Timeline)

A long time ago, Houston had a different football team called the Oilers. But that team moved far away to Tennessee in 1997. So Houston had no team in the NFL (the big league of American football) for a while.

Then, in 2002, Janice and her husband Bob McNair created the NFL’s 32nd team—the Houston Texans. (A "franchise" is just a fancy word for a team.) This brought football back to the city.

Here’s a step-by-step timeline to make it super clear:

1. 1997 – The Oilers leave Houston for Tennessee.
2. 2002 – Janice and Bob found the Texans, the NFL’s 32nd franchise.
3. 2018 – Bob passes away at age 81.
4. 2018–2024 – Janice becomes the primary owner (the main boss) of the Texans.
5. 2024 – Janice gives the top owner job to her son, Cal.
6. Recent Tuesday – Janice passes away at 89.

What Happened After Her Husband Bob Passed

Bob McNair died in 2018 when he was 81 years old. After that, Janice became the primary owner of the Texans. That means she was the main person in charge of the team.

But in 2024, she decided to pass that big job to her son, Cal McNair. So Cal became the new main owner.

Cal McNair’s Heartfelt Words

Cal, along with his sisters Ruth and Melissa, loved their mom very much. He shared a statement through the team. Here is exactly what he said:

“Mom was exceptional,” Cal said in a statement issued by the team. “She exuded kindness, radiated joy, had an endless amount of hope and love, and lived an incredible life centered around faith, family, philanthropy and football. It’s impossible to describe the profound gratitude that my sisters, Ruth and Melissa, and I feel for having her as our mom. Outside of our family, nothing mattered more to her than her beloved Texans. I remain honored to lead this franchise and build on the foundation my parents set when they brought football back to Houston. Mom leaves an indelible mark on our family, our team and our community, and her giving spirit will always be embedded in the fabric of our organization. While I’m heartbroken, I take great comfort in knowing she is now reunited with my dad, her favorite teammate.”

What this means in kid-friendly language:

• Cal says his mom was amazing and always kind and happy.
• She loved her family, helping others (philanthropy), and football.
• He and his sisters are super thankful to have her as a mom.
• She cared about the Texans more than anything else outside family.
• Cal feels proud to run the team his parents started.
• She left a lasting good mark on everyone.
• He is sad but happy she is with his dad again (whom she loved like a teammate).

Important: Janice’s love for the Texans was so big that even her son says the team wouldn’t exist without her and Bob.

Family and Survivors

Janice is survived by a big, loving family:

• 4 children (including Cal, Ruth, and Melissa)
• 16 grandchildren
• 13 great-grandchildren

That’s a lot of people who will miss her!

Our Condolences

We send hugs and sad thoughts to the McNair family and everyone who worked with the Texans. Losing someone special is never easy.

Summary

Janice McNair was a co-founder and senior leader of the Houston Texans NFL team. She and her husband Bob brought football back to Houston in 2002 after the old team left. After Bob died in 2018, she led the team until 2024, when her son Cal took over. Janice died at 89, leaving behind four kids, many grandkids, and great-grandkids. Her family remembers her as a kind, joyful person who loved football and helping others.

FAQ

Q1: Who was Janice McNair?
A: She was the co-founder and Senior Chair of the Houston Texans football team, and she helped bring the NFL back to Houston.

Q2: When did the Texans start, and why was that special?
A: They started in 2002. It was special because Houston had lost its previous team (the Oilers) in 1997, so the Texans gave the city a new team.

Q3: Who runs the Texans now?
A: Cal McNair, Janice’s son, became the main owner in 2024 after Janice transferred the role to him.

Q4: How many descendants did Janice leave behind?
A: She is survived by 4 children, 16 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

Q5: What did Cal say about his mom?
A: He said she was exceptional, kind, joyful, and loved family and football, and he is honored to continue the team’s legacy that his parents built.