This Sunday, the Houston Texans will honor Robert C. McNair, the late Texans founder, chairman and CEO, in their Week 5 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
"On Sunday, we're going to put Bob McNair in the Ring of Honor and I think that's obviously going to be a great day for the McNair family, for the Houston Texans," head coach Bill O'Brien said Wednesday. "Bob did so much for this city, so much obviously bringing pro football back to this city. He was a caring man, a very honest man and he was somebody I learned a lot from over the years and we miss him every day."
The Texans will induct McNair, who passed away last November, posthumously into the Ring of Honor during halftime at NRG Stadium. McNair will also be celebrated with the first annual Founder's Day, exactly 20 years after the league granted the 32nd professional football franchise to him. On October 6, 1999, the NFL awarded the expansion team to McNair at the annual owners meeting. Coincidentally, that meeting took place in Atlanta, Georgia.
"I think Sunday will be a great way of honoring him, honoring his name and putting him up there in the Ring of Honor for, really, forever," O'Brien said. "And I think that's where his name deserves to be."
The Texans staff will continue to commemorate McNair each year on October 6 with a Founder's Day tradition. Employees will complete a service project in his memory to honor McNair's philanthropic legacy.
"We will use this day each year to celebrate the legacy of Bob McNair and the tremendous impact that his community commitment has had and continues to have on our region," Houston Texans president Jamey Rootes said.
McNair made an everlasting impact for more than 50 years with his philanthropy and contribution to the community. He chaired The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, the Houston Texans Foundation headquartered in Houston, Texas, and The Robert and Janice McNair Educational Foundation where he grew up in Forest City, N.C. For over 25 years, the McNairs gave generously to an array of charitable, scientific, literary, educational and religious organizations.
The Ring of Honor ceremony will be live-streamed via HoustonTexans.com during halftime of the Falcons-Texans matchup. Kickoff for Sunday's game is set for 12 p.m. CT on FOX-26 and SportsRadio 610.
In preparation for Mr. McNair's induction in the Houston Texans Ring of Honor, we take a trip down memory lane.
HOUSTON - December 6: Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander hands out presents children before the Rockets vs Celticts. Mr. Alexander also donated $100.000 to the Houston Chronicle Good Fellows families on December 6, 2005 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER:User expressly acknowleges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
An image from the Aug. 9, 2017 preseason away game against the Carolina Panthers. The Texans lost 17-27.
Day 3 of Houston Texans training camp at Methodist Training Center on August 2, 2015.
Houston Texans Training Camp in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia
