Janice McNair, the co-founder and Senior Chair of the Houston Texans, has died at 89, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.
McNair helped launch the franchise in 2002 alongside her husband, Bob, bringing the NFL back to Houston after the Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997. She later became the team’s primary owner after Bob McNair died in 2018 at age 81, and she held that role until transferring it to her son, Cal, in 2024.
In a statement released by the team, Cal McNair remembered his mother as a defining presence in the family and the organization.
“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.”
McNair is survived by four children, sixteen grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
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