Janice McNair, a co-founder and former owner of the National Football League's Houston Texans, has died. She was 89.
The team announced her passing in a statement Tuesday, which read, “It is with profound sadness that we announce Houston Texans Co-Founder and Senior Chair Janice S. McNair passed away peacefully in Houston this afternoon with her family by her side.”
McNair was instrumental in the effort to re-establish an NFL franchise in Houston. Following the death of her husband, Bob McNair, in 2018, she assumed the role of the Texans’ principal owner before transferring ownership to their son, Cal McNair.
“Mom was exceptional. 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,” Cal McNair said in a statement. “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.”
He added, “I remain honored to lead this franchise and build on the foundation my parents set when they brought football back to Houston.”
Since the Texans' inception in 2002, the team has achieved a record of 174-214-1, securing eight AFC South titles and seven playoff wins.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans, who played for the team between 2005 and 2011 when Bob McNair owned the club, was credited with helping the Texans become a perennial playoff contender after early struggles in the 2020s.
“Mrs. McNair was an incredible woman who will be deeply missed. As a player, she and Mr. McNair built an organization that felt like a family and it was a true honor to play for them,” Ryans stated. “I will always remember the day I came home to Houston in 2023. Mrs. McNair welcomed me back into the Texans family with open arms and her signature warm smile. We shared the same vision of bringing the organization to new heights and I will continue to work every day to accomplish that goal.”