The History and Story Behind the Houston Texans Logo
The Houston Texans are an American football team that competes in the National Football League. As their name suggests, they are based in Houston, Texas. A logo is an important element of branding for any sports team, as it is part of their identity, and it is how fans recognize that clothing or merchandise relates to the team. This team’s logo has an interesting story, so let’s look at the history and story behind the Houston Texans logo.
The Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a relatively new team, as they were not formed until 1999 and did not compete for the first time until 2002. It makes them the youngest team competing in the NFL. This football team was formed to replace the Houston Olliers, who played from 1960 to 1996. When this team moved to Nashville and became known as the Tennessee Titans, Houston’s football fans needed a new team to support. Bob McNair, a wealthy businessman, founded the Houston Texans in 1999 along with his wife, Janice McNair. He remained the owner until his death in 2018. After his death, his wife retained majority ownership of the team. During the first decade of competing in the NFL, the Houston Texans struggled to achieve success. However, their fortunes changed in the 2011 season. During this season, they won their first division championship. Since then, they have won five more AFC South Championships, says Wikipedia.
Choosing a Logo
When Bob McNair founded the football team, he began a bid to find the best logo to represent them. He organized several focus groups to choose the name of the team and the logo to represent the brand. McNair wanted to make sure the name and logo represented the character of the football club. By March 2000, they already had five nicknames chosen for the team, and each of these had an emblem to represent the name. A month later, they had whittled it down to three options. By September, there were only two options left in the running. When the team made their NFL debut, the logo had already been designed and approved by management.
An Overview of the Houston Texans Logo Design
The Houston Texans logo is a striking design of a Spanish fighting bull’s head in red, white, and blue. One half of the bull’s head is blue, while the other half is red. The image of the head is divided with a curved strip of white, and a five-pointed white star sits in the position of the bull’s eye. The logo appears on a background of either blue, red, or white, depending on the manner in which the logo is used. You will see the logo on various items of merchandise associated with the team. This logo was first used in 2006, and Verlander Design, a California studio, designed it. The designers aimed to keep the logo as clear and concise as possible. They also opted not to use a font on the image as they felt it overcomplicated the design and was unnecessary.
The Choice of Images for the Logo
The decision to use a bull as the main image in the logo was no accident, as it has a deep meaning. First, Texas is associated with cattle-rearing, so it is appropriate to use a bull as an image to represent the state. However, it is not a cow or a longhorn, but a Spanish fighting bull. The choice of this animal intends to represent power, energy, determination, resilience, and strength, says Logos World. Another important part of the design is the five-pointed star that sits in place of the bull’s eye in the image. It is the lone star, which is associated with Texas as the state is also known as the Lone Star State. The Lone Star also appears on the Texas state flag. There is further meaning to the star, as its five points represent courage, pride, strength, independence, and tradition. The purpose is to link each of these positive attributes with the team.
The Reasons for the Color Choices
McNair did not describe the color options for the logo as simply red, white, and blue. Instead, he described them as deep steel blue, battle red, and liberty white. His description of the colors reflected his desire for his team to show steely determination and to battle to the end. Again, the choice of colors was no accident. Not only are red, white, and blue the colors of the United States flag, but they are also the Texas state flag colors. Therefore, they were the perfect color choices for a Texan football team. The placement of the colors is intended to represent the Texas state flag. The larger side of the bull’s head is blue, while the smaller side of the bull’s head is red. The white lone star is positioned to represent the bull’s eye and to reflect the position of the lone star on the flag.
The Use of the Logo on the Team Uniform
The Houston Texans have three uniform variations, all of which share the colors of the logo. The main uniform is a blue top with red and white trim, with white bottoms with a red stripe down the side. There is a white variation of this uniform, with a white top with red and blue trim and blue bottoms with red and white trim. The alternate uniform is a red top with white and blue trim, worn with white pants with red trim. Regardless of which uniform is worn, the players wear a blue helmet. The logo is clearly displayed on the side of the helmet. However, the logo does not appear elsewhere on the uniform. Therefore, other than the helmet, the link between the uniform and the logo is the choice of colors.
