Texana Thursday: 4 Frequently Asked Questions about the First Houston Texans Football Club

Houston Texans helmet, 1974 (World Football League image)

The Houston Texans begin their 15th NFL season when the play the Chicago Bears Sunday at NRG Stadium. But long ago, Houston had another professional football team known as the Texans.

Those Texans played in a different league. They were much less successful, both on and off the field. They have no relation to today’s NFL franchise.

1. What were the original Houston Texans?

The World Football League (WFL) was an ill-fated professional football league that began in 1974 and ended in 1975. The Houston Texans were among the charter franchises in that league.

2. What was their record?

The Texans played part of the 1974 season at the Astrodome. During that time they had a record of three wins, seven losses, and one tie when the franchise was sold to a group of investors from Shreveport, Louisiana. The team was renamed the Shreveport Steamer when it relocated to Louisiana.

3. What were their colors and logo?

The Houston Texans colors were green and gold. The logo was a silhouette of Texas with a lowercase H. The H was situated on the right side of the state. When the franchise moved to Shreveport, the colors remained the same, the logo was changed to reflect the new city and nickname.

4. Who was their most famous player?

The Texans had two noteworthy players remembered today. One was finishing a career that would land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The other was beginning a career that would end in tragedy.

Don Maynard of Texas Western (today known as the University of Texas at El Paso, or UTEP) finished his professional football career with the Texans. The bulk of his career was with the New York Titans/Jets. He was a favorite receiver of Joe Namath and played a key part in the Jets’ Super Bowl III championship season. Maynard was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

John Matuszak of the University of Tampa was the first pick of the 1973 NFL Draft, when he was selected by the Houston Oilers. Matuszak signed with the Oilers but later signed a contract with the Texans, claiming there was a loophole in his contract that permitted him to do so. He played only a few plays for the Texans before he was served with injunction papers on the sideline that restricted him for playing for another team.

The Oilers were understandably upset with Matuszak, and traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs. He later played a season with the Washington Redskins, and then went to play for the Oakland Raiders, where he was a two-time Super Bowl champion.

After football, Matuszak went into acting. His credits included roles in The Goonies (1985) and Caveman (1981). Perhaps his most famous role was playing a version of himself in the movie North Dallas Forty (1979). Matuszak died in 1989 of an overdose. He was 38 years old.