Around this time last year, Houston was still buzzing from former Houston Texans player
DeMeco Ryans being named the team’s head coach. The noise grew even louder with the draft
approaching, and fans knew they would come away with either a former Heisman trophy winner
in former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young or one who was in the top-five in the Heisman
votes in Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.
There was genuine delight when the announcement was made that Stroud was the pick. Still,
before they could enjoy themselves, general manager Nick Caserio pulled off the best trade of
the 2023 NFL Draft. With the third overall selection, he selected two-time SEC Defensive Player
of the Year Will Anderson Jr. from Alabama.
Although the Texans are not slated to select a player until the second day of the 2024 NFL Draft,
the fans are once again excited about the organization’s changes.
Houston will start the season with four brand-new uniforms for the first time in team history.
Before the designs were drawn up, the team used feedback from fans, former and current players,
media members, and a fan council to understand what changes were needed.
During the NFL annual league meetings this spring, Cal McNair was named the Texans’
principal owner. Along with his wife, Hannah, both were on board with the changes. They even
initiated the process by introducing change into the organization this past season. Many
throughout the organization have uttered Cal’s “Fearlessly Evolve” motto daily.
“I think all of us are excited about the new uniforms,” said Doug Vosik, the Texans’ Senior vice
president of Marketing and Communications, exclusively to Texans Wire. “It is not just about
me, it’s not about the team, it is not about the McNair’s. If you think about how the organization
chose to do this, we had a choice, and we chose to make it a very fan and media-inclusive
process over the past year and a half. I think all of us, including the fans who were a part of it,
are just excited and stoked and naturally curious where it is all going to go.”
Vosik was hired in July 2022 to help reinvigorate the organization’s image and brand as the team
was experiencing some tumultuous times. Even though he grew up on the East Coast, it didn’t
take him long to incorporate the “H-Town” culture into his day-to-day operations. His
interactions with hip-hop artists such as Bun-B, Paul Wall, and Slim Thug, as well as his
conversations with individuals who have been football fans since the Houston Oilers, were
helpful when it was time to design the uniforms.
“I like to use a phrase, and some call it cheesy, ‘You don’t have to be born here to be from
here,’” Vosik responded when asked how he could adapt to the culture in such a short time.
“When I say that, I am asking, ‘Are you someone that embraces culture, community, and
celebrates diversity?’ I love the arts, music, car culture, sports, and different cuisines. If you
think about Houston, it has all those things.”
Before Texans fans can give their opinion on the new uniforms, Vosik and his team must sell the
individuals wearing them on the new look. Head coach DeMeco Ryans, who likes the upgrades
made to the uniform he wore during his Texans playing days, will give the marketing department
time to unveil them when the team meets on April 15. Vosik hopes he garners the same excited
reaction he received from wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell, safety Jimmie Ward,
linebacker Christian Harris, and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.
“We have everything behind curtains, and we have lockers set up, and every uniform is in a
locker, and we don’t tell them anything,” said Vosik about some current players seeing the
uniforms before a photo shoot. “At first, they are calm, and you are seeing their reactions, and
then they start to see the details. How big is Will? About two [hundred pounds] something. He is
a big dude. To see him jump up and down, like the joy of a kid, because he was that excited
because that new uniform is something that he is going to rock [wear], that was really a moment
of joy for us.”
The Texans are hosting a Uniform Release Party on Tuesday, April 23, at the 713 Music Hall
from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. A select group of fans must register to attend and witness the
uniform unveiling. They will also have a chance to purchase them with exclusive team
merchandise.
“The gathering event and party are important to us because it is time to have a human one-on-
one connection to celebrate the moment,” said a smiling Vosik, ready for the fans to witness all
the hard work and dedication put into the process. “This is the first time in team history that we
are massively updating our uniforms, and that is a moment that should be celebrated. That is a
moment that should be celebrated by the organization, but more importantly, the fans.”