(Todd A. Smith)
The Houston Texans have often placed faith at the forefront of their organization, and now it looks like that faith is getting rewarded tenfold.
The McNair family, who own the team, has never shied away from their Christian morals.
But as a fan and a Christian, that has often infuriated me because of the God-awful product they have put on the field at NRG Stadium throughout the decades.
David Carr was once the face of the organization.
If Carr was not on the field, at what was then called Reliant Stadium, he could often be found on the front row at Lakewood Church.
While no one can fault Carr as a man or a Christian, his lackluster offensive line never allowed him to reach his full potential on the gridiron.
When the Texans were losing all those games year after year, many fans would have much rather a convicted felon being the star of the team if that felon could actually play and help the team win games.
Because of the genuine faith of the McNair family, in my opinion, former team chaplain-turned former executive Jack Easterby played on the family’s genuine conviction to weasel himself into a position of power, while getting rid of people who did not fit his vision even if they could play.
Infamously, former coach Bill O’Brien fell out with star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins because he did not like his lifestyle of having multiple baby mothers showing up at team facilities.
The worst, and best, mistake of all is when the organization would not fire Easterby at the request of current Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The disgruntled and troubled quarterback demanded a trade.
Although the team tried desperately to keep the franchise quarterback in the fold, he would not budge.
And when allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment of massage therapists came out, the trade was placed on hold for a year.
In the meantime, and in between time, Watson sat out an entire year with pay, creating a distraction that followed the team until this year.
Although Watson left for Cleveland last season, his presence still lingered over the franchise until it drafted C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Stroud, a man of great faith, now seems like the perfect fit for the McNairs and the Texans.
Before beginning every interview, he thanks his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And while on the field, his faith shines in the form of his confidence and calm amid the storm.
When I think about the Texans immediate resurrection from worst to first in the AFC South and a legitimate Super Bowl contender, I think of the Bible verse that says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).
Furthermore, I think of that verse that says that all things work together for the good for those who love the Lord (Romans 8:28).
Lastly, I think of the verse that says that others meant it for harm.
However, God meant it for God (Genesis 50:20).
Literally, everything has worked out for a reason for my Texans.
Hiring and firing two head coaches after one season each.
Brian Flores suing the NFL for discriminating against Black coaches probably stopped the team from hiring a coach with no coaching experience outside of coaching his son’s high school team on a volunteer basis.
That lawsuit made it necessary for the team to hire Lovie Smith instead of Josh McCown for the 2022 season.
Although people mocked Smith at the time, beating the Indianapolis Colts in the final game of the 2022 season was a blessing in disguise because the Texans lost the first overall draft pick in 2023.
The Texans do not have a good track record of picking number one overall.
As a result, I cheered the last-minute victory over the Colts.
If the Texans had the number one overall pick, they would have probably picked Bryce Young from Alabama instead of Ohio State’s Stroud.
Now, many believe Stroud has enjoyed the best rookie season for a quarterback in NFL history.
Some like Texans backup quarterback, and my father, now think Stroud could go down as the best quarterback ever.
Not hiring McCown, allowed the team to bring back former star linebacker DeMeco Ryans to lead the team after the Smith termination.
While playing for the Texans, Ryans was a regular with Fifth ward Church of Christ.
So, obviously faith is something near and dear to him as well.
Additionally, Watson demanding a trade gave the Texans the draft capital to speed up the turnaround, which is almost complete.
To see Watson’s dejected face on the Cleveland Browns’ sidelines as the Texans routed them during the Wild Card playoff game was poetic justice to a fanbase that has not had anything to cheer about since 2019.
With Watson still under center for the struggling Texans, it would have taken forever to get back to the playoffs with the loss of iconic players like Hopkins and J.J. Watt.
And while many Texans fans, including myself, hated to see Watson go and maybe even wanted a change in ownership, the Texans faith and patience has shown what happens when a person or group of people allow Jesus Christ to direct their path.
The road my seem all uphill at first.
It might seem that it will take forever to reach a goal.
But that goal is often closer than people know.
All it takes is staying the course, maintaining the faith and allowing God to prepare a table for you in the presence of all your haters.
