Personally saluting veterans Tuesday afternoon, the Texans hosted 10 military families at a private event on the field at NRG Stadium to celebrate a decade-long partnership with Operational FINALLY HOME.
The national nonprofit organization is dedicated to building homes for wounded, ill or injured veterans and their families.
The Texans and USAA hosted the families who received the homes heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, meeting with Texans foundation vice president Hannah McNair, the Texans' rookie class, team president Greg Grissom and Texans ambassador and former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Wade Smith. They received $500 HEB gift cards, Texans gear and a field day at the stadium.
"It's been a longtime thing for our family, and to show our appreciation for the military and their families and celebrating 10 years with Operation FINALLY HOME is really special," McNair said. "Being able to give them a home that is for their needs and their family's needs is really wonderful. It helps the family grow together and not have as many issues as other homes. It's my favorite thing. I love being able to say thank you in person. There's nothing like it.
"To see the impact it makes on them over the 10 years is really quite emotional.They do so much for us. To give back a little bit and say thank you it's really special. To get the win on Sunday and to come into military Salute to Service Appreciation week, to have this much fun, it just brings everybody's spirits up and then to give back and say thank you on Thanksgiving."
The players spent a lot of time talking with the military veterans and their families, interacting with them during their day off from practice. The Texans are coming off an upset road win over the Tennessee Titans, improving to 2-8 overall for the season.
"It's awesome," Texans rookie defensive tackle Roy Lopez Jr. said. "Just to spend the day with them laugh and joke with them, it's something we appreciate. It's awesome for them to come back and have this experience. It's just as awesome for us.
"It says a lot for the Texans, to the top to the bottom. We all care. We all appreciate and we're here to smile and have a good time and say thank you to each other. I'm very humbled to be here on behalf of the Texans. I've got a lot of family in service. I understand the sacrifices they make, the burden they have and the pride they have in what they do. It's big to be able to give back and share this day. Yeah, a win makes everything better it's definitely fun and hopefully we get to keep it going."