Hall of Famer Andre Johnson, Texans encourage women’s participation in flag football

HOUSTON – Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Johnson didn’t skip a beat when asked what advice he would give to girls who want to play football.

“Tell them to go away,” he said.

Johnson joined the Houston Texans on Saturday at NRG Stadium, where they hosted a screening of the documentary “The Herricanes” about a professional women’s soccer team that played in Houston in the 1970s.

The screening included members of the Herricanes, the film’s director Olivia Kuan, the Houston Westbury High School girls flag football team and Hannah McNair, the vice president of the Houston Texans Foundation and wife of Texas owner Cal McNair.

The Texans are working to get more girls involved in soccer in the city, and the team’s foundation sponsors flag football teams at 12 high schools in the Houston Independent School District and nine more at charter schools.

Next year, the Texans will expand the program to all 25 HISD high schools as they work to have the state designate girls soccer as a UIL sport.

“Last year we refocused our foundation to focus on girls flag football because we want to create an opportunity for all girls here in Houston to play the game we love and we know how life-changing it can be,” said McNair. “We know how it can change a girl’s life, her mental health, the sisterhood of commitment and just… being inspired by the people around you.”

The McNairs have long been involved in flag football, with Janice McNair, wife of late Texas founder Bob McNair, playing what was then called Powder Puff Football in college. Hannah McNair participated in the sport in graduate school and her young daughter Hunter currently plays flag football in a boys’ league.

“Today was powerful to see those women in that room paving the way,” said Hannah McNair. “It was quite emotional. I cried a few times. And then when you see the next generation of flag football, with Westbury in it, you can really see what has been done to help us all play the game.”

Marty Bryant was a running back for the Herricanes, who played in the National Women’s Football League from 1976 to 1979. She beamed as she spoke to the high school students about her time on the playing field and loves that the barriers they broke down made it easier for girls to take up the game today.

“It’s a big sigh of relief. Absolutely,” she said. “The process has been going on for so long and it is a great relief to see it actually happening. These girls can just go out and play because they want to go out and play. That’s great. It makes your heart smile.”

Johnson played as a receiver for the Texans from 2003 to 2014 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. He never doubted girls’ ability to play football because of a childhood where a niece always played with him and his friends.

“We would go against other neighborhoods and they would always make fun of us because we brought a girl and she killed people,” Johnson said. “She…went out and scored three or four touchdowns a game. And especially for me, I say to every woman: go play.”

Johnson is happy to see that girls playing football is becoming more accepted and thinks interest will only increase.

“As you can see, like in the WNBA, how things have evolved, you see more people watching WNBA games now than ever,” he said. “So I think it’s more about getting an opportunity.”

The Westbury players were excited to hear Johnson’s words of encouragement on Saturday.

“I’m so excited to have someone like that excited for us,” said 17-year-old Choyce Tatum, a running back on the team. “It makes me even more excited.”

Her teammate Emree Miller, who is a running back and safety, added, “It’s very inspiring and motivating to see someone like that cheering on girls’ soccer.”

Tatum and Miller have not faced the discrimination the Herricanes faced while playing football more than four decades ago. They said everyone supported their efforts and a member of the boys’ soccer team even gave them tips.

“They teach us what they know and it makes us better,” Tatum said.

The documentary is currently showing at the River Oaks Theater in Houston and will also be shown in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles in the coming months.

Bryant hopes the movie and their struggles to play the game will encourage people to just let people do what they love to do, no matter what.

“I hope they learn that you can’t just go along with the vast majority and judge that women can’t do this and men can’t do that. Little girls shouldn’t be here,” she said. “Just give people a chance. Let them try.”