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 soccer.

“Tell them, get out there,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

The McNairs have long been involved in flag football, with Janice McNair, wife of the late Texans 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.

“It was impactful today to see those women in that room who paved the way,” said Hannah McNair. “It was quite emotional. I teared up a few times. And then to see the next generation of flag football with Westbury there, you can really see what’s been done to help us all play this game.”

Marty Bryant was a running back for the Herricanes, who played in the National Women’s Soccer League from 1976-79. She beamed as she spoke to the high school players about her time on the grill and likes that the barriers they broke down made it easier for girls to get into the game today.

“It’s a sigh of relief. Absolutely,” she said. “It’s been in the works for so long and it’s such a relief to see it actually happen. These girls can go play because they want to go play. This is amazing. It makes your heart smile.”

Johnson played wide receiver for the Texans from 2003-2014 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. He never questioned girls’ ability to play soccer because of a childhood where a cousin always played with him and his friends.

“We would go against other neighborhoods and they would always laugh at us because we brought a girl with us and she used to kill people,” Johnson said. “She … would go out there and score three or four touchdowns a game. And just for me, I’ll say to any woman: go play.”

Johnson is happy to see girls playing soccer becoming more accepted and believes the interest will only grow.

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

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

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

Added her teammate Emree Miller, who is a runner and surefooted: “To see someone like that encouraging women’s soccer is very inspiring and motivating.”

Tatum and Miller faced none of the discrimination the Herricanes faced when playing football more than 40 years ago. They said everyone was supportive of their efforts and a member of the boys’ soccer team even gave them directions.

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

The documentary is currently playing 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 film and their struggles playing the game will encourage people to let people do what they love to do, no matter what.

“I hope they learn that you can’t just go 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. “Give people a chance. Let them try.”