Clark Hunt, chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, had plenty of kind words to say about his colleague Bob McNair in a written statement issued Saturday.
Houston Texans founder and owner Bob McNair passed away on Friday at the age of 81 in the company of his family at home in Houston. The news brought sadness throughout the NFL, especially to the owners ranks where McNair had 31 colleagues. McNair had reportedly been dealing with skin cancer over the years.
McNair was honored by his fellow owners, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and many players throughout the day on Friday and Saturday as others learned the news. Clark Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs CEO and chairman, issued a statement as well, calling McNair a “tremendous partner and friend.” You can read the entire statement below:
"Our family and the entire Chiefs organization are saddened by the news of Bob McNair’s passing. Bob was a tremendous partner and friend, and he left an indelible mark on the National Football League and his beloved Houston community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Janice, Cal and the entire McNair family in this difficult time."
The Texans player will honor their deceased owner with a helmet sticker when they face the Tennessee Titans on Monday in an important divisional showdown for playoff positioning in a suddenly competitive AFC South. The Texans have won seven games in a row after losing their opening three games. Meanwhile the Titans and Indianapolis Colts are two games behind at 5-5. It will be interesting to see how the team comes together in the midst of such organizational turmoil and the emotions that come with such a loss at the very top.
McNair is largely responsible for bringing the National Football League back to Houston in 2002 after the Oilers moved to Tennessee to become the Titans in 1997. He’s also very influential behind the building of Houston’s NRG Stadium (formerly Reliant) which has hosted two Super Bowls in the last 15 years.