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00:00I don't know if they make them like they used to, but they used to have these removable jaw pads.
00:05I could probably use a slightly thinner jaw pad, but I feel good about it, man.
00:11I feel good about it.
00:13It's one of those feel good, look good, feel good, play good type of thing.
00:17All I got to do is go play.
00:19These is, yeah, if you're on YouTube and Twitch, you can see the jerseys.
00:23It's got the little tank-dill action.
00:25Them all whites.
00:26These are clean.
00:29And Doug Vosick here is joining us, Texans Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
00:36Doug, we've had you in.
00:37We always enjoy talking to you.
00:40And, like, I'm not just saying this to you just because you're here.
00:45The Texans don't pay us directly.
00:49They don't pay us.
00:51I'd say this to you.
00:52I'd say this to you anyway.
00:54Hey, hey, them last two jerseys, the red joints and these, y'all fought through the helmet the whole way.
01:03The red helmet may be the best helmet in the league.
01:06But this joint here, and y'all have incorporated everything in this.
01:11That's why you got to look close to this because Houstonians really understand this.
01:16I want to get an understanding, Doug, of what all you guys went through to come up with the design
01:24of this jersey,
01:25everything that you put into it, and what all of this stuff means.
01:28Am I on air for two hours?
01:30I don't know if you're on for two hours.
01:32That's a lot.
01:32That's a lot, man.
01:34Yeah, I bet.
01:34That's a lot of work.
01:36Ooh, check out the uniform guy.
01:37Every time I look to my left, I see this dude with the helmet.
01:39Come on, man.
01:40That does not fit.
01:42No, it doesn't.
01:43That ain't what it's supposed to look like.
01:44We let him roll.
01:45All right.
01:45All right, so where do I start for you?
01:47The beginning?
01:47Yeah, the beginning, please.
01:49The beginning.
01:50Crazy timing.
01:51Go back to 2024.
01:52We had just launched all those brand new uniforms.
01:54You mentioned your favorite reds, right?
01:55That red helmet.
01:56That red helmet, man.
01:57I'm going to claim it, too.
01:58Best in the NFL.
01:59I'm going to claim it, too.
01:59Man, that is clean.
02:01I'll take that.
02:02I'll take that compliment.
02:02We're going to roll with that.
02:03But literally, we launched those things.
02:04Then two months later, Nike comes around and says, hey, we're working on this new program.
02:08We're going to give you a fifth uniform.
02:10We're like, oh, we just got done these.
02:12Okay, let's do this again, right?
02:14So they gave us maybe 60, 90 days of like, you need to write us a brief, you know, document
02:18that just says, what do you want to get out of this uniform?
02:20So we had already launched those other ones.
02:22So we knew what fans were, what they were vibing, right?
02:24We knew that they were super excited by all that change.
02:27We knew they loved the H.
02:28We knew they loved the battle reds.
02:29Like, so we knew we were onto something, right?
02:31And it wasn't necessarily about the H.
02:33It was about fans really got into, we were telling a local story.
02:36Sure.
02:36And that we brought some H-Town Blue, our city's color, into the mix.
02:40So when Nike's like, here's your question, they said, tell us a hyper local story.
02:45That was literally what they asked of us.
02:47And we're like, all right, well, that gives us part answer already.
02:50We're going back to the H.
02:51It's our second best-selling uniform already.
02:53So we know fans love it, right?
02:55Two, as you heard Hannah and Cal McNair always say, every time we do a new uniform, it's an
02:59alternate.
02:59Can we get more H-Town Blue?
03:01Well, they delivered on that promise.
03:02So we know, hey, let's get some more H-Town Blue in the mix on that one.
03:05And then the last was about all the details.
03:07So we had to really ask ourselves, like, what's a local story that hasn't really been told
03:12by a pro team through a uniform?
03:14And then you turn to the fans.
03:16We go to our fan council.
03:17We had two of them at the time.
03:19And we said, what are some things about Houston that maybe not everybody knows about, but
03:22you think are super cool?
03:23A lot of ideas came out.
03:25But man, the Tile one is the one that popped right away, where people were like, that's
03:29special.
03:30That's unique.
03:31Texans, what can you do with it?
03:32And that was the jump.
03:34What is the Tile thing is interesting to me, because me and Tyler specifically, but I know
03:38Ryan does too.
03:39But we really get into this, you know, geeking out over this uniform stuff.
03:44And the Tile thing to me, you know, you see all the mock-ups.
03:48And it's the checkerboard mock-up.
03:49And I'm like, I like the Tile idea.
03:51I don't know.
03:51You could really overdo the checkerboard.
03:54You could even overdo the Tile.
03:56What was just your mindset in designing?
03:58Because I think you knocked it out of the park.
04:00I mean, using it, but more using it as a compliment, down the leg of the pant, I can't tell
04:08you
04:08how sweet it is you stopped halfway.
04:10That's you.
04:11When I saw it, I was like, right, see what I'm saying?
04:13You didn't want him all the way.
04:14No, you go all the way to the bottom, you risk being too much.
04:17But stopping at that three-quarter or halfway mark was one that I was like, yeah, that's
04:20it right there.
04:21What about the Tile piece?
04:22And how do you incorporate it without being too much?
04:24Because it is a little risky.
04:26I mean, it's not a solid line, obviously.
04:27Yeah, a little risky.
04:28But you think where we start, though.
04:29We start off, what's the true form of the Tile?
04:31It's a street sign.
04:32Yeah.
04:32So where does that lead you on a uniform with your starting point?
04:35Nameplate.
04:36Yeah.
04:36Right?
04:36You're like, that's a one-for-one, the best representation of something in Houston.
04:40It's like, street sign equals nameplate.
04:42Nameplate, yeah.
04:42So, beautiful enough, man, like Nike went and designed every single letter, custom,
04:47to get as close as they could cut and sew down to a blue tile look for that.
04:50So that's pretty special.
04:51And then even when fans could customize their jerseys, you're going to put your name on it,
04:54you'll be able to do the same thing.
04:55So that's pretty cool.
04:56So we started there.
04:57But then if it's just the nameplate, it's like, all right, there's just one piece of
05:01it.
05:01Where else do you bring it in?
05:02So, no joke, Clint, we went through all those iterations with Nike.
05:05Like, some were checkered.
05:06Some were blue and white checkered.
05:07Some were, like, faint white on white checkered.
05:09You could barely see it unless the light hit it a certain way.
05:12So when you look at those fan designs that are on Twitter and all that, like.
05:15You've seen them.
05:16A lot of them were pretty close to some of the things we looked at, right?
05:19I mean, fans got some beautiful designs out there.
05:21And what's interesting is some of them that they really like.
05:23They're like, man, we almost did that one.
05:25Yeah.
05:25We almost did that one.
05:26So it really became down to where you're hitting at is what's a tasteful way not to push
05:31too hard and use it as a design element versus take over the entire design.
05:36How, I guess, prominent or how loud was the voice about the white helmet?
05:41I think that's been something.
05:42I've heard from a lot of, like, I mean, fans that were here from the jump, they've always
05:48wanted a white helmet.
05:50Talk to us a little bit about that piece.
05:51My gosh.
05:52Finally delivered that white helmet all these years later.
05:56And you see it from all different fans, right?
05:58We go for our day-woners, our PSL holders, like, all the way back.
06:01Of course, man.
06:02And they're like that white helmet that Mr. Bob McNair held up the first time when that
06:05brand came out.
06:06So a lot of people back then, I wasn't around back then, right?
06:09Right.
06:09A lot of people back then were like, we're going to have a white helmet.
06:11And then obviously we went to East Hill Blue instead.
06:14So you have that generation of fans that are like, finally deliver us this white helmet
06:1925, 26, 27 years later.
06:21So that's one way to do it.
06:22Now, what a beautiful timing, though.
06:2325th season.
06:24Yeah.
06:25Harking back to day one.
06:26So that's like, even on a rivalry uniform, how you could tell a 25th season story through
06:30something brand new from the past.
06:32Yeah.
06:33So that was one, right?
06:34Two is when we did the uniforms last time, you saw all the threads.
06:38Fans loved what was done.
06:39But critical feedback, man, we wish y'all would have had a white helmet.
06:43That was strong in that feedback last time.
06:45You got to listen.
06:46Yeah.
06:47That was two.
06:47Three is our players.
06:49Same thing.
06:50Our players, when they saw the last uniform set, loved it.
06:52But like, yo, where's the white helmet?
06:55We want a white helmet.
06:56So what an amazing opportunity to take past, present, future, all together in one for the
07:00rivalry.
07:01Texan Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Doug Vosick.
07:06He is joining us and he's, we've had a lot of fun with Doug on air, off air over the
07:11years.
07:11And I cannot help, because if you follow all of this and you see, you guys have done a
07:16bit of countdown with the videos and letting us see, and then the release of the video and
07:21now the release of the photos.
07:22Like, I'm just looking on ESPN and I see they got, well, they got Slim Thug in it.
07:28They got Andre in it.
07:30I see, I see Nico with the, with the helmet.
07:33It is a clear shift around the time you got here, Doug.
07:37It's a clear shift, like embracing a lot of the culture of Houston from the H and how it
07:46is symbolized, to a lot of bringing in of the Paul Walls of the other.
07:52What went into that decision?
07:54Because I think, Clint, you were, obviously, you've been here for a long time, Tyler.
07:58That seems to be a shift in things over the last couple of years, really invoking that
08:05in the, in the uniforms and how you guys market a lot of things.
08:09Yeah.
08:10You know, we appreciate all noticing because it's been a shift for a while, but I'm going
08:14to go way back, go back 22, 23.
08:16And it's when Cal McNair really set a new expectation for the organization, like culture
08:22overset, right?
08:23That's a big change.
08:24It's not just about a uniform or a logo.
08:26When Cal came to us and said, like, it's time to create the next generation of Texans.
08:30It's time to fearlessly evolve.
08:32It's time to challenge everything.
08:34When you do that, you look at everything you do from game presentation, to the faces of
08:39the organization, to how you look, to the food in the state.
08:42You do all of that as part of that reset that, that Cal set a new expectation for.
08:46The other part of that was like, Doug from Cal and Hannah, what do the fans want?
08:52And what the fans told us when we did all that research was like, yo, we're the Texans.
08:56We're proud Texans.
08:57Your brand, your uniforms represent Texas Texans.
09:01But you know what?
09:02We play football in Houston.
09:04We play football in H-Town.
09:06How can the brand, the team, the club better showcase the beautiful culture of our city?
09:11That's what led to all the things that you're calling out.
09:13They didn't slide that candy paint past us.
09:16They didn't slide that past us on the uniform.
09:18What about, I mean, because look, let's be honest.
09:20I told you, I mean, I geek out over this stuff.
09:23I mean, I would say that there's about a, and I may be generous.
09:26You may know better than me.
09:27I mean, I'd say there's about a 25% hit rate on these kind of things.
09:31I mean, you've obviously overhauled a whole organization.
09:33I'm just talking about uniform changes, right?
09:35I mean, I would imagine that number shrinks significantly.
09:37That percentage shrinks significantly when you talk about overhauling an entire organization.
09:45I mean, you guys are aware, I mean, you hit a grand slam.
09:49I mean, I was born and raised here, and I was not, I mean, I was still playing.
09:54Hell, I was playing with the Cowboys when the Texans became a thing, right?
09:57So I'm not one of those original fans that just, you could throw crap against the wall,
10:00and if you put that bull on it, I'm going to like it, right?
10:03I mean, so I feel like I'm kind of in the middle somewhere and have a fascination with this stuff.
10:09And it seems like every step of the way, man, you guys, with you leading the way,
10:14have absolutely knocked it out of the park.
10:16With the adding the culture, every new uniform, including guys that are just part of the fabric of the city,
10:24as Sho mentioned, the way you bring the former players back and involve them in all of this, man,
10:30just it seems like you guys are batting 1,000 since you got here.
10:33How long have you been here, five years, four years?
10:35Almost five now.
10:35Almost five years, right?
10:36So you're looking, I mean, five years, you guys are batting 1,000, man.
10:40I mean, you guys, do y'all ever stop and go, hey, man, we've done a pretty damn good job.
10:45Like, this is, we're, this is, I mean, the vibe is right.
10:48The noise is loud.
10:50The love is real.
10:51Now it helps that you win 10 or 12 games a year, but the reality of it is, like, there's
10:56just,
10:57man, I mean, it's everything comes out.
10:59Everything y'all put your hands on, it just seems like has, y'all nailed it, man.
11:05Hey, I appreciate the sentiment.
11:07We don't win them all.
11:08We're going to try to win as many as we can, right?
11:10We know how this goes.
11:11But again, you got to go back.
11:12Think about the culture that's been built.
11:14Culture is top down.
11:15Culture is all of us together.
11:16So it's not about me.
11:17It's not about any individual.
11:18It's about a culture of a system where we have extremely brilliant creative minds, number one.
11:23Number two, the leadership at our president level, setting world-class expectations, right?
11:29Batting 1,000, batting 900, whatever it may be.
11:31If you're going to be a world-class organization that sporting clubs and fans across the globe look at and
11:36say,
11:36that's the example.
11:37That's the model.
11:38You have to operate and hit them up here all the time.
11:41And then you think below that, man, I have 65 absolutely brilliant creative people that are part of my organization
11:46and that they do bangers.
11:48We don't win them all.
11:49You know what?
11:50The metrics tell you that.
11:51But by gosh, they look at the data, they listen to the fans, and they make adjustments constantly to deliver
11:56on that fan expectation.
11:57And that's how we continue to build this culture that it's not about one person.
12:00People change out.
12:01We're going to keep winning.
12:02To what he's talking about, my favorite part of the uniform, Ron.
12:05You just looked at it.
12:06Is it the bull or the –
12:07No, I like the bull on everything.
12:09I think it's one of the sickest logos in the NFL.
12:11It's the way they put the us in a different color in Houston.
12:16Yeah, they've been doing it.
12:17I mean, that's nasty.
12:20That's nasty right there, man.
12:22Well done.
12:22Well done once again.
12:24Also, Doug, let people know when they will wear them.
12:29I think it's only one time.
12:31One time a year.
12:33That's ridiculous.
12:34I believe the Titans should see these uniforms.
12:38But one –
12:38So they can only wear them one time a year.
12:41That's the only time we're going to see them.
12:43Which week?
12:44Which game?
12:44We're going to see a primetime football versus the Colts.
12:46Where's the Colts?
12:47All right.
12:48What is that?
12:49Week what?
12:50That's all right.
12:52I'm not sure.
12:53By the way, is this the only place we're going to see the –
12:55Week 11?
12:56The tile in the stadium?
12:57Week 11.
12:58Is this the only place?
12:59Oh, you know we're going to drip the stadium out.
13:01Come on now.
13:02Okay.
13:02I'm just wondering.
13:03I mean, is the tile –
13:04We decorate for game day.
13:07You know?
13:07You're going to see all the field wraps, the end zones, right?
13:10So the end zone.
13:11I mean, that seemed like the perfect spot to me.
13:13You know, end zone, that's a whole other art, man.
13:15You and I could talk an hour about all the rules about end zones.
13:18About what you're allowed to do and not allowed to do.
13:20You can't have white on it because the line's white.
13:23Yeah.
13:23You can't paint a border around it.
13:25You can't.
13:25So some of those fan designs we've already seen are awesome.
13:28Right.
13:28But we can't do them per the rules.
13:29We got some things cooking to play with the rules.
13:32But, man, it's going to be fun, man.
13:34Yeah, it's good stuff.
13:35Doug, we appreciate you.
13:37Clap it up for Doug.
13:38Doug, they've done a great job here with these uniforms.
13:41As you said, sometimes it's hard to bet 1,000.
13:45I have not seen anyone that has issues with the uniform.
13:50I would have liked the bullhorns.
13:52But, I mean, hey, you can't get them all.
13:55The bullhorns is cold blood.
13:56That's the beauty of it.
13:57But it's like the only thing you can do when you look at these uniforms,
14:01really all of them, but is I can –
14:03if somebody wears black shoes with this uniform, I'm going to be mad.
14:07If Aziz Alshair and Henry Toa Toa wear black shoes with these damn uniforms,
14:11I'm going to be hot.
14:12I mean, you can do white.
14:13You can do white.
14:13You can do people apparently who you believe in.
14:15I just think –
14:15That's a middle linebacker.
14:16When you close your eyes and think, who's going to wear them?
14:18That's a middle linebacker move.
14:19That's a middle linebacker black shoe move on this jersey.
14:23Only a middle linebacker.
14:24See, the big guys like you, Ron.
14:26See, them interior defensive lines.
14:27They think they look sweet.
14:28I don't think Evan don't care.
14:29I don't think Evan Brown cares.
14:31The middle line –
14:33Hey, he's just out here.
14:34He's trying to get it done.
14:35Me, I was meticulous about my uniform.
14:37Oh, ain't no doubt.
14:38You'd have white shoes on with it.
14:39Oh, hell yeah.
14:40White spats, too.
14:41Hell yeah, white shoes.
14:41I'd get the shoe strings right.
14:43That's right.
14:43All right, Doug, man.
14:44We appreciate you for stopping by, man.
14:46And the Texans, new uniforms, man.
14:49If you missed them, the helmets, the uniforms, they are top notch.
14:54These last two jerseys, boy, I mean, are whole blood.
15:00Cannot wait to see them against the Colts.
15:02Coming up as we continue, a little bit of real or fake.
15:06Real or fake, we make some statements.
15:08If they're real or fake, we don't need to make the statement about these uniforms.
15:11It is real.
15:13They are on point.
15:15Every time you look at them, you see something new that you're not seeing.
15:19I didn't even see them slide that tile on the very back on there, boy.
15:22I snuck them in.
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