The Houston Texans are a relatively new team dating back to 2001 which was their debut season. They are placed in the AFC conference and share their division with the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Off late, the Texans have had some success but it has not been a continuous rise to the top. For the past couple of years, they have once again found themselves at the back of the pack and are looking to get back to winning ways.
Which animal is the Texans' Mascot
The team’s mascot is actually a costumed bull in dark blue color. The team mascot makes a lot of sense considering the reason behind it. The Texans' logo is that of a Spanish fighting bull which is said to represent the spirit of Texas. As such, the team itself represents a bull and the toughness associated with the animal.
The mascot’s name is Toro. He has now been the team mascot since the debut season of the Texans. Toro is well-loved and adored by kids and adults alike. He is often seen performing various stunts, leading the crowd at the Texans home games and in general being a goofy fan.
Even though he came late to the party than the other mascots, that has not kept him away from his share of fans. He is one of the most followed mascots on social media due to his hilarious prank videos. Toro has been to the Pro Bowl 11 times in his short career and was also named the NFL Mascot of the Year in 2020.
Toro’s commitments on and off the field
On the field, Toro has one of the most entertaining and fun jobs in the world. He gets to take pictures with fans, give high fives, and hugs, and play around with the kids. Just like any other fan, Toro is also full of emotion and shows his excitement when the Texans make big plays.
Off the field, Toro is a constant support system for schools in Houston as he visits them often encouraging and educating the children. He takes part in various school programs such as Math Drills, encouragement in taking tests and Taking the Bull out of Bullying to name a few.
Apart from that Toro also is available for corporate partners working with the Texans as they can hire his services at discounted prices for any type of company outings, business meetings, grand openings or in-store promotions. If you want to make birthdays, or other occasions special then Toro is just one call away.
If anybody is keeping count, Toro has a whopping average of 400 events per year outside of game days. That is one busy mascot.
Meeting the man inside Toro
It is very rare for people to know who the person inside the costume is. There are many rules that have to be followed including no talking, no showing of the face and more. But in an interview with ABC13 Houston, we finally got a sneak peak of who makes Toro come to life. The man behind the mask is Andrew Johnson and he has been cheering on the Texans for approximately nine years now.
Johnson narrated the funny incident which took place back when he was a kid himself and the Kansas City Chiefs mascot the K.C. Wolf had visited his school. For Johnson, the only thing that stuck with him was how cool of a job the person inside the mascot had. He was so mesmerized by the entire event that when he got the opportunity to try on the Chiefs mascot, he decided then and there that this was what he wanted to do someday. From fifth grade onwards, Johnson started performing as the mascot for his high school, college, and professional teams.
Today, Johnson says he is leaving the dream everyday and even though it gets quite hot and sweaty inside the costume, he wants to keep doing the same thing for as long as possible.
FAQs
A. The Houston Texans mascot is Toro the Bull.
A. Andrew Johnson is the person inside the Texans mascot Toro.
A. Andrew Johnson had been a mascot several times from grade 5. He was a mascot in his high school, college, and professional teams before finally landing in Houston.
A. Toro the Texans mascot was elected the NFL mascot of the year in 2020.
