HOUSTON – The Houston Texans' official mascot, TORO, will be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025, the Mascot Hall of Fame Executive Committee announced Tuesday.
TORO joins an elite group of 33 mascots already enshrined in the Hall, recognized for excellence across collegiate, professional and independent sports. The Texans will recognize TORO for this distinguished honor in a Mascot Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony during halftime of a home game this season.
To be eligible for induction, a mascot must have existed for at least 10 years and demonstrated a significant impact both within their sport and community. Inductees are expected to inspire fans, deliver memorable and innovative performances and represent the highest standards of mascot excellence. Selection is determined by a combination of public online voting and input from an executive committee of performers, sports executives and industry professionals.
"We are so proud to have TORO inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame and we share this recognition with Texans fans everywhere," Houston Texans Senior Mascot Program Manager Andrew Johnson said. "The city of Houston helped bring TORO to life by giving him an identity within the community. We can't wait to celebrate TORO in the Mascot Hall of Fame this season and for him to continue bringing joy to fans of all ages."
A standout among this year's nominees, TORO earned the highest number of votes amongst the Executive Committee and ranked highest for public votes of all mascots on the ballot. The 11x NFL Pro Bowler is renowned for his high-flying stunts, hilarious social media pranks and energizing presence as the conductor of the crowd at Texans home games. Beyond gameday, TORO is deeply involved in the Houston community through his elementary school program, TORO Takes the BULL Out of Bullying, and visits to Texans community partners. In addition, TORO also wrote his first children's book, "Made To Be A Mascot", which highlights the importance of celebrating each other's differences.
The Mascot Hall of Fame was established in 2005 by David Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic (1978-1993). The Hall celebrates the power of mascot entertainment as a tool for education, creativity and community engagement, offering a family-friendly environment dedicated to honoring the characters that bring joy and energy to audiences around the globe.
For more information, visit mascothalloffame.com. To learn more about TORO, visit www.HoustonTexans.com/TORO.
