Texans Football
This is a guest post by Christopher G. Wood, Jr, son of the KCA’s late Board Chair and friend, Dr. Christopher G. Wood, a world-renown urology surgeon at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Follow Chris’s “Journey to 30” as he aims to raise $30,000 by his 30th birthday on September 14th for the KCA’s Dr. Christopher G. Wood Endowment.
Dr. Christopher Wood was not your average kidney cancer surgeon. By day, he was a dedicated and meticulous physician, renowned for his expertise on treating complex renal cancers with both precision and compassion. But as soon as the scrubs and lab coat came off and the workday ends, Dr. Wood transitioned into a different role – a devoted father. As fall is around the corner, I can’t help but reminisce on one of the biggest bonds of our relationship as father and son – football. I wanted to discuss some of the great memories I have with my father thanks to the game we love.
If any of you saw my father, whether patient or colleague you were guaranteed to see some form of Texans gear on him. It didn’t matter whether it was his signature Texans jacket or just a simple Texans shirt, he loved his team. I can still remember the day he said he wanted to get tickets, right after a rough 2003 season and introduced the idea to me. If you were a Texans fan around this time, you can understand the hesitation I felt but we never knew what was in store for the future.
As the seasons continued to go and the team got better, I began appreciating the moments spent with my father every Sunday. He was a very busy man, traveling the world and saving lives but for those few hours, it was just he and I watching the game we love. As I got older and ready for college, my dad was reluctant to renew our season tickets thinking I wouldn’t be able to come home to go to games with him, however, I ensured how much spending that time together meant to me and it was well worth the drive — so we continued going.
Some of the funniest memories I have with my father are spent at the stadium. Firstly, the Texans first playoff trip. Normally I would stand in the driveway with excitement as my dad backs out the car to pick me up and I am in charge of the tickets. We then get all the way to the parking lot of the stadium before the big first playoff game ever and guess what we realize? There is only one ticket. We call my mom back home to realize I dropped the other ticket in the drive way. My dad was obviously very upset with me and we asked my mom to frantically drive to Houston with crazy traffic but she made it just in time and all was forgiven, we even got a win too!
My other favorite memory of my father at that stadium is the famous Super Bowl 51. Although my dad was a Texans fan, his first love was the Patriots, being from Rhode Island. My dad was on a trip overseas and his flight got delayed and had to sleep in the New York Airport and got the first red eye flight back to Houston to make it to the big game, so he was clearly exhausted. The game didn’t start out well as his hometown Patriots were down 28-3. To this day I still remember him asking to leave since it looked like it was already over but I told him it’s the Super Bowl, lets see what happens. Obviously the rest is history, and Tom Brady and the Patriots came back in the biggest comeback of all time and I promised I would never let him live it down that he wanted to leave so here I am reminding him now.
One of the last memories I have with my father was shared watching a Texans game. My dad’s health had been in a decline and he was concerned about attending the game and told me to go and take someone else. I told him I went to these games to go with you, we can stay home and watch together. That was the last weekend I saw my father and I wouldn’t have spent it any other way. I am grateful for that choice, daily.
My family and I continue to go to games in honor of his memory. His service was even held at the stadium we spent every Sunday at. In both the operating room and on the football field, precision, strategy, and dedication are paramount. His intensity in the operating room contrasts with the excitement of game day, but both are vital for his life’s balances. Football was his escape from saving lives and a way for he and I to share an unbreakable bond. Reflecting on it now, securing those tickets was one of the best choices my father ever made, as it created some of our most cherished memories together. I will always treasure the moments we shared in that stadium watching this team evolve, and I can feel those experiences every time I watch a football game. For us, football was never just a sport, it was our connection.
Go Texans!
Get ready for an exciting opportunity to kick off the football season with a chance to win club level tickets to the Texans vs. Colts game, all while supporting a great cause!
To extend our gratitude and celebrate the beginning of football season, the Wood family is happily donating two club level tickets to the Texans vs. Colts game on Sunday, October 27th, at NRG Stadium! A random winner will be chosen from all donors involved in the CGW Jr Journey to 30 fundraising campaign. The winner will be revealed on September 14th, so you still have time to make your contribution! Make your gift.