CANTON, Ohio -- Andre Johnson, always a man of few words, spoke powerfully Saturday afternoon as he was officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Johnson delivered a strong message of gratefulness toward his family, especially his mother, Karen, teammates, coaches at every level of his career and Texans fans.
His path to football greatness was paved years ago when the Texans drafted him in the first round out of the University of Miami and made him the centerpiece of their offense.
The legendary retired All-Pro wide receiver became the first Texan to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, and he was the last member of the Class of 2024 to give his speech. The sun finally came out after heavy rainstorms delayed the ceremony by nearly two hours, just in time for Johnson to shine one more time.
“I’m happy as hell to be your first Pro Football Hall of Famer,” Johnson said. “Very special moment for me. If you work hard, you get to play hard. That quiet kid, I made it. I want to thank my mom. I remember as a little kid, around the age of nine, telling you that I would make it to the NFL and you would never have to work again.
“I know at the time, hearing that was a little farfetched, but look at us now. All your sacrifice and dedication, it didn’t go unnoticed. The way you raised me and my brother have always been on a Hall of Fame effort. Today, mom, you’re going into the Hall of Fame.”
Johnson thanked everyone that helped him along the way, including his family, especially his mother, his coaches, including his Kubiak and his beloved teammates who showed up in force to salute one of the most dominant offensive players in NFL history.
Johnson piled up 1,062 career receptions for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns and has the NFL record for the most 100 or more catch seasons and 1,400-yard receiving seasons.
“He made plays that changed games,” Kubiak said. “One of the most dangerous weapons to play the game. He stood the test of time. I am truly honored and privileged to present the first Houston Texan into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In so many ways, Andre Johnson has taken the entire city of Houston with him to Canton, Ohio.
“He stayed here and stood the test of time and said, ‘Follow me, I will show you what it takes to win. Just stick with me and we’ll get there.’ And I’ll be darned, he got there. I think he will always be remembered as a leading force of the franchise. As I look back, I can say the only thing missing on Andre Johnson’s resume is being on a championship football team. But, boy, is he on one now.”
Emotions have been cascading over Johnson like a waterfall, building in power over the past few days.
Johnson was overcome with feelings as he reflected on how much this pending moment means to him, to his family, teammates, coaches and the entire city of Houston.
It’s a special moment.
Texans fans showed up in raucous fashion in Canton, chanting Johnson’s name repeatedly.
“To the Houston Texans fans, they asked me if the Houston Texans get the (Hall of Fame) game, how would Texans fans show up?” Johnson said. “I said you better get ready because we going to show up and show out.’”
“Seeing all those fans it didn’t surprise me at all. They truly embraced me and showed me so much love, right now, ‘til this day. I’m happy as hell to be their Pro Football Hall of Famer.”
Nothing could dampen Johnson’s day as he was the last member of the Class of 2024 Hall of Fame to give his speech. His teleprompter cut out during the speech, though, so Johnson called an audible and went off-script like an improvised football play.
No sweat. Johnson was cool under pressure.
“Hey, you’ve got to adjust,” Johnson said during a press conference after the induction ceremony. “When I did put my head down, a lot of people thought I was getting emotional. I just had to figure it out, but I think it made it better because I’ve never been a guy who liked to write speeches. I like to speak from my heart, and it just felt better.”
That includes seeing the bust of his likeness in the Hall. To don the gold jacket he received Friday night during a banquet ceremony at the Canton Civic Center. To stand on the stage and pay tribute to everyone who helped him and cheered him along his path to football greatness, including his mother who has been by his side all week as this moment approached.
As his telephone kept ringing with congratulatory calls from people along each stage of his life, his road into Canton, the significance keeps sinking in for Johnson and growing and growing.
“My friends and family have called: ‘Andre, do you really realize what you’ve done?’” Johnson said. “I didn’t realize the impact I had on people, by just playing a football game. Making the Hall of Fame has really opened my eyes to that. Not only to have the impact on people, but to have the impact on the whole city. It was crazy that I was able to impact the city. It means a lot. It’s a tremendous honor.”
Johnson was joined in Canton with some elite company that includes fellow inductees Dwight Freeney, the former Indianapolis Colts pass rusher, Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar, Chicago Bears return specialist Devin Hester, a fellow University of Miami alum, Bears defensive tackle Steve McMichael, Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers and San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis
“It’s not about me,” Johnson said. “It’s about everybody who has played a part in it. This accomplishment alone, this is the best of the best. We’re forever immortalized. You’re in the one percent. You can’t beat that.”
It was quite a moment, and quite a feeling for the retired Texans All-Pro wide receiver. With his teammate and former quarterback at the Canton Civic Center along with several family members and men who shared a huddle with him, Johnson beamed with pride as he received his gold Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket Friday night.
“It’s a cool moment to be a part of and to reflect back on so many great times we had on the field as teammates,” Schaub, the best quarterback Johnson played with during his time in Houston, told KPRC 2. “To see all of our fellow teammates come in to be a part of this, it shows you what Andre meant to us as teammates and what he meant to our locker room and our organization and the city of Houston. He was really the heartbeat of everything.”
Johnson was much more than a physically gifted and prolific star wide receiver.
He also set a tireless example with his prodigious work ethic. His teammates, his brothers, they had no choice but to try to meet his gold standard.
For Johnson, that camaraderie is irreplaceable and invaluable.
The bonds and friendships he built were magical to Johnson.
“You never really realize the effect you have on people,” Johnson said. “For me, just having the support of those guys, I don’t consider them teammates. I consider them like my brothers. You spend so much time with those guys than you do your own family.
“I don’t miss playing the game. I miss being around the guys. That’s what you really, really miss. You miss the locker room, the bus rides, the plane rides. To have those guys here and to celebrate with them, it’s going to be awesome.”
Johnson has met several Hall of Fame legends during his time in the NFL, including during this week in Canton.
The overriding message from them: Welcome to the fraternity, and you belong here.
“To sit with those guys and talk with them, they’re really welcoming,” Johnson said. “It’s a very great experience. I’m just glad to be a part of it.”
Johnson was far from alone Saturday in celebrating his moment at the Hall of Fame.
The entire current Texans team attended after practicing Saturday morning to be a part of Johnson’s induction, including coach DeMeco Ryans, a retired Pro Bowl linebacker and Johnson’s teammate and friend.
“I love you, DeMeco,” Johnson said from the podium.
“It’s a special time in our organization,” Ryans said. “It’s a huge honor for Andre Johnson and we’re all just happy to be here to support Andre and his huge accomplishment for his career. Well-deserved. Great guy, great teammate, great guy in the community. All across the board, Andre is outstanding in all aspects. Players you talk about respect from other guys across the league.
“Everybody knows, Andre knows what he’s done even when times weren’t as great, here in Houston. Andre was still, I bet, shining a light here in Houston. Making plays, creating a name for himself. He just epitomizes what this organization is about. You talk about hard work, you talk about a championship mindset, that’s what Andre Johnson is all about.”
Johnson made it a special point to recognize the current Texans players along with every coach he ever played for, including Kubiak, position coach Curtis Johnson and his high school coach.
Most of all, Johnson expressed gratitude for his close relationships with his former teammates. Among those in attendance: fullback Vonta Leach, defensive end J.J. Watt, defensive tackle Travis Johnson, Schaub, wide receiver Kevin Walter, defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, center Chris Myers, running back Jonathan Wells, tight end Owen Daniesl, wide receiver David Anderson, offensive tackle Eric Winston, kicker Kris Brown, cornerback Johnathan Joseph, offensive lineman Wade Smith along with former Texans general manager Rick Smith and his agent, Kennard McGuire, whom he called family.
“I shared the field with some great guys in Houston,” Johnson said. “You guys were not only my teammates, you were my brothers. The relationships we have built over the years have truly been amazing. Thank you for being here.
“In addition to my teammates, I want to thank my coaches, trainers, equipment managers, and the weight room staff. All of you played a part in this journey. To the current Houston Texans players that are here today, I pray you get to experience a brotherhood like I have with my teammates.”
It wasn’t just the explosive speed or the trademark toughness. Just ask Tennessee Titans corner Cortland Finnegan how scrappy Johnson could be if his temper reached its boiling point. It was mostly about his personal quality of never accepting anything less than his own gold standard as he went about his handiwork on a daily basis on the practice field.
Selected third overall by the Texans out of the University of Miami where he doubled as a track star who won the Big East Conference 100-meter championship, Johnson was drafted by former Texans general manager Charlie Casserly.
“Being drafted by the Houston Texans in 2003 was when I accomplished my ultimate goal, making it to the National Football League,” Johnson said. “I would like to thank the McNair family for taking a chance on a young man from Miami and helping me to live out my dream.
“I would also like to thank Charlie Casserly for drafting me. Coming to an expansion team, I really didn’t know what to expect. I can’t lie, it was hard, and it was tough, but we fought week after week trying to get over that hump. There was no overnight success. It took years for us to get our team to where we wanted it to be.”
Johnson was presented by Kubiak, who saaid that Johnson cut right to the chase when he called and told him he wanted him to be the one to introduce him at the Hall of Fame.
Kubiak considers Johnson the perfect weapon for his offense as a dominant downfield threat.
“The speed, that was absolutely top notch,” Kubiak said. “He could get on top of people, scared to death out of you. He was so physical. If you chose to come up and bump him, he would throw you around.
“He was the central piece of everything we did. Andre Johnson was a big-play player. He wasn’t about catches and touches. He was about changing games, making big plays that changed games.”
It was Kubiak who encouraged Johnson to learn every possible position because of his versatile plan for him ranging from every receiver spot to even lining up at running back on occasion.”
“He told me, ‘I need you to learn everything because we’re going to be moving you around a lot,’” Johnson said. “I took on the challenge. I learned everything about the offense. When he got there and started doing those things, things started to happen for me. He means a lot to me. He’s not only a great coach, but a great friend.”
Johnson singled out his 14-catch, 273-receiving yard performance and game-winning touchdown in a 2012 overtime victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars as his most singular moment.
“That was probably my favorite game I played in,” Johnson said. “Playing in front of those fans, Houston is a football city. Just playing in front of those fans, it was a lot of love, a lot of passion behind the Houston Texans.”
As this epic milestone unfolded, Johnson’s football legacy is steeped in a blue-collar work ethic that boosted his superstar skills and athleticism.
When Ryans was an NFL rookie linebacker, he watched a seemingly tireless All-Pro wide receiver ply his trade.
“For me being a rookie coming in and watching Andre work, I’ve never seen anyone work like him on any team I’ve been on,” Ryans said. “It’s just the guy showed up every single day. He was the hardest worker, he was our best player and when your best player is your hardest worker, what example is that setting for the younger guys.
“It was a great example for me being a younger player and watching the way he worked and watching the way he went about his business. I always tell the story like me practicing and playing with Andre for six years, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen him drop a football.”
“He was a very, very special player and I always remember the Washington game,” Ryans said. “I think it was like an overtime game or fourth quarter, everyone knows the ball is going to Andre. They know it. We know it. They have like three guys on him and he still goes up and makes the play for us to win the game. Just outstanding player. The best I’ve seen.”
A four-time All-Pro selection, Johnson had five seasons with at least 100 catches and three seasons with 1,500 receiving yards, despite never having played with a Hall of Fame quarterback in Houston
“I don’t think this was only just for me,” Johnson said. “This was for the whole city of Houston. For the whole organization. Grown men telling me they were crying, having people tell you, ‘God gave us a superhero here in Houston.’ You don’t realize how people look up to you.”
Kubiak, who presented Johnson, coached the seven-time Pro Bowl selection, during his tenure from 2016 to 2013 in Houston. During that span, Johnson led the NFL in catches in 2006 and 2008 and in receiving yards in 2008 and 2009 and was a first-team All-Pro selection.
“A special day, to be the first Houston Texan to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Kubiak said. “That’s really, really special. But you know what? Damn it, he deserves to be the first. The only thing missing from Andre’s career was probably that he wasn’t on a championship team. I’m sure he’s on one now.”
“When he spoke, everybody just turned their head because he didn’t do it too much. Throughout my career, some of these guys I’ve run across, whether it was Jerry Rice in San Francisco, Shannon Sharpe or Terrell Davis, they’re tremendous. Kind of set an example that people couldn’t keep up with. And every great one that I’ve ever been with that I ever, ever went to Canton to watch worked just like Andre Johnson worked. He stood the test of time.”
Growing up in Florida, Johnson idolized arguably the top receiver in NFL history.
“I mean, Jerry Rice was my favorite wide receiver to watch,” Johnson said. “I tell people hands down, he’s the best receiver that ever played the game, probably could even be mentioned as one of the greatest players to ever play, but I watched a lot of different players growing up. It wasn’t just wide receivers, Marshall Faulk, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders was always my favorite running back. Dan Marino, to me, is I mean I know he hadn’t won all of the Super Bowls – but to me, he is my favorite quarterback to ever play the game.”
Johnson holds the Texans’ all-time records with 1,012 catches, 13,597 yards, 64 receiving touchdowns, and 51 100-yard games. He holds single-game records for most receptions (14), receiving yards (273), and receiving touchdowns (three) in a game.
Following his final two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans, Johnson signed a one-day contract with the Texans that allowed him to retire as a member of the organization.
This was Andre’s day, and a time to celebrate his greatness.
“To the Texans’ fans, words cannot describe the love you guys have and continue to have for me,” Johnson said. “We have created some great memories, and I cannot thank you guys enough for the way you have supported me: No. 80. number 80.
“I am truly honored to be your first national football Hall of Famer. This accomplishment is not just about me. It is for us. Many, many people have had a role in my career and today, we are going into the Hall of Fame.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790.