'Hardest worker, our best player,' Hall of Famer Andre Johnson

As an epic milestone approaches the Texans’ franchise with Andre Johnson becoming the first member of the AFC South franchise to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his football legacy is steeped in a blue-collar work ethic that boosted his superstar skills and athleticism.

When current Texans coach DeMeco Ryans was an NFL rookie linebacker, he watched a seemingly tireless All-Pro wide receiver ply his trade.

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.

“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 Tuesday at training camp. “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.”

When asked to single out his favorite all-time plays earlier this year, Johnson mentioned two.

One was against Arizona in 2009 when he caught a pass from Matt Schaub and ran over three defenders on his way to a 17-yard score. The other was in 2010 against Washington. The Texans trailed by a touchdown with just over two minutes left. They were facing fourth-and-10 when Schaub threw the ball up to Johnson, who caught it over safety Reed Doughty. The score tied the game, and the Texans won in overtime.

“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.”

Johnson is the Texans’ all-time leader in receiving yards, receptions and receiving touchdowns. He ranks 11th in NFL history with 1,062 catches and 14,184 receiving yards and is tied for 51st with 70 touchdown catches.

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

Johnson, 42, was selected by the Texans with the third overall pick of the 2003 NFL draft out of the University of Miami.

“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.”

To be voted into the Hall, Johnson had to receive at least 80% of the votes from a 50-person committee. Also elected into the 2024 class were defensive end Dwight Freeney, linebacker Randy Gradishar, return man Devin Hester, defensive tackle Steve McMichael, defensive end Julius Peppers and linebacker Patrick Willis.

Johnson will always be known as the first Texan to be enshrined in Canton and receive the yellow jacket and bust at the Hall of Fame. Retired Texans defensive end and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year selection J.J. Watt will be the next one when he’s eligible for induction.

The Texans play against the Chicago Bears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game Thursday night. They plan to remain in town to celebrate Johnson being honored before practicing in the Cleveland area next week at general manager Nick Caserio’s high school heading into a road preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“As a friend and you talk about history for our organization to be the first Hall of Famer for the Houston Texans. I think it’s only right that we all go and support Dre,” Ryans said. “I think for a lot of us, it will be our first time being in Canton at the Hall of Fame, so it will be a unique experience for us all and we’re looking forward to it. Just so proud of Andre and all of his accomplishments throughout his career.

“For him to reach the pinnacle in football of being enshrined as a Hall of Famer. it means the world to us as an organization. And I know it means the world to Andre to show all the hard work that he put into it out here on these fields and just the type of man that he is off the field in the community just speaks to the volume of who Dre is and we’re happy to support him.”

Former Texans coach Gary Kubiak, who will present 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.

“I tell people that ask me ‘how does it feel?,’ I just feel like I’m on a cloud right now,” Johnson said when he was selected. “I don’t think anything could make me mad right now. Just getting that knock at the door was very emotional and it was just kind of a sense of closure to my career. I always said that I never ever thought of being a Hall of Famer, but to have that happen, it was a tremendous feeling.”

And Johnson attributes a lot of his success to Kubiak’s coaching.

“Yeah, definitely,” Johnson said. “I didn’t really feel like my career took off until Kubiak became my head coach. The first year, he didn’t really move me around a lot and like he said, he came to me and talked about it. He was like, ‘Hey, I’m going to have to move you around. You’re going to have to learn everything that goes on in the offense.’

“And I learned every position. If you look at some games, there was some games I even lined up at fullback and he would motion me out of the backfield and things of that nature. I really, I give coach Kubiak a lot of credit because I guess there was just something that he saw in me as a player, and it helped elevate my game. It helped take my game to another level, so I give coach Kubiak a lot of credit.”

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, a member of the Texans’ Ring of Honor, was a finalist each of the past three years.

The Hall of Fame selection committee revealed their 2024 Class at NFL Honors during the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Every candidate must receive at least 80 percent of the vote from the selection committee at the annual meeting before he can be elected.

“I’m so proud of Andre, who has always been a Hall of Fame person, friend, father and son in our eyes,” Texans co-founder and co-chair Janice McNair said in a statement. “Andre was a once-in-a-generation player who is at the heart of some of the most memorable moments in our team’s history, including his induction as the inaugural member of the Texans Ring of Honor. We are honored to have been a part of his journey and I know Bob would be overjoyed Andre is receiving this special, well-deserved recognition.”

Johnson played a dozen seasons for the Texans and 14 years overall, catching 1,062 career passes for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns.

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.

Johnson attends several Texans games, During a press conference, he expressed confidence in the direction of the franchise under the leadership of coach DeMeco Ryans, his former teammate.

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.

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving to be the Texans’ first Hall of Fame inductee than Andre Johnson,” Texans principal owner Cal McNair said. “Every time he took the field, we knew he was bringing an incomparable passion and intensity that was a joy to watch. His impact across our community is immeasurable and we are thrilled he has secured his rightful place in NFL history forever. Andre will always be a Texan and now, he is officially a Hall of Famer.”

For the current Texans players, watching Johnson be inducted is an experience they intend to soak up and enjoy.

It’s Andre’s day, and it’s a time to celebrate his greatness.

“It is a great thing, I don’t have any expectations about that experience because I have never experienced anything like it, I have never been to a Hall of Fame thing,” Texans wide receiver John Metchie III said. “I have never even been to anything close, so I have zero expectations. I just want to go and see what it is like and kind of just enjoy the experience. The day is all about him and I will be glad to be there in support just like everybody else and just support honestly.

“Of course, he had an amazing career and we all watched him. I watched him a lot, so it is not really about any of us. It is just about being there to support somebody who came before us. It is all about those who came before you and I am glad we are able to be there. I am glad he is able to be out here in practice to support us. Just like he is out here supporting us, we are going to be out there supporting him.”

Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790.