'This Wasn't Just For Me': Andre Johnson Honors City Of Houston As Texans' First Hall Of Famer
Andre Johnson's induction into the NFL's Hall of Fame isn't just a moment for him to celebrate.
It's a moment for the city of Houston to bask in after waiting three years for the phone call to arrive.
Johnson, the Houston Texans' all-time receiving leader, had ended the 22-year hiatus of the franchise being left out of Canton, Ohio. While J.J. Watt likely will be a sure-fire first-ballot candidate in four years, Johnson was here first.
He put the Texans on the map with his consistent jaw-dropping grabs. He made Houston relevant in football following the departure of the Houston Oilers in the mid-1990s.
Johnson, who spent 12 of his 14 years in Houston, often was the Texans' lone star, along with being the first. He also burned the brightest most Sunday afternoons in front of the fans flooding into NRG Stadium.
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The accomplishment of being enshrined in football immortality carries weight for Johnson and his family, but it also carries it for the city he represented.
"This wasn't only just for me," Johnson said Wednesday at his Hall of Fame press conference at NRG Stadium. "This was for the whole city of Houston. This was for the organization. Just hearing people talk about [it]. Grown men telling me they were crying, having people tell you that 'God gave us a superhero here in Houston.'"
Johnson was a hero. He was a folklore of such, especially given the body of work he accomplished with an underwhelming supporting cast.
While Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison were blessed with Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, Johnson was found hauling in passes from David Carr. Then Matt Schaub. Then Sage Rosenfels, Dave Ragone and a handful of signal-callers who couldn't resemble a Pro Bowl quarterback, let alone a Hall of Fame playmaker.
But it didn't matter. Johnson didn't care who was under center, so long as it led to him reaching the end zone.
He did that often, finishing with four eight-plus scoring seasons at NRG. His 70 touchdowns rank 59th all-time among the tens of thousands who have found their way for six points.
And Johnson did it with class. Joining the team from Miami in its second season of existence as a 6-3 target destined for greatness, Johnson was a young star with untapped potential.
Much like the franchise, Johnson grew step by step in its path.
He never did it for himself. Everything Johnson did was for the team first and the city second.
"You don't even realize how people look up to you or how you playing a game can affect a city," said Johnson. "I'm still trying to take it all in, but it's been a great experience so far."
For a dozen years, the Texans were blessed with perhaps the league's top receiver. Johnson would never admit it, mainly because he didn't have to.
Ask countless receivers from the 2000s, including several who already have earned their gold jacket, and they'll say the same. They'll all mention how Johnson was a one-man show most days but never acted like a headliner.
No drama. No dilemma. All class.
That's how Houston remembers Johnson. He was the one to make being a Texans fan cool. He was the guy that stuck through the hard times and was rewarded in the promising ones.
Johnson received the ultimate sign of respect from the league when told his legacy would be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
The city of Houston made sure to offer him the same feeling six years prior when he was inducted as the first member of the Texans' Hall of Fame.
The 2023 season was a whirlwind for Houston and its fans. Fresh off of firing their third coach in three years, the Texans knew it was a do-or-die year from the national perspective.
The Texans aren't dead. They did exactly what was needed to transform the persona around the program entering 2024. And with DeMeco Ryans, C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr. and a young foundation fresh off a 10-win season in place, the skies are the limit in Houston.
What else could make it a year to remember? Johnson's arrival in Canton might be the ultimate cherry on top.
