Hall of Fame 2024: Andre Johnson is Houston’s first great Texan

Seven men will be officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio. Yahoo Sports will take a brief look at each legend and how they achieved football immortality.

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When you list the best receivers of the 21st century, you don’t find many names before Andre Johnson.

A fixture in the Houston Texans franchise and NFL standings, Johnson was a special talent and will be inducted into Canton as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.

“Being selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame means the world to me,” Johnson said. “… When I came into the NFL, I never thought about one day becoming a Pro Football Hall of Famer. I just wanted to be known as one of the greatest players of all time, but now I’m going to football heaven, where I can enjoy the ultimate conclusion to my career.”

While he didn’t have the collective success of other receivers of the era (Houston made the playoffs twice during Johnson’s 12 years, losing in the divisional round each time), Johnson’s accolades throughout his career proved that he was certainly one of the best at the position. He was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times during his career and was named an All-Pro four times.

The first player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame primarily as a player for the Houston Texans played at the University of Miami, then became the second first-round pick in the history of the new Houston franchise, finishing third overall in the 2003 NFL Draft.

Johnson entered the league as a starter on day one and quickly made a name for himself as an offensive powerhouse. At 6’3″ and 225 pounds, he was a powerful, fast and strong athlete who consistently won games and made big plays.

As a rookie, Johnson had 976 receiving yards on 66 receptions and four touchdowns. His sophomore season would see Johnson take another step forward as a star receiver. He recorded his first season with over 1,000 receiving yards in his career. It was one of seven seasons in his career where he reached that milestone. This season also marked Johnson’s first Pro Bowl appearance.

Despite all of Johnson’s individual success, the Texans as a whole still struggled to win games. In his first two seasons, Houston went 12-20. Then, in Johnson’s third season, the team went a dismal 2-14.

“There were times when I didn’t want to get up and come to work,” Johnson said, according to the Boston Globe. “It’s tough because you’re working hard and you can’t get the job done. That’s the biggest thing I tell guys. You never want to go through that because it’s not a good feeling.”

In 2006, Johnson recorded another 1,000-yard receiving season, this time with an All-Pro selection. Although the team continued to struggle, Johnson never gave up in terms of training and working on his game.

“I’ll never forget. I remember after a week of practice, I pulled you aside and said, ‘Man, you’re training like a rookie trying to make the team,’” Johnson’s former teammate ND Kalu told him. “And I’ll never forget you saying, ‘That’s the only way I know.’ It was almost like you were saying that was a stupid statement because that’s the only way I know.”

In 2008, Johnson took off as one of the game’s top receivers. The acquisition of quarterback Matt Schaub paid off immediately, as the two developed chemistry on the field.

As a result, Johnson put up the best numbers of his career up to that point. He led the league with 115 receptions and 1,575 yards, along with nine touchdowns, and was named a first-team All-Pro.

The following year, Johnson posted similar numbers, accumulating over 1,500 yards to once again lead the league. Johnson became the second player in league history to lead the league in receiving in two consecutive years, joining Calvin Johnson and Jerry Rice.

He had his third consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season in 2010. However, that year is remembered for another reason.

During a game against the Tennessee Titans, Johnson got into a fight with defensive end Cortland Finnegan. Finnegan lifted Johnson’s mask and in response, Johnson ripped off Finnegan’s helmet and threw at least two punches that hit the ground. Both players were ejected from the game.

“I want to apologize to the organization, our owner and my teammates,” Johnson said afterward. “What happened out there wasn’t my fault. I just lost my cool and I wish I could take it back, but I can’t.”

In 2011, the Texans finished 10–6 and won the AFC South and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the wild-card game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Johnson threw for 90 yards and a touchdown on five receptions in his team’s 31–10 victory. Johnson then caught eight balls for 111 yards in a divisional round loss to Baltimore.

Houston won the division and made the playoffs again in 2012, starting 11–1 but losing late in the season to the New England Patriots in the divisional round.

In 2015, Johnson left Houston as a free agent, signing with the Indianapolis Colts for one season and then playing one last year in Tennessee.

Johnson finished his career with 1,062 receptions for 14,185 receiving yards and 70 touchdowns in 193 regular-season games. Similarly, after his final year with the Texans in 2014, he held several franchise records, including career receiving yards (13,591), career receptions (1,012) and most seasons (10) leading the team in receptions.

“To the city of Houston, the Houston Texans organization and fan base, thank you for welcoming me and always showing me and my family love and support,” Johnson said. “I am honored to be the first Texan to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and look forward to continuing to represent this organization as it continues its success.”