Miami football: 25 greatest Hurricanes of all time
By Joe Romano
18. Andre Johnson
Wide Receiver, 2000-2002
The same recruiting class that brought Willis McGahee to Miami also featured a receiver named Andre Johnson. Like McGahee, the talent in front of Johnson kept him off the field for the majority of his first year on campus. Guys like Santana Moss and Reggie Wayne were dominating the receptions and setting records. Johnson patiently waited.
Once he got on the field, he became a top target for quarterback Ken Dorsey. Johnson’s sophomore year was the famed 2001 National Championship team. His play in that game, 199 yards and two touchdowns, earned him co-MVP. He was a big play waiting to happen during that second season on campus. Johnson averaged a touchdown every four times he had a catch and averaged 18 yards per catch.
His final season on campus was the 2002 season where he became the second receiver in Miami history, at the time, to have 1000 yards receiving. His 1092 currently ranks fourth for single-season receiving yards in program history. For his career, Johnson ranks tenth in yards, and fourth in touchdown catches despite not being in the top ten for career receptions.
Johnson is one of the Hurricanes greats whos success transferred to the NFL. His college career never amounted to post-season awards, nonetheless, he went on to be an extremely decorated NFL player. He would play a total of fourteen seasons. Over that span he would lead the NFL in receptions twice, receiving yards twice and become a seven-time Pro Bowler. He landed on the All-Pro team four times, twice on the first team and twice as a second-team pick. He became the first player in the Houston Texans Ring of Honor after playing the majority of his career there.