Andre Johnson went from third to first, and made history

These days, the Houston Texans are the defending AFC South champions, and appear to be on their way to an eighth division title. Not bad for a team that is in just its 23rd season in the National Football League.

A little history lesson. The Houston Oilers were one of the eight original teams in the American Football League. The franchise actually captured the league’s first two titles. They made Houston their home until their final season in the city in 1996. They were the Tennessee Oilers in 1997 and ‘98, and the franchise is now known as the Tennessee Titans.

That means Houston was with the without NFL football for five years. That changed in 2002 when the Texans took the field for the first time in the newly-formed AFC South. As expected, the franchise’s debut season resulted in a 4-12 finish. In fact, the Texans didn’t manage a winning campaign until a 9-7 finish in 2009.

The club used the first overall pick in 2002 on Fresno State quarterback David Carr. He took a beating in his debut campaign, and still owns the NFL record for being sacked (76 times) in a single season. A year later, Houston owned the third overall pick in the draft and opted to give Carr some much-needed help.

After the Cincinnati Bengals opted for USC quarterback Carson Palmer, and the Detroit Lions selected Michigan State wideout Charles Rogers, University of Miami wide receiver Andre Johnson was the choice for the Texans at the third spot. While Palmer enjoyed a long NFL career, a troubled Rogers played in only 15 games in three seasons, totaling 36 receptions for 440 yards and four touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Johnson was pretty much an instant sensation for a franchise in its second season. As a rookie, he totaled 66 catches for 976 yards and four touchdowns in starting all 16 games. He did the same in his second season and upped his numbers to the tune of 79 receptions for 1,142 yards and six scores. The campaign would result in the first of his seven Pro Bowl invitations.

Johnson led the NFL in receptions in 2006 (103) and 2008 (115). He also led the league in receiving yards in both 2008 (1,575) and 2009 (1,569). Those latter two years resulted in being named All-Pro. All told, he spent 14 seasons with three different franchises, the first 12 with the Texans. He caught 41 passes for the Colts in 2015, and had nine grabs in eight games for the Titans in his final season in 2016. Hence, the former Hurricane was a member of the same division for his entire NFL career.

Here’s something to keep in mind. There are a total of 14 plays in league annals that have totaled at least 1,000 career receptions. That number could change by season’s end. As of this writing (after Week 14 of 2024), two members of the Kansas City Chiefs — tight end Travis Kelce (987) and wideout DeAndre Hopkins (973) — are closing in that impressive milestone. In any case, Johnson’s combined 1,062 receptions with the Texans (1,012), Colts (41), and Titans (9), ranks 11th in league history.

Ironically, Johnson’s 14,185 receiving yards also ranks 11th in NFL annals. He totaled at least 1,000 yards seven times, with three of those campaign totaling at least 1,500 yards. The 14-year pro totaled 70 touchdown receptions.

The legacy of University of Miami players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is impressive, and Johnson wasn’t the only Hurricane to be enshrined in the Class of 2024. The other former standout from “The U” was versatile return artist Devin Hester.

There are nine other ‘Canes with busts in Canton, Ohio: Center Jim Otto (1980), linebacker Ted Hendricks (1990), quarterback Jim Kelly (2002), wide receiver Michael Irvin (2007), defensive tackles Cortez Kennedy (2012), and Warren Sapp (2013), linebacker Ray Lewis (2018), safety Ed Reed (2019), and running back Edgerrin James (2020). Johnson is the first primary member of the Houston Texans to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Gary Kubiak, Johnson’s head coach with the Texans for seven-plus seasons, had this to say about the talented performer (courtesy of Mike Popovich of the Canton Repository). “He had a physical presence about him that was like no other. Andre could have been an All-Pro tight end. He had that size.”

Kubiak and Johnson were part of the franchise’s first two playoff teams in both 2011 and 2012. Those years, the Texans captured AFC South titles. The Hall of Fame wideout would play in a total of four postseason games, totaling a combined 25 catches for 358 yards and one touchdown.

“The speed, that was absolutely top notch. He could get on top of people, (and that) 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.”