On Saturday, seven men will be officially enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Yahoo Sports will take a brief look at each legend and how they achieved football immortality.
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When listing the best receivers of the 21st century, there aren’t many names that come before Andre Johnson.
Johnson, a staple of the Houston Texans franchise and the NFL’s receiving corps, was a special talent and will be enshrined in Canton as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.
“Being selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame means everything to me.” Johnson said“…When I first entered the NFL, I never thought about the idea of one day becoming a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I just wanted to be known as one of the greatest players of all time, but now I get to go to football heaven, where I can enjoy the final closure of my career.”
Despite not having the team success of other receivers of the era (Houston made the playoffs twice in Johnson’s 12 years, losing in the divisional round both times), his career accolades showed he was undoubtedly one of the best at the position. He was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times in his career and was named All-Pro four times.
The first player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame primarily as a Houston Texan played at the University of Miami, then became the second first-round pick in the history of Houston’s fledgling franchise, going third overall in the 2003 NFL Draft.
Johnson came into the league as a starter from day one and quickly made a name for himself as an offensive powerhouse. At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, he was a powerful athlete with the speed and strength to win his faceoffs and make big plays on a regular basis.
As a rookie, Johnson racked up 976 yards on 66 receptions and four touchdowns. In his second season, Johnson would take the next step as a star receiver. He recorded his first career 1,000-yard season. It became one of seven seasons in his career in which he reached that milestone. That season also marked Johnson’s first Pro Bowl appearance.
Despite all the individual success Johnson was having, the Texans as a whole still struggled to win games. In his first two seasons, Houston had a 12-20 record. Then, in Johnson’s third season, the team had a dismal 2-14 record.
“There were times when I didn’t want to get up and go to work,” Johnson said. According to the Boston Globe“It’s tough because you’re trying your hardest and you can’t do your job. That’s the most important thing I tell the guys. They don’t want to experience that ever because it’s not a nice feeling.”
In 2006, Johnson recorded another 1,000-yard receiving season, this time earning an All-Pro selection. Although the team continued to struggle, Johnson never stopped practicing and working on his game.
“I’ll never forget it. I remember after a week of practice, I pulled you aside and said, ‘Man, you practice like a rookie trying to make the team.’” Johnson’s former teammate ND Kalu told him“And I’ll never forget, you said, ‘It’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 to go.”
In 2008, Johnson took off as one of the game’s elite receivers. The acquisition of quarterback Matt Schaub had immediate results as the two developed chemistry on the field.
As a result, Johnson posted 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, racking up over 1,500 yards and leading the league once again. Johnson became only the second player in league history to lead the league in receptions in consecutive years, joining Calvin Johnson and Jerry Rice.
In 2010, he had his third consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. However, that year is remembered for another reason.
In a game against the Tennessee Titans, Johnson got into a fight with defender Cortland FinneganFinnegan lifted Johnson’s mask and in response, Johnson ripped off his helmet and threw at least two punches that connected. Both players were ejected from the game.
“I want to apologize to the organization, our owner and my teammates,” Johnson said afterward. “What happened was not my fault. I just lost my cool and I wish I could take back what happened, but I can’t.”
In 2011, the Texans finished with a 10-6 record 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 had 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 faltering down the stretch and losing to the New England Patriots in the divisional round.
In 2015, Johnson left Houston as a free agent, signed with the Indianapolis Colts for one season and then played one more season 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 multiple 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 the fans, thank you for embracing me and always showing me and my family your love and support,” Johnson said. “I am honored to be the first Texan to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and I can’t wait to continue representing this organization as it continues its success.”