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Andre Johnson
galaxy27
Posts: 7,145 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
I know there's an existing thread covering trades/free agency, but this man deserves the spotlight all to himself. When the Texans released AJ a few days ago, it was a rough day for me. Unless you live in the greater Houston area, you really have no idea just how special this guy is. And I'm not referring specifically to the HoF numbers he has produced on the field. More on those later.
In this day and age of players knocking out females and abusing drugs and alcohol with regularity, I certainly hope those who follow the NFL appreciate this guy before he's gone. Intentionally quiet and unassuming. Consummate professional on, and a model citizen with a tremendous heart off. I could go on and on, but I think I've painted the proverbial picture. If I were to compare him to another wideout, I'd say he very much reminds me of Isaac Bruce: A total stud in every sense of the word, but someone who will quickly fade into oblivion because he has consistently stayed out of the limelight and has never ingratiated himself with trouble.
I can only think of one instance over the course of 12 years when he acted out of character. I can't recall who the Texans were playing on this particular day, but they were out of the playoff picture and the game itself was meaningless. Matt Schaub had been royally sucking at his craft (to the surprise of absolutely no one), and I think an entire career's worth of subpar signal-callers finally got the best of Andre. On one play I vividly remember him being wide open in the end zone and the ball sailed about 15 feet over his head. When they made it back to the sideline, a barking match ensued between the two. I gave him a pass that day because all he has ever wanted to do is win. He kept his mouth shut and performed at a high level year in, year out, even when management "blessed" him with the likes of David Carr, Tony Banks, Dave Ragone, Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels, T.J. Yates, Matt Leinart, Case Keenum, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Ryan Mallet. If your retinas aren't burning after reading those names, do it again. Can you only imagine what 1,012, 13,597, and 64 would have transformed into had he been on the other end of passes from a Brady, Manning, or Brees? Or even a poor man's Brady, Manning, or Brees?
My fingers are crossed that he can stay relatively healthy and squeeze out 3-4 more productive seasons. If I catch wind of the Bears signing him, I may have to call in sick to work the next day and go get euphorically drunk. But whichever team he latches onto, I'll be watching and rooting. If good karma does in fact exist, he'll finally pair up with a legitimate QB for the first time in his illustrious career and slip on a ring before it's all said and done.
Now for the side of him that most people don't know about: He's practically the living embodiment of Santa Claus. For the past eight years he has hosted a holiday shopping spree in December for 11-12 children who are selected from the Harris County Department of Family Protective Services. They are each given a shopping cart and 80 seconds to put as many toys inside as humanly possible. When time is up, Andre whips out his wallet:
2012
2013
2014
He also makes donations to a Houston Area Women's Center:
2014
Simply put, the greatest Texan to ever put on a helmet, for a multitude of reasons. Hope he comes to a team near you.
ETA: Just read an article unveiling his preferred destinations: Patriots, Colts, Seahawks, and Packers.
In this day and age of players knocking out females and abusing drugs and alcohol with regularity, I certainly hope those who follow the NFL appreciate this guy before he's gone. Intentionally quiet and unassuming. Consummate professional on, and a model citizen with a tremendous heart off. I could go on and on, but I think I've painted the proverbial picture. If I were to compare him to another wideout, I'd say he very much reminds me of Isaac Bruce: A total stud in every sense of the word, but someone who will quickly fade into oblivion because he has consistently stayed out of the limelight and has never ingratiated himself with trouble.
I can only think of one instance over the course of 12 years when he acted out of character. I can't recall who the Texans were playing on this particular day, but they were out of the playoff picture and the game itself was meaningless. Matt Schaub had been royally sucking at his craft (to the surprise of absolutely no one), and I think an entire career's worth of subpar signal-callers finally got the best of Andre. On one play I vividly remember him being wide open in the end zone and the ball sailed about 15 feet over his head. When they made it back to the sideline, a barking match ensued between the two. I gave him a pass that day because all he has ever wanted to do is win. He kept his mouth shut and performed at a high level year in, year out, even when management "blessed" him with the likes of David Carr, Tony Banks, Dave Ragone, Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels, T.J. Yates, Matt Leinart, Case Keenum, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Ryan Mallet. If your retinas aren't burning after reading those names, do it again. Can you only imagine what 1,012, 13,597, and 64 would have transformed into had he been on the other end of passes from a Brady, Manning, or Brees? Or even a poor man's Brady, Manning, or Brees?
My fingers are crossed that he can stay relatively healthy and squeeze out 3-4 more productive seasons. If I catch wind of the Bears signing him, I may have to call in sick to work the next day and go get euphorically drunk. But whichever team he latches onto, I'll be watching and rooting. If good karma does in fact exist, he'll finally pair up with a legitimate QB for the first time in his illustrious career and slip on a ring before it's all said and done.
Now for the side of him that most people don't know about: He's practically the living embodiment of Santa Claus. For the past eight years he has hosted a holiday shopping spree in December for 11-12 children who are selected from the Harris County Department of Family Protective Services. They are each given a shopping cart and 80 seconds to put as many toys inside as humanly possible. When time is up, Andre whips out his wallet:
2012
2013
2014
He also makes donations to a Houston Area Women's Center:
2014
Simply put, the greatest Texan to ever put on a helmet, for a multitude of reasons. Hope he comes to a team near you.
ETA: Just read an article unveiling his preferred destinations: Patriots, Colts, Seahawks, and Packers.
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Comments
<< <i>If I catch wind of the Bears signing him...... >>
<< <i>......he'll finally pair up with a legitimate QB for the first time in his illustrious career...... >>
guess i'll cut up your post to my own satisfaction. go ahead and add Cutler to the end of your list of names and then tell me how your retinas are feeling.
<< <i>
<< <i>If I catch wind of the Bears signing him...... >>
<< <i>......he'll finally pair up with a legitimate QB for the first time in his illustrious career...... >>
guess i'll cut up your post to my own satisfaction. go ahead and add Cutler to the end of your list of names and then tell me how your retinas are feeling.
Oh wow. You're right. It's not pretty when you juxtapose those two snippets.
I actually still have the game of him vs C. Finnegan. Its how you have to eventually take care of a bully who just won't stop. The only time I've seen AJ let that get the better of him but it was deserved.
...followed by the joke of what Finnegans own teammates were calling him after he got is butt handed to him. Classic.
<< <i>I actually still have the game of him vs C. Finnegan. Its how you have to eventually take care of a bully who just won't stop. The only time I've seen AJ let that get the better of him but it was deserved.
...followed by the joke of what Finnegans own teammates were calling him after he got is butt handed to him. Classic. >>
Make that two times lol. Not sure how I could forget those haymakers. Had no one been watching, Finnegan would have been rocked to sleep.....and rightfully so. In fact, it still bothers him to this day:
Parting shot
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
What a lot of people who say " a single person doesn't deserve 15 million a year" forget is that the money is already there. If the players don't get it then the owners get it. Basically its a zero sum game.
Thank you for that great post, galaxy, and at least he didn't sign w TEN!
Good luck, AJ!
PS: I was at the game he beat the F out of innegan. While I never condone violence, it was good times