HOUSTON – The man that Sunday is named after, Andre Johnson, took some time to answer questions ahead of the big game against the St. Louis Cardinals, released by the Houston Texans.
Johnson spent 10 years with the Texans before retiring. Last week, the city proclaimed Nov. 19 a day in his honor.
PHOTOS: Andre Johnson Ring of Honor induction at NRG Stadium
Has this all kind of hit you now that from here on out, your name is going to be here at NRG Stadium in the Ring of Honor and that you will always be the first one?
“Yeah. When we were doing the rehearsal yesterday, we were going through the things, they told me at the point I would turn around and see my name hung up. I actually saw there was like a black tarp or something over it yesterday. I turned around and I looked up and she told me where I would be looking and I saw the black thing up there and it just kind of hit me, I was like, ‘Wow, my name will be up there forever’. So I’m just kind of taking it all in.”
What has it been like for you to see this whole week what you mean to so many people in this town?
“Well, I didn’t realize it until this week. I just did an interview outside and I was just telling them I didn’t realize what my play on the field, how much it affected so many people and just the things I did off the field. This week I’m really getting to see it, see how many people I was able to touch.”
Is this a day that when you started your career with the Texans, could you imagine that this day would come? Did you ever think it would be possible?
“To be honest I never really thought about it. I just wanted to come here and play. Just do things the right way. I just wanted to be a good football player. I never said I wanted to go up in the Ring of Honor, never thought about it. I just wanted to come here and just do things the right way and just be a good football player.”
What does it mean to you to be the face of this franchise as an expansion team coming in and making that mark and also, can you talk about a couple of your favorite memories in your time here?
“You know coming here I knew it was going to be tough, coming to an expansion team. I always tell people the story of I remember watching the commercial they used to have with David Carr lining up with no offensive line and I said, ‘I don’t want to go to that team, I wouldn’t want to play there’. I got my wish. I ended up coming. But when I got here, I was up for it. I got here and got around the team and I just was like, ‘This is an expansion team, they’re in their second year and I want to be the guy that helps this team you know, get over the hump and win its first championship.’ So, I took that and that’s why I came to work every day and did what I did. I wanted to be the first to help this team do that. As far as memories, I always say my favorite memory was when we won our first playoff game against Cincinnati. It’s probably the most energy I’ve ever seen in this stadium. It was just a great feeling to finally get that hump off our backs. As far as other memories, just plays here and there. Just being around the guys. There’s probably more memories from other guys making plays more than me.”
How exciting is it to see your former teammates, and are there any of them you hadn’t seen in a while that sticks out in your mind?
“Definitely. There were a lot of guys I hadn’t seen in a while. The past few days have been very fun, even last night. It’s been so much fun just to be back around those guys and get to catch up, talk about their families and see some of their wives. It’s just been so many years since you’ve seen them. Just to get the chance to catch up, hang out a little bit, have some fun, it’s been a great few days.”
When you have been reminiscing with former teammates, what are some of the memories they have of you?
“Everybody normally talks about the way I came to work every day and just what I did and the way I led by example. One guy brought up a story, and he was talking about Chris Myers was saying how people would say, ‘Andre doesn’t talk much. He does this, he does that.’ They said if you really know me, the three words you always hear: ‘That’s just ‘Dre.’ I thought that was actually pretty funny because I hear it all the time. But it was, like I said, it’s been a great few days.”
What are your thoughts on the possibility of being inducted into the Hall of Fame?
“Everyone talks about it, but I don’t really think about it. I always say I’ll deal with it when it comes. I have a few more years to wait and if it happens, it will be a tremendous honor.”