Johnson has a Super dream for Texans

Even through the worst of times, Andre Johnson never let go of a dream.

It's a dream that's pretty much the same every time.

There's a packed house at Reliant Stadium and a loud, rowdy crowd and a football game that's really more than a football game.

It's one of those magical times when a professional sports team captivates an entire city, when the Texans are playing a big, important game, a game that reminds us why we love this silly stuff so much.

“I envision it all the time,” Johnson said. “I envision us winning a Super Bowl. I think it's not going to happen if you don't vision it. I think about it. I think about how the city would be. I think this city has been waiting on a winner for a long time. Even when I go to a Rockets game, all the fans are, ‘If you guys can just get to the playoffs.'

“I listen to the fans. You can tell the die-hard Texans fans. You can hear it in their voice when they talk about us. It's definitely something I think about a lot.”

There's a follow-up question that's tougher to ask, a question about all the losses he has been part of, about all the franchise's mistakes, about all the stuff that has made the Texans mostly irrelevant in their first seven years.

Did Johnson ever wonder if he'd be one of those guys who had a great career playing for a franchise that never won a thing?

“You know what, I've thought about it before,” he said. “It's not something I think about all the time. But I have thought about it. It happens. I talked to Zach Wiegert. He played in the league 11 years and never made it to the playoffs. I just can't see that happening to me.”

Among best of the best
Now the Texans are beginning a season when optimism is high, when they're a popular pick to win the AFC South or at least make their first playoff appearance.

So as they prepare to open their eighth season against the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon at Reliant Stadium, we gather around the locker of the best player the franchise has had and look for some context.

From production on the field to citizenship off it, from work ethic to leadership to everything a professional athlete can be expected to deliver, Andre Johnson has established himself as the guy every future Texan will be measured against.

For years, we were so focused on all the things the Texans didn't have that we didn't appreciate Johnson's greatness. Thanks to Gary Kubiak and Matt Schaub, the Texans now have an offense worthy of Johnson.

He's 29 years old and about to begin his seventh NFL season. He's easily one of the NFL's top two or three receivers, the best of the best, coming off a season in which he led the league in catches (115) and yards (1,575).
He's one of the cornerstones of an offense that could be as good as any in the NFL, an offense that's expected to lead.

‘Sky's the limit for us'
But is he as optimistic as we are?

“To be honest, I always feel like we have a chance to get into the playoffs,” Johnson said. “Do I feel more confident? Do I feel we really have the talent to get there now? Of course. I don't think we have any excuses. It's up to us to go out and do it.

“I think the sky's the limit for us. It's just up to us to go out and perform the way we know how to perform. If we go out and do that, we'll be fine. I don't look at anything negative. I don't feel negative about anything coming into this game. I'm excited about it, and it starts on Sunday.”

It might be impossible to overestimate the esteem in which he's held by his teammates and coaches. Yet he's a different kind of leader. He leads more by example than with words.

But because Johnson doesn't say much, his words have a weight. There was a moment late last season when he stood up after a game and told his teammates how proud he was to be associated with them.

“There were times I stood up in front of the team and said things,” he said. “If I feel something needs to be said, or if there's something on my heart, I'm going to tell them. I'm not a big rah-rah guy.”

A work ethic to admire
When his teammates talk about Johnson, they constantly return to a couple of things — his demeanor and his work ethic.

“He doesn't say much,” Kubiak said, “but when he talks people listen.”

What makes him special?

“His work ethic,” Kubiak said.

Is that right, Chester Pitts?

“His commitment to excellence is unmatched by anyone I've ever known,” Pitts said.

Johnson's body of work speaks for itself as he nears 500 receptions and 7,000 career yards. He has played in three Pro Bowls and has 25 career 100-yard games.

He was one of the NFL's best-kept secrets for a long time, but now he's widely seen as a special player. About all he doesn't have is a playoff appearance, or even one of those really important late-season games. He only has his dreams.

“It's something I want to happen here,” Johnson said. “I want this organization to win a Super Bowl, and I want to be part of that. It'll be real special for me, for the whole city.”



(chron.com)