Gold Jacket Spotlight: Hall of Fame effort ensured Andre Johnson’s spot in Canton

“Whatever you do, make it a Hall of Fame effort.”

Hall of Famer ANDRE JOHNSON(Opens in a new window) conveyed that message to his daughter, Kylie, during his Enshrinement speech as a member of the Class of 2024. It is a message any father wants to communicate with his daughter, and Andre has ensured his actions back up his words.

Andre’s Hall of Fame efforts wherever he put his mind and hands are the focus of this week’s Gold Jacket Spotlight.

Hailing from Miami Senior High School and later the University of Miami, Andre starred on every football field he stepped onto. A combination of size and speed made him a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses and propelled him to being named a 1998 Parade High School All-American and only the second Miami Hurricanes wide receiver to finish a season with more than 1,000 yards receiving.

The Houston Texans made Andre their first-round draft pick in 2003 and reaped the benefits brought by one of the game’s top wide receivers for the next 12 years. When he retired, Andre ranked 11th on the NFL’s career list for receiving yards.

Hall of Fame efforts on the field certainly made him deserving of his Gold Jacket, but Andre never limited Hall of Fame efforts to the game.

His longtime head coach, Gary Kubiak, described Andre succinctly: “Great person … I’m proud of him. Good man.”

During his rookie season in 2003, Andre founded The Andre Johnson Charitable Foundation. It has hosted annual shopping sprees at Toys “R” Us for kids under the care of Child Protective Services. Each child would get 80 seconds (Andre’s jersey number) to fill a cart with as many toys as possible. One year, the foundation’s final bill totaled nearly $19,000.

“A lot of these kids get discouraged because of where they grew up and things like that. I grew up in a single-parent home, and I was fortunate to achieve my goals,” Andre said. “So, whatever goals you have, just keep them out in front of you. Don't let anybody distract you away from them.”

Another year, the foundation gave back by handing out Thanksgiving meals in the community. The explanation behind why Andre would do this work is simple, “It’s good to put a smile on someone’s face.”

He also gives back to his former hometown of Miami through “Andre Johnson Community Day.” He described it this way: “I just have a big barbeque for the neighborhood I grew up in. We have a lot of rides, bounce houses and a big picnic where everybody just comes out and has fun.”

This consistent work in the community led the Houston Texans to nominate Andre for the 2014 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his outstanding community service and excellence on the field.

While some players quietly ride into the sunset when their playing days are done, Andre did not stop impacting his community. When Houston was devastated by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, he was there to hand out hot meals and cleaning supplies to community members, and he served meals to police officers.

American evangelist Dwight L. Moody is credited with the phrase, “Character is what you are in the dark.” 

That sentiment characterizes Andre as a man of strong character, and that character can be attributed to his Hall of Fame effort on and off the field.