DeMeco Ryans Believes Andre Johnson Is A 'For Sure’ Hall of Famer

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans explained why he believes that his former teammate Andre Johnson is deserving of election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For the third consecutive year, seven-time Pro Bowler and Houston Texans icon Andre Johnson is a modern-era semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

This time around, though, his former teammate DeMeco Ryans is the coach of the Texans, the team Johnson spent the bulk of his career with. 

And Ryans was asked this week to evaluate what allowed Johnson to become one of the better receivers in NFL history, and gave a lengthy answer explaining what set his former teammate apart from others. 

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“Andre [Johnson] was definitely one of the best players I’ve been around. When I think about Andre, I just think about practice," Ryans said. "I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen Andre drop a ball at practice. His competitiveness, his attention to detail, his work ethic – it was second to none. 

"And I just remember time after time, going in games where they would have two, three guys on Andre. Everybody knows the ball is going to Andre, and it didn’t matter," Ryans continued. "He’s still going up, making big-time play after play after play, and he’s truly deserving for the type of player he is."

Johnson was the No. 3 overall pick by the Texans in the 2003 NFL Draft and became the first star in the history of a franchise that began play in 2002. In 12 seasons with the Texans, Johnson had 1,012 catches for 13,597 receiving yards and 64 touchdowns. 

In total, Johnson finished his career -- which also included one-year stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans -- with 1,062 receptions for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns. The Hall of Fame ballot is currently crowded with receivers who have incredible resumes, such as Steve Smith Sr., Anquan Boldin, Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne and Hines Ward. What order that logjam gets broken in remains to be seen, but it's hard to make a case that Johnson doesn't deserve to one day have a bust in Canton. We'll learn the class of 2024 in advance of Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11. 

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Ryans himself, a linebacker, had a strong career in Houston after being selected in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection, including sharing the honor with Johnson in 2009. Ryans and Johnson were teammates from 2006-2011. 

After explaining how Johnson's work in the community inspired him to give back, Ryans concluded that his former teammate is indeed worthy of being a Hall of Famer. 

"So, he is deserving of the Hall of Fame for sure," Ryans said of Johnson. "It’s not the Super Bowl and all the playoffs, but you talk about one player who has impacted the organization better than anybody else, it’s Andre Johnson and his impact on the organization here.”