Andre Johnson Mentor Honored to be Part of Hall of Fame Journey

The Hall of Fame potential Carter noticed in Johnson coincided with Miami's wide receiver coach Curtis Johnson. He witnessed Johnson's potential during his prep days at Miami High School. His athleticism and attributes had Curtis believing Johnson would excel as a receiver despite being a high school quarterback whose first love was basketball. 

"It is truly a great honor to have gotten to know Andre," Curtis exclusively told Texans Daily. "You could see the potential that young man had back then. He was big. He was fast. And he could run. I would always tease him and say, 'Man, I got to get my hands on you. I have to get you to play receiver.' 

"Finally, during his senior year, I received a call from Roscoe Parrish, and he told me, 'I'm going to go to Miami and play quarterback, and Dre [Andre Johnson] is going to move to receiver.' After that, he lit it up. Andre was something special." 

Johnson spent his freshman year at the end of Miami's depth chart, which featured future All-Pro receivers Santana Moss and Reggie Wayne.

He appeared in 11 games for the Hurricanes. Outside of recording 249 yards as a kick returner, Miami did not utilize Johnson in the passing game. He registered 57 receiving yards on three catches.

Johnson's first season at Miami was a learning experience. Curtis said his top objective was to teach Johnson — and the rest of the young receivers — how not to quit.

His teachings were challenging, and there were moments when several Miami receivers wanted to fight Curtis. But Johnson said having him as his position coach was the best thing that happened. He never had a coach who pushed him as hard.

A one-on-one meeting inside Curtis' office gave Johnson a new perspective. It was the discussion where Curtis shared with Johnson that his purpose was not to get him ready to compete against his college peers but to play in the NFL as a top-three pick.

Johnson absorbed Curtis' teachings on and off the field. The outcome led to Johnson recording 1,780 yards on 59 catches and 19 touchdowns over the next two seasons. He played an essential role in helping Miami win the national championship during his sophomore year. Two years after their meeting, Johnson entered the league as the No. 3 pick of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Texans.

"I never felt I had to teach them how to play — I have to teach you how not to quit," Curtis said. "There were guys who were good players on that Miami team, but they would just give in.

"You think you were going to come into Miami and dominate? We had Phillip Buchanon playing corner, a first-round draft pick. Ed Reed, a first-round safety. Sean Taylor came a year later, another first-rounder. We had competitive practices. Most guys would quit. But Dre was never one of those guys."

Johnson and Curtis remained close after they departed Miami. Curtis watched from afar as Johnson took his guidance to establish himself as one of the best wide receivers of his generation.

In 2006, Johnson led the league in catches with 103 and finished his career with five seasons of 100 or more receptions — more than any member enshrined — according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He finished his career ranked 11th all-time for most receiving yards with 14,185. In 2009, while leading the Texans to their first winning season with a 9-7 record, Johnson became the second player in history to lead the NFL in receiving yards in back-to-back seasons — joining Jerry Rice, who achieved the feat in 1990. 

Curtis left Miami to become the wide receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2011. In 2009, Curtis helped the Saints win their lone Super Bowl title in franchise history.

Johnson and Curtis have maintained a close-knit relationship since they first met on the campus of Miami High School. They had spoken on the phone hours before Carter arrived at Johnson's residency to deliver the news of his Hall of Fame selection.  

Curtis, now the head coach of the UFL's Houston Roughnecks, had no idea of Johnson's Hall of Fame selection. In fact, he received the news from his daughter.

He has since teased Johnson about the delayed announcement. But despite the late notice, Curtis feels like a "proud papa," knowing that Johnson will forever have his name engraved in football glory.

"When I heard the news, it brought me to tears," Curtis said. "I was just thinking about how good he was. How good of a person he is. To do what he did in Houston, a lot of time, he was it. To look at his stats and how he played, I am so proud of him."