HOUSTON -- Numbers mean almost nothing to Andre Johnson. Or so he says -- and I truly do believe him.
I recently tried to flatter him with an amazing statistic I dug up about his career, one in which he exceeds even Jerry Rice, the man I consider the greatest football player of all time.
Johnson has averaged at least 90 yards receiving per game in each of the past four seasons for the Houston Texans. Rice never did that; his best run was three consecutive years. The only player in the top 50 receivers to do it more than four times consecutively is Lance Alworth, who did it five times with the San Diego Chargers from 1964-68.
So what did Johnson have to say about it?
"I don't get caught up into that stat thing," Johnson said.
That's Jerry Rice, Andre.
"It's [an] amazing accomplishment when you look at the guys who played the position, but I have a lot more to offer," Johnson said. "I just like to know everything when I finish playing. I don't get caught up in stats. I just do whatever I need to do to help this team to win a Super Bowl."
Even nudging Johnson to extol his virtues won't work. He is the anti-diva receiver. At a time when you have guys quitting on routes, self-promoting themselves with reality shows and Twitter and calling out their quarterbacks, Johnson just works, plays, catches passes and can do something that none of the others can do.
Stand tall as the best receiver in football.
To truly put into perspective Johnson's four consecutive seasons of 90-plus yards per game, take a look at some of the other contemporary receivers and how many seasons they've gone past 90 for a season in their entire careers.
Terrell Owens: Four times. Marvin Harrison: Three times. Torry Holt: Three times. Randy Moss: Twice. Larry Fitzgerald: Once. Reggie Wayne: Once. Chad Ochocinco: Once
Johnson's four-season average of 96.2 yards per game is higher than any four-season run Rice had in his career. The only players among the all-time leading receivers to have better four-year averages are Alworth and Marvin Harrison (1999-2002).
That's why Johnson tops the list of players with a per-game average of 79.7 yards in his career. That's over 2 yards more than Holt, who is second at 77.4 yards per game. Rice finished his career at 75.6 per game.
Johnson also has 673 catches in eight seasons. If he somehow were to play 20 seasons -- hey, Rice played 21 -- and kept up his average, he would break Rice's all-time record for catches of 1,549. That's a long way off, but it's possible.
"That's not anything I am worrying about," Johnson said.
Of course it isn't. That's not Andre Johnson's way. He keeps a low profile for sure. This is a player who could walk into a grocery story in any other city except Miami -- his home and college town -- and Houston and most people wouldn't know who he was. That's the opposite of Ochocinco, his cousin, who is everywhere and even had his own reality show.
The fact Johnson is quiet and isn't in the tabloids or all over the papers could be the reason he doesn't get his due.
"I don't think that's it," Johnson said. "If you hear people talking about top receivers, look at their teams. They're successful. When people talk about Larry [Fitzgerald], it's because of what he did in the playoffs and the Super Bowl. That elevated him. I've never been on that stage."
Johnson, who has never played in a playoff game in his eight seasons with the Texans, played the 2010 season on an ankle that required offseason surgery. The coaching staff and his teammates were truly impressed by his dedication. Mondays were brutal, yet he missed just the final three games.
"It was really tough on him, but he found a way," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "He's one of those players who will fight to stay in there. He really had to battle through it each week."
"It was tough," Johnson said. "At the end of the season, the only thing that kept me out was the ankle specialist told me it wasn't worth playing because my ankle was getting worse."
Johnsons said he is pain-free in the ankle now, which is bad news for opposing defensive backs. He's also about to get some national exposure -- courtesy of Michael Jordan, one of the most recognizable athletes ever. He is one of the few football players featured as part of Jordan's "Jumpman" Nike line. Johnson is also featured in a Men's Fitness pictorial in September.
"I've been doing a lot of photo shoots," he said.
Johnson has just one national commercial on his r�sum�, for Nike gloves. What's wrong here? Why can't the best receiver in football get some love?
Maybe it's because he doesn't crave it -- or even really seem to want it. Hate to tell you, Andre. Keep it up on the field, and it's coming your way.
You just might be the next Jerry Rice, which is saying something in my book.
Source: http://feeds.cbssports.com/click.phdo?i=b741d3f55b90887287b19f0c59accdc8
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