[Chron] Andre Johnson all fired up

I always loved Andre Johnson as a player for his talent and his heart. This article is another example of how much this guy wants to win.

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<big>There's a change in the air</big>
Andre Johnson likes the get-after-it attitude he sees among teammates at practice these days, which is a good thing because the two-time Pro Bowl receiver cuts slackers no slack

By DALE ROBERTSON

When Andre Johnson, preparing for his fifth NFL season, assesses what he sees on and around the practice field this summer, he nods approvingly. The grass, metaphorically speaking, seems greener than in the past as the Texans head to Arizona for their second preseason game on Saturday.

His appraisal matters because Johnson, the Texans' most accomplished player isn't by nature much of a talker, and also because he hasn't always liked what he has seen.

"I think the atmosphere (compared to) the first day I came here is totally different," said the two-time Pro Bowl receiver, the only man in the NFL to catch more than 100 balls in 2006. "The guys seem to care more. Guys are expecting more from each other. It feels real different."

Different is good, considering the Texans' travails since their inception. Before winning their final two games last season, they had lost 25 of the previous 31. Coming from the University of Miami's juggernaut program, which won its fifth national title on his watch in 2001, Johnson wasn't accustomed to such entrenched tomfoolery.

And, worse, what he perceived to be the root of the evil.

"I'd go back and hang with friends in the offseason, and they'd talk about how some guys played football just for the check," Johnson said. "It made me think hard about what was happening here. I'm not saying everybody was like that, but some guys ... it just didn't seem like (winning) mattered to them. It wasn't a good feeling at all for me because I'm only about winning.

"To be honest, I was real frustrated. Every time the coach would give us some time off, especially my first season, I'd go home. Don't get me wrong, I loved Houston, the city. But I just wasn't into this team. Except for my receivers group, there wasn't a family feeling."

Frustration mounted
Johnson won't name names or point fingers at offenders. It's pointless, he explained, because they've been rooted out and he's only looking forward, saying, "you can't be nothing but excited" about the Texans' prospects for 2007.

"Has it been frustrating? Yes, it has," Johnson said. "But I'm willing to keep working at it. I'm still kind of glad I came to this situation, to be a part of something new, something special, something that I could help build. I don't mind the struggle. But we've done enough building. It's time to show progress. And I think our time is coming. I think we'll surprise a lot of people this year."

Johnson will surprise nobody given his productivity to date. Despite all the problems the David Carr-era Texans offense had, Johnson caught 311 passes for 3,953 yards and 17 touchdowns.

"I've only seen two guys in my career who worked like he does — Jerry Rice and Rod Smith," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "Hall of Famers have a special work ethic, and Andre has that same work ethic. He's very special. He loves to play football. We have to work hard to tell him to take a day off. That's why he's such a great player."

And why slackers bother him. Johnson's patience with underachievers has expired because he knows his clock is ticking. In his mind, four seasons have been squandered, the compliments and personal accolades that have come his way notwithstanding.

"The Pro Bowl thing is personal," Johnson, 26, said. "It's nice. But when the day comes that we can make the playoffs, then win a Super Bowl, that's when I'll be satisfied. I know who's giving everything they've got. If I see something I don't like, I'll take a guy aside and say something. But only in private, not in the middle of the locker room. That's not me. ... I am who I am, and I like who I am."

As do the Texans. There's nothing not to like.

"I've been around some great leaders," Kubiak said, "who hardly said a word."

Great work ethic
To reiterate, Johnson's attitude and practice habits are above reproach. And few receivers have been more physically blessed than the 6-3, 222-pounder.

"He's a big man and that presents special problems," Texans secondary coach Jon Hoke said. "He's faster than you think because, as a big man, he's taking giant strides, eating up a lot of grass. He can get on top of you real quick. Also, he's a little bit unique for a big guy in that he does a good job of running routes. He doesn't telegraph when he's coming into a break, and he does a great job of accelerating out of the break.

"Then, once the ball's up there, he can go get it. You've got to be quicker and smarter to cover a guy like Andre. He's going to have an advantage over most defensive backs. He can push you off, knock your hands away. I'm just glad he's on our side."

New quarterback Matt Schaub seconded that, calling Johnson "an incredibly special player."

"It's rare," Schaub said, "to find a player with Andre's athletic ability, size, hands and work ethic to match. And he goes about his business the right way."

Johnson offered the same approving appraisal of Schaub, which, considering the source, isn't to be taken lightly.

"I want to establish something with him," Johnson said, "that can be great for a long time."

But great soon. He's in a hurry.