Art Monk never displayed the behavior that we’ve come to expect from receivers. He wasn’t brash, he wasn’t loud, and he didn’t draw attention to himself. Instead, he did his job, did it well, and waited for the next opportunity to do it again.
His reward for humility? Until two years ago, he got lost in the shuffle when it came to qualifying for Canton.
This year’s recipient of the Art Monk Award also gets lost in the shuffle, due in part to the team for which he plays and the city in which that team is located. The Texans always have played second fiddle to the Cowboys in Dallas, and the Texans will continue to do so until, at a minimum, they make it to the postseason, once. As a result, Andre Johnson rarely gets recognized for the absolute beast that he is.
So we’ll recognize him in this specific context -- he was the best receiver in 2009, and he’s the exact opposite of all the loudmouth, look-at-me types who always seem to attract the attention that they crave.
In the past two seasons, Johnson has caught a total of 226 passes for more than 3,100 yards. Through it all, he has lost only one fumble.
Hopefully, the Texans will finally punch through to the playoffs before Johnson’s career concludes. He already has seven NFL seasons under his belt, and he has at times been limited by knee injuries.
In the past two seasons, he has been limited by nothing and no one -- and he remains the brightest spot on a franchise that has failed to date to capitalize on his talents.