Andre Johnson Looking Forward To Reunion With Raiders Derek Carr

Andre Johnson saw it from the time Derek Carr was just a kid, hanging around the office with his big brother.

Confidence. Oodles of it.

“The one thing you noticed about him, he had great confidence,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “When I used to come out the locker room sometimes, he’d be sitting right there in the hallway. He was always telling me he was going to go to Miami and be a quarterback at the U.”

Things didn’t go exactly according to plan for Derek, the younger brother of former Houston Texans No. 1 overall pick, David Carr.

But a few details aside — like playing his college ball at Fresno State — Derek still ended up where he said he would: in the NFL.

When the Texans on Sunday face the Oakland Raiders, who took Derek 36th overall in April, Derek will be under center, starting against the team whose facilities he used to frequent as a 12-year-old with wide eyes and a healthy bravado.

“Yeah, it just shows you how old I’m getting,” said Johnson, now 33 years old, 11 years after he first met Carr.

Johnson and Derek had a close relationship back then. Johnson even went to Derek’s middle school games in Sugar Land, Texas, where Derek played until moving to Bakersfield, Calif., for his senior year of high school.

“He was here, during practice sometimes, and I always saw him after every game,” Johnson said. “He was always sitting right outside the door. Every time I came out, he was right there, he and a couple of his friends. We used to talk a lot. It’ll be good to see him”

Though the two have lost touch since then, with Johnson neither having seen nor spoken to Derek since Derek headed west, Johnson said he’s very much looking forward to catching up with Derek in Oakland.

“I just can’t wait to get a chance to talk to him,” Johnson said.

“Just to ask him about the experience. How was it. Stuff like that. Just to ask him about the family. Used to play golf with his dad and stuff like that. Me, him and David and stuff. They were a real cool family and good people to be around.”

Johnson isn’t the only one excited about it.

“It’ll be pretty cool,” Derek said on a conference call on Wednesday.

“Especially being able to see Andre again. I think that’ll be pretty cool. I haven’t seen him since I was obviously a little kid. But I remember him coming to my junior high games, now we’ll be playing against each other. It’ll be awesome.”

Derek looked sharp last week in his NFL debut, a loss to the New York Jets. Facing Rex Ryan’s fiesty defense, the 23-year-old had 151 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 of 32 passing for a 94.7 quarterback rating.

This weekend, he’ll face a Texans defense whose six points allowed in last week’s win over Washington was tied for the fewest in football. They also pressured quarterback Robert Griffin III on 53.7 percent of his dropbacks, per to Pro Football Focus, most in the NFL.

“It’ll be cool,” Derek said. “I have nothing but love for Houston and Mr. McNair. He’s first class, and so is that city. I loved my time there, that’s where I grew up. I still hold it near and dear to my heart.”


(houston.cbslocal.com)