Houston Texans coach David Culley may be a first-year coach with a 4-11 record and puzzling in-game decisions along the way, but no one inside NRG Stadium knows more about receivers than the 65-year-old.
Culley’s niche has been coaching receivers ever since 1994 when he took the receivers coach job under Sam Wyche with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Save for 2017-18 with the Buffalo Bills when he was a quarterbacks coach, Culley has been a receivers coach all the way until his hiring with the Texans.
The Texans’ coach provided comments on former Texans receiver Andre Johnson and his being named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2022.
“He’s had a bunch of ‘wow’ factors during his career,” Culley told reporters on Dec. 31. “He was big, he was strong, he was the total package. I’m talking about tough, everything you would want in a (wide receiver). He was the prototype wide receiver in this league, coming through that time he did. His consistency from the start to the end, he was just as productive at the end as he was at the start.”
Johnson played with the Texans from 2003-14, earning seven Pro Bowl selections, two first-team All-Pros, and led the NFL in receptions twice (2006, 2008) and receiving yards twice (2008-09).
“He is what you would actually want if you wanted to draw up one, this is the kind of guy you’d want to draw up to play wide receiver for you,” said Culley. “Plus, he was a tremendous person, too, off the field. I just remember him in college, we knew he was going to be special, and he’s been special. He’s been special enough to be nominated for the Hall of Fame and (is) well deserving.”
The Texans drafted Johnson with the No. 3 overall pick in 2003 out of Miami. After the Texans released Johnson after 2014, he played 2015 with the Indianapolis Colts and 2016 with the Tennessee Titans.