Hall of Fame Paintings

“Arguably the best Houston Texans player in franchise history, so there were many incredible plays to choose from to honor Johnson’s legacy,” said artist Opie Otterstad.

 

Otterstad knew he wanted to paint Johnson in NRG Stadium, eyes focused on the ball, making a fantastic catch over a great defender, but he didn’t know which player to paint as that defender. So, he did what anyone would do and called Johnson’s mom, Karen Johnson.

 

Ms. Johnson immediately said Pro Football Hall of Fame and Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey. And “what momma says goes,” said Otterstad.

 

He went to work researching but only found one home game played between the two, but Johnson was in the Texans' all-red uniforms. He decided to take some artistic licenses and put Johnson in the blue-over-white home uniform over Champ Bailey.

 

“And of course, we had to include a memento to the University of Miami,” said Otterstad,  “so if you look closely, you will see the university’s Latin motto, “Magna Est Veritas,” which means Great Is Truth.”

Fittingly, Andre Johnson was the first inductee into the Houston Texans Ring of Honor in 2017, also depicted in the painting.