Wide receiver Andre Johnson said Friday that he is healthy and will be a full participant in practice when the Texans start training camp on Saturday morning at the Methodist Training Center.
Johnson, who had arthroscopic knee surgery in May that kept him out of organized team activities (OTAs), ran routes with quarterback Matt Schaub and other teammates at the University of Houston over the last several weeks.
"I feel good, feel back to normal and just ready to go," Johnson said. "I'll be full-go when we go out on the practice field. I won't be limited in anything."
After missing nine games with hamstring injuries and hyperextending his knee in 2011, Johnson is as excited for training camp as he has been in years. He said he didn't even feel like himself last season during the playoffs, despite catching 13 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown in two games.
"I'm just pumped because I missed a lot of time last year," Johnson said. "(I've) been hearing things about people saying I'm getting old and stuff like that. I know that I can still play at a high level. I know that I can still put up big numbers."
A five-time Pro Bowler, Johnson led the league with back-to-back seasons of 1,500 receiving yards in 2007 and 2008 before he was slowed by a high-ankle sprain in 2010 and his various injuries in 2011. Entering his 10th NFL season at the age of 31, he uses talk that he's getting old as motivation.
"It's fun," Johnson said. "I laugh at it. I don't feel old at all. It's a new season, a new training camp. I'm healthy. I'm ready to go at it again. I missed a lot of time (in 2011) and I feel like I have a lot to prove. I want to show people that I can still play at a high level.
"To just hear some of the things about me getting old and stuff like that, that's just like a challenge. Like I said, I laugh at it, and I'm excited about this upcoming season."
Schaub also is raring to go after getting full medical clearance on his right foot on July 10. The ninth-year veteran suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury last season in Week 10 and, like Johnson, did not participate in OTAs.
"It feels as good as it always has," Schaub said of his foot. "It's all in the past, and (I'm) looking forward to writing the future."
Schaub played in only three full games with Johnson last season.
"I think it'll mean a lot for (Johnson) to be healthy," Schaub said. "It means a lot for me to be back out there, personally. We've both been talking about now for two months, working out together and throwing and everything, that we're just as excited for camp as we were when we were rookies. We're anxious to get back out there."
Schaub said that during their summer throwing sessions, his on-field rapport with Johnson was just like it had been for the last five or six years. Off the field, the Pro Bowl quarterback and All-Pro receiver's chemistry may be stronger than ever.
"Me and Matt were riding over to U of H during the time that we couldn't be here working out, and we talked about a lot of things," Johnson said. "He was my chauffer. We had a lot of fun. We had a lot of good workouts and we talked about a lot of things, and I think it was a great time for me and him to bond."
Twitter.com/NickScurfield
