Wide receiver Andre Johnson hopes that his injury won't keep him out of action for long.
Wide receiver Andre Johnson gave the Texans and a crowd of 3,721 fans at the Methodist Training Center quite a scare Saturday when he pulled up after running a deep route at the end of practice.
The two-time Pro Bowler appeared to favor his left groin as he limped off the field in noticeable pain. Immediately, the Texans' training staff and team orthopedist, Dr. Walter Lowe, attended to Johnson.
On the play, Johnson attempted to come back for the ball, but was closely defended by safety Will Demps.
After the team medical staff checked out his groin, Johnson rejoined his teammates on the field before coach Gary Kubiak gave his final remarks and dismissed the team.
"I just tweaked my groin a little bit," Johnson said. "That's about it. Nothing really major. I'll go in and get some treatment over the next two days and I'll be fine.
"I didn't tear anything or anything like that. It's hot out here. Sometimes those things happen. You have little tweaks and stuff like that. Other than that, I'm fine. It's no big deal. I didn't tear anything. I slowed down actually when I felt it tighten up on me. That was a good thing. Other than that, I don't think it will be a problem."
Johnson missed seven games last year with a knee injury that he originally suffered in Week 2 at Carolina. That injury persisted into the offseason, requiring arthroscopic surgery.
For a team that has led the NFL in players on injured reserve the past two seasons, Johnson's injury caught everyone's attention. Even the fans were shaken.
"Yeah, a groan came over everybody," Kubiak said. "Nobody wants to see him gimping around. Like I said, we'll get him in there, get him looked at and keep our fingers crossed and hopefully it's nothing serious."
Kubiak admits that seeing No. 80 limping off the field was hard to watch.
"That's the worst nightmare for a coach," Kubiak said. "Any player going down (is tough), but a guy like him getting hurt...It's part of football, unfortunately, and there's not a play that you don't hold your breath, in all honesty. You just got to keep pushing through and hope for the best and hopefully it's our time to stay healthy. We've been pretty fortunate through this camp; we've been pretty darn good. Keep our fingers crossed with him and see what happens."
Quarterback Matt Schaub checked up on his star receiver after practice to make sure he was alright.
Johnson appreciates the concern.
"You never want to see anything happen to a player," Johnson said. "You don't want to see any guys get injured or anything like that. But things happen. I'm just glad it's training camp right now. It's not the regular season."
The important thing, Johnson said, is that he didn't feel any tear or pop, which could signify a more serious injury.
"Normally, when you have a pull or something, you can tell when you're running by the way it feels," he said. "I didn't feel anything pop or anything like that. I just felt it tighten up real tight on me. When I felt that, I just slowed down. I didn't feel a pop or anything like that afterward, so like I said, I'm fine. I'll get treatment for a few days and I'll be fine."
