Chad Johnson has a ton of respect for Jerry Rice. Grew up watching him, learned a lot from him, and believes Rice is responsible for “the standard of greatness” when it comes to playing wide receiver.
But Johnson doesn’t think Rice is necessarily the greatest receiver of all time. Instead, he would give that honor to Randy Moss and Terrell Owens.
“I just loved them in general,” Johnson said on The Zach Gelb Show. “Our games are completely different. Our DNA, our makeup, everything about us is completely different on the type of receivers we were. But I wish I played like them. I wish I was able to do certain tings they were able to do, but it just wasn’t me. It wasn’t in my DNA. If there were two that I would take as probably the greatest receivers to ever play this game, it’s those two.”
Moss and Owens, of course, are in the Hall of Fame. Johnson believes he’ll be in Canton one day, too.
“Should be,” he said. “In the era I played in, when you could actually play football, the division I played in, the two defenses I had to deal with for a decade in the Steelers and Ravens – yeah, most definitely.”
Johnson’s career numbers compare favorably to Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin. Johnson had 766 catches for 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns. Irvin had 750 catches for for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns.
Irvin, though, won three Super Bowl titles with the Dallas Cowboys.
“Is it about rings?” Johnson asked. “Myself and Michael Irvin’s numbers are identical. I just don’t have any rings. I can’t control that part. I can go buy three. I can go purchase them. But the numbers are there. Am I going to wait? Probably. Am I going to get in one day? Most definitely. The numbers are there. It’s just what it is.
Unlike Owens, Johnson said he would attend his own induction ceremony in Canton.
“Listen, it’s going to be a show,” Johnson said. “When I showed up on Sundays, I showed up, right? It’s the same thing with the Hall of Fame. It’s going to be a show.”