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          NFL Nation

          Andre Johnson plays Santa Claus, buys $16,266.26 worth of toys for local kids

          • Tania Ganguli, ESPN Staff WriterDec 2, 2014, 07:15 PM
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            • Previously covered Texans for Houston Chronicle and Jaguars for Florida Times-Union
            • Northwestern University graduate
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          HOUSTON -- The credit card company flagged the purchase as a fraud, so Andre Johnson had to call them to say, yes, he was actually running one transaction at Toy 'R' Us for more than $5,000. And that wasn't going to be the last of it.

          It's become an annual holiday tradition for Johnson. Each year since 2007, the Houston Texans receiver hosts a shopping spree for local kids. This year, 11 children in the care of Child Protective Services got 80 seconds (and the help of Texans cheerleaders) to stuff a shopping cart full of whatever they could.

          The four registers that rang up their wares reached $16,266.26 of stuffed animals, DVDs, video games and toys.

          "I just enjoy doing it," Johnson said. "... I always felt like if I was ever to make it, I wanted to give back. You go through stuff as a kid growing up. You understand certain situations. I understand some of the things these kids go through."