Big Red
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- Mar 16, 2019
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By spreading defenses out, there will be fewer players in the box when he gets handoffs, and the threat of mobile quarterback Kyler Murray pulling the ball at the mesh point will keep the run-stuffers from zeroing in on Johnson.
“In previous years, D-ends just slammed down right at me,” Johnson said. “Now they’ve really got to try to read it. Kyler’s a fast guy, too. It’s going to make them honest and put them in a bind.”
Johnson averaged career-lows in yards per carry (3.6) and yards per catch (8.9) in 2018, but he said there was no proving ground when Kingsbury arrived. The coach believes in him, and likewise, Kingsbury sees a player confident in his ability to return to stardom.
“He’s had a couple tough injuries and some different things that have been unfortunate, but he knows how good he is,” Kingsbury said. “He knows what it looks like when he’s playing at his best and being utilized in that manner.”
While Johnson is confident, he is never complacent. Past coaches raved about his work ethic and Kingsbury has gotten an early taste.
“We don’t use him on special teams, but any time there is a lull, he’s jogging over, ‘Hey, what can I do?’” Kingsbury said. “He’s hopping into drills. He’s a guy that is always looking to get better. And that rubs off on the rest of the team. His work ethic is phenomenal.”
For all of Johnson’s talent, he couldn’t get rolling in 2017 or 2018. With Kingsbury in the building, Johnson feels like his fifth professional season will turn back the clock.
“It definitely makes me feel like it’s getting back to 2016,” Johnson said. “I’m very excited. I can’t wait for the season to actually get going.”
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