Post by lazarus on May 12, 2003 10:27:14 GMT -5
Johnson has strong football and family roots
By IVAN CARTER
The Kansas City Star
On the one hand, the recently completed Chiefs minicamp represented a destination for rookie running back Larry Johnson.
After all, if someone had told Johnson exactly one year ago as he prepared for his first season as the feature back at Penn State that he would be a first-round NFL draft pick this spring, Johnson probably would not have believed him.
On the other hand, the three-day introduction to NFL life was only a launching point for the 23-year-old soon-to-be millionaire.
You see, Johnson is a coach's son and knows from a lifetime spent observing the game that words like "potential" are just that: words.
It's what you do on the field that really matters.
"Some guys come into the league thinking they have it all figured out and they just take it easy," said Johnson, 6 feet 1 and 228 pounds. "But I can't look at it like that. I know that I have to come in here, work hard and show them that I deserve what I've been given. That's the only way to approach it."
With that in mind, Johnson has said and done all of the right things so far. The best two-word description of Johnson's attitude about being a rookie would be "humble" and "hungry."
He's talked about learning from veterans like Priest Holmes and Tony Richardson, stated that he plans on being in Kansas City during the rest of the off-season to better prepare for training camp and has treated every play in practice as if it's the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.
"I think he's going to be a big asset for us," quarterback Trent Green said. "He's got the right frame of mind."
All in the family
It doesn't take long to figure out that Johnson takes football seriously, which would make sense given how he grew up.
Johnson's father, Larry Johnson Sr., has NFL experience, won three state high school championships as the head coach of McDonough High School in Pomfret, Md., and has been the defensive-line coach at Penn State for the last seven seasons.
Larry and his brother Tony, who will be a senior wide receiver for the Nittany Lions this fall, grew up attending their father's practices and received high-quality coaching from the time they played pee-wee ball.
"My sons weren't pushed into the game, but they didn't have to be," said Johnson Sr., who was on hand for minicamp. "They were always around it from the time they were little. I guess it was just natural for them to take to the game when they were old enough to play."
Johnson's mother, Chris, is a self-described football fanatic. She attends as many Penn State games as possible, watches NFL games religiously -- "I'm worse than a man when it comes to flipping between games with that remote control," she said -- and closely follows the career paths of former Nittany Lions once they turn pro.
Sports have pretty much been another member of the Johnson family.
As kids, Larry, Tony and their sister, Teresa, played sports year-round. For the boys, it was football in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. Teresa was just as active and was a member of the Penn State softball team through her junior season.
"We tried to introduce them to music, but they never took to it," said Chris, who was a high school athlete herself. "They have always loved to play sports from the time they were little. I have some pictures of Larry when he was real small -- he couldn't have been nine months old. He has a little football in one hand, a bottle in the other, and both his feet are kicking in the air.... So I guess you could say that football has always been important."
But there was another component to growing up in the Johnson household that may explain Larry's approach to his rookie season: discipline.
When teaching Larry and Tony the fundamentals of the game, Larry Sr. says he was probably tougher on them than other kids just so he wouldn't be accused of showing favoritism.
"They came home one time wanting to quit," Larry Sr. said with a laugh. "There were times when I might have overdone it."
And Chris says that living in the Johnson household required one to live by the rules. Breaking one of those rules came with a price.
"We raised them old-school -- I've never believed in that timeout stuff," Chris said. "When a kid does something they aren't supposed to do, there's nothing wrong with putting a hand to their backside. I remember one time, Tony said he was going to call 911 because we were whupping him. I told him: `Go ahead and call 911, but then you'd better call the undertaker 'cause you're going to be dead.' I've always believed that kids need discipline."
Chris continued.
"I wish I was that LeBron James' mom because there wouldn't be any question about him going to college or not. I don't care if I was homeless and on the street. He's a boy, not a man. No way he's ready to be in a man's world. That's what college is for."
That upbringing might explain why Johnson has already received a degree in integrative arts from Penn State, why he didn't walk into Arrowhead Stadium with the strut of a thingyy first-round pick and why he says he won't be getting caught up in the NFL lifestyle.
"Right now I'm just trying to adjust to the NFL and learn what I'm supposed to learn," Johnson said. "I mean, I'm wearing an NFL helmet for the first time. I'm sitting in a locker next to Priest Holmes. I'm playing with guys like Trent Green and Tony Richardson -- guys I've watched on TV -- so right now, I'm just trying to value how hard it is to get here."
Breaking in
On Friday afternoon, Larry Johnson Sr. had an experience few fathers could ever dream of.
There he stood on the sideline of an NFL practice field and watched as his son went through his first day as a professional football player.
Needless to say, it was a feeling Larry Sr. will never forget.
"I just can't describe to you what it feels like to look out on that field and see my son standing there with NFL players," he said. "I'm trying not to get choked up talking about it. It's a blessing. But, it's also just the beginning. He has a long ways to go."
But it's hard to imagine that Johnson could have picked a better situation. The Chiefs have a balanced offense that includes the league's best offensive line and a Pro Bowl running back already in place in Holmes.
"Priest will be a tremendous example for Larry Johnson," Chiefs coach thingy Vermeil said. "Larry just has a heck of an advantage. Plus, he'll come into the league with a lot more money than Priest did."
Unlike some backs who entered the league as first-round picks recently, Johnson won't face the pressure of having to be "the man" from the moment he hits the field.
Such was the case last season for Cleveland's William Green, who was taken with the 16th overall pick out of Boston College. From draft day on, Green was considered to be the answer to Cleveland's running-game problems. When he managed just 161 yards in the first nine games, some rushed to label him a bust.
But Green eventually found his groove, posting three 100-yard games down the stretch and helping the Browns make the playoffs. He finished his rookie season with 887 yards and six touchdowns.
A similar thing happened two seasons ago with Minnesota's Michael Bennett, who, like Johnson, was the 27th player taken in the first round. Bennett started slowly but improved during his rookie season and last season became a Pro Bowler.
Just during a three-day minicamp, Johnson learned about the difference between college and the NFL. For starters, everyone is faster. The playbook is thicker. The competition is tougher.
"In college, guys play just because they're big, not necessarily because they are good," Johnson said. "Here, you have defensive linemen that run like linebackers, and linebackers that run like safeties. I'm learning that I have to hit the hole faster and make my cuts quicker. When we get the pads on, I'm sure that I'll find out that people are better tacklers and hit harder. Like I said, there is a lot to learn, but I'm willing to put the work in so that I'll be ready if the opportunity comes."
Something to prove
Should Holmes return to health and be ready for the Sept. 7 season opener against San Diego, Johnson will at least be able to fall back on his experience as a college player.
The first time Johnson ever touched the ball at Penn State, he caught a pass and went 60 yards for a touchdown in a season-opening victory over Arizona. But that just proved to be a tease.
Over the next three seasons, Johnson rotated with several backs and never established himself as the team's go-to guy. He took the occasional handoff, caught a few passes, returned some kicks and even blocked a couple of punts.
It wasn't until last fall that Johnson was made the team's feature back. He responded by becoming only the ninth player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season in NCAA history (he finished with 2,087) and became the first player in NCAA annals to lead the country in rushing and all-purpose yardage in the same season.
Still, some doubts remain, and Johnson knows it.
"People always want to bring up the Penn State running-back rap," Johnson said. "I know all about it."
Yes, Johnson is well-aware of what happened to previous Penn State first-round-pick running backs once they hit the NFL. D.J. Dozier and Blair Thomas were disappointments. Curtis Enis and Ki-Jana Carter suffered serious injuries and were never the same.
Not since Curt Warner left the hills of central Pennsylvania in 1983 has a Nittany Lion back made it big in the NFL.
Then again, people said the same thing about Michigan quarterbacks until Tom Brady came out of nowhere and led the Patriots to a Super Bowl title.
"Until I prove myself, people will keep having those doubts," Johnson said. "That's why I'm here doing my best. I was a late bloomer and have a lot of ground to make up, but I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen."
By IVAN CARTER
The Kansas City Star
On the one hand, the recently completed Chiefs minicamp represented a destination for rookie running back Larry Johnson.
After all, if someone had told Johnson exactly one year ago as he prepared for his first season as the feature back at Penn State that he would be a first-round NFL draft pick this spring, Johnson probably would not have believed him.
On the other hand, the three-day introduction to NFL life was only a launching point for the 23-year-old soon-to-be millionaire.
You see, Johnson is a coach's son and knows from a lifetime spent observing the game that words like "potential" are just that: words.
It's what you do on the field that really matters.
"Some guys come into the league thinking they have it all figured out and they just take it easy," said Johnson, 6 feet 1 and 228 pounds. "But I can't look at it like that. I know that I have to come in here, work hard and show them that I deserve what I've been given. That's the only way to approach it."
With that in mind, Johnson has said and done all of the right things so far. The best two-word description of Johnson's attitude about being a rookie would be "humble" and "hungry."
He's talked about learning from veterans like Priest Holmes and Tony Richardson, stated that he plans on being in Kansas City during the rest of the off-season to better prepare for training camp and has treated every play in practice as if it's the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.
"I think he's going to be a big asset for us," quarterback Trent Green said. "He's got the right frame of mind."
All in the family
It doesn't take long to figure out that Johnson takes football seriously, which would make sense given how he grew up.
Johnson's father, Larry Johnson Sr., has NFL experience, won three state high school championships as the head coach of McDonough High School in Pomfret, Md., and has been the defensive-line coach at Penn State for the last seven seasons.
Larry and his brother Tony, who will be a senior wide receiver for the Nittany Lions this fall, grew up attending their father's practices and received high-quality coaching from the time they played pee-wee ball.
"My sons weren't pushed into the game, but they didn't have to be," said Johnson Sr., who was on hand for minicamp. "They were always around it from the time they were little. I guess it was just natural for them to take to the game when they were old enough to play."
Johnson's mother, Chris, is a self-described football fanatic. She attends as many Penn State games as possible, watches NFL games religiously -- "I'm worse than a man when it comes to flipping between games with that remote control," she said -- and closely follows the career paths of former Nittany Lions once they turn pro.
Sports have pretty much been another member of the Johnson family.
As kids, Larry, Tony and their sister, Teresa, played sports year-round. For the boys, it was football in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. Teresa was just as active and was a member of the Penn State softball team through her junior season.
"We tried to introduce them to music, but they never took to it," said Chris, who was a high school athlete herself. "They have always loved to play sports from the time they were little. I have some pictures of Larry when he was real small -- he couldn't have been nine months old. He has a little football in one hand, a bottle in the other, and both his feet are kicking in the air.... So I guess you could say that football has always been important."
But there was another component to growing up in the Johnson household that may explain Larry's approach to his rookie season: discipline.
When teaching Larry and Tony the fundamentals of the game, Larry Sr. says he was probably tougher on them than other kids just so he wouldn't be accused of showing favoritism.
"They came home one time wanting to quit," Larry Sr. said with a laugh. "There were times when I might have overdone it."
And Chris says that living in the Johnson household required one to live by the rules. Breaking one of those rules came with a price.
"We raised them old-school -- I've never believed in that timeout stuff," Chris said. "When a kid does something they aren't supposed to do, there's nothing wrong with putting a hand to their backside. I remember one time, Tony said he was going to call 911 because we were whupping him. I told him: `Go ahead and call 911, but then you'd better call the undertaker 'cause you're going to be dead.' I've always believed that kids need discipline."
Chris continued.
"I wish I was that LeBron James' mom because there wouldn't be any question about him going to college or not. I don't care if I was homeless and on the street. He's a boy, not a man. No way he's ready to be in a man's world. That's what college is for."
That upbringing might explain why Johnson has already received a degree in integrative arts from Penn State, why he didn't walk into Arrowhead Stadium with the strut of a thingyy first-round pick and why he says he won't be getting caught up in the NFL lifestyle.
"Right now I'm just trying to adjust to the NFL and learn what I'm supposed to learn," Johnson said. "I mean, I'm wearing an NFL helmet for the first time. I'm sitting in a locker next to Priest Holmes. I'm playing with guys like Trent Green and Tony Richardson -- guys I've watched on TV -- so right now, I'm just trying to value how hard it is to get here."
Breaking in
On Friday afternoon, Larry Johnson Sr. had an experience few fathers could ever dream of.
There he stood on the sideline of an NFL practice field and watched as his son went through his first day as a professional football player.
Needless to say, it was a feeling Larry Sr. will never forget.
"I just can't describe to you what it feels like to look out on that field and see my son standing there with NFL players," he said. "I'm trying not to get choked up talking about it. It's a blessing. But, it's also just the beginning. He has a long ways to go."
But it's hard to imagine that Johnson could have picked a better situation. The Chiefs have a balanced offense that includes the league's best offensive line and a Pro Bowl running back already in place in Holmes.
"Priest will be a tremendous example for Larry Johnson," Chiefs coach thingy Vermeil said. "Larry just has a heck of an advantage. Plus, he'll come into the league with a lot more money than Priest did."
Unlike some backs who entered the league as first-round picks recently, Johnson won't face the pressure of having to be "the man" from the moment he hits the field.
Such was the case last season for Cleveland's William Green, who was taken with the 16th overall pick out of Boston College. From draft day on, Green was considered to be the answer to Cleveland's running-game problems. When he managed just 161 yards in the first nine games, some rushed to label him a bust.
But Green eventually found his groove, posting three 100-yard games down the stretch and helping the Browns make the playoffs. He finished his rookie season with 887 yards and six touchdowns.
A similar thing happened two seasons ago with Minnesota's Michael Bennett, who, like Johnson, was the 27th player taken in the first round. Bennett started slowly but improved during his rookie season and last season became a Pro Bowler.
Just during a three-day minicamp, Johnson learned about the difference between college and the NFL. For starters, everyone is faster. The playbook is thicker. The competition is tougher.
"In college, guys play just because they're big, not necessarily because they are good," Johnson said. "Here, you have defensive linemen that run like linebackers, and linebackers that run like safeties. I'm learning that I have to hit the hole faster and make my cuts quicker. When we get the pads on, I'm sure that I'll find out that people are better tacklers and hit harder. Like I said, there is a lot to learn, but I'm willing to put the work in so that I'll be ready if the opportunity comes."
Something to prove
Should Holmes return to health and be ready for the Sept. 7 season opener against San Diego, Johnson will at least be able to fall back on his experience as a college player.
The first time Johnson ever touched the ball at Penn State, he caught a pass and went 60 yards for a touchdown in a season-opening victory over Arizona. But that just proved to be a tease.
Over the next three seasons, Johnson rotated with several backs and never established himself as the team's go-to guy. He took the occasional handoff, caught a few passes, returned some kicks and even blocked a couple of punts.
It wasn't until last fall that Johnson was made the team's feature back. He responded by becoming only the ninth player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season in NCAA history (he finished with 2,087) and became the first player in NCAA annals to lead the country in rushing and all-purpose yardage in the same season.
Still, some doubts remain, and Johnson knows it.
"People always want to bring up the Penn State running-back rap," Johnson said. "I know all about it."
Yes, Johnson is well-aware of what happened to previous Penn State first-round-pick running backs once they hit the NFL. D.J. Dozier and Blair Thomas were disappointments. Curtis Enis and Ki-Jana Carter suffered serious injuries and were never the same.
Not since Curt Warner left the hills of central Pennsylvania in 1983 has a Nittany Lion back made it big in the NFL.
Then again, people said the same thing about Michigan quarterbacks until Tom Brady came out of nowhere and led the Patriots to a Super Bowl title.
"Until I prove myself, people will keep having those doubts," Johnson said. "That's why I'm here doing my best. I was a late bloomer and have a lot of ground to make up, but I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen."