DMN: Matt Johnson figures out 2012 hammy injuries

[WoodysGirl]

By Brandon George / Reporter

IRVING — In examining why he had reoccurring hamstring injuries last year, Dallas Cowboys second-year safety Matt Johnson said he realized it could have had something to do with his weight room routine. Johnson said he cut back this off-season on the amount of weight he was squatting.

“We’ve done more hamstring work instead of putting on 400 pounds and squatting,” Johnson said Tuesday after the Cowboys’ first organized team activity practice. “When I was in college, I did that some. When you get to the pros, and playing at safety, I don’t need to squat 500 pounds. We did more position specific and more dynamic work. You don’t need to be a bodybuilder to play football. I was big enough.”

Johnson said he’s lost three or four pounds and weighs about 212 now.

“I feel better at that weight. This league is all about running,” Johnson said. “Obviously you have to be big, too, but on the back end, you have to run a lot.”

Read more: http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***...-so-many-hamstring-injuries-last-season.html/

 

[Frozen700]

Rooting hard for this guy.....will be my fav defensive player if he pans out

 

[nalam]

Rooting hard for this guy.....will be my fav defensive player if he pans out

We need stability in this position badly, we have been missing out in safety play for a long time and it will be a welcome sigh of relief if he plays up his potential.

 

[skinsscalper]

Rooting hard for this guy.....will be my fav defensive player if he pans out

Me too bro. I was watching his college highlight reel the other day and I just can't get over how much of missile this kid is to the ball. Now, I know he played against lower level college competition but, he displayed skills in those reels that would translate to any level of football. He's very quick in play recognition and efficient at getting to the ball carrier. He has a TON to learn at the pro level but he seems to be a smart kid and willing to put in the work. He's my pet cat this year by a mile.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Rooting hard for this guy.....will be my fav defensive player if he pans out

Wait what? He'll be your favorite player if he pans out? You don't have any guys you root for that....well HAVE panned out lol?

 

[DCBoysfan]

Im hoping the kid can stay on the field, I want to see what impressed the coaches so much last year.

 

[Frozen700]

Wait what? He'll be your favorite player if he pans out? You don't have any guys you root for that....well HAVE panned out lol?

We haven't really had any players since austin, who had all the potential in the world and just needed a chance. Also at the same time everyone liked him off potential.

I never said he would be my favorite player, I'm saying he would be my favorite defensive back on this team.

So with that being said, yes he will be my favorite player on defense if he pans out. When i say pans out, i mean to the expectation most of us have more him.

 

[Frozen700]

Me too bro. I was watching his college highlight reel the other day and I just can't get over how much of missile this kid is to the ball. Now, I know he played against lower level college competition but, he displayed skills in those reels that would translate to any level of football. He's very quick in play recognition and efficient at getting to the ball carrier. He has a TON to learn at the pro level but he seems to be a smart kid and willing to put in the work. He's my pet cat this year by a mile.

Same here, was just watching that the other day. Even my boy who is a steelers fan. Likes him off that video, and said if he plays anything like that, he will be special

 

[jrumann59]

I think him and Austin have the same problem, too much quad work not enough hamstring work. You have to work them 60/40 60 percent quad 40 percent hammy/back of the leg. If you have issues with our hammies extra hammy stretches, stretch once prior to work pre-game warm ups once after and once before game time.

 

[dmq]

Sooo looking forward to seeing what this guy can bring to the table. I love that our defense seems to have way more guys that can play the ball. It should translate to interceptions if we can get some pressure on the QB.

 

[Idgit]

“The reason I know that is I’ve been doing this 35 years,” Sham said, “and he’s the only guy I’ve ever seen make the team practicing once, so he must be the greatest safety to ever play.”

Sham comments are pretty funny.

Through all the hamstring injuries, the Cowboys stuck with Johnson last season. They carried him on the active roster most of the year before finally putting him on injured reserve in mid-November.

Johnson, however, wouldn’t have survived on the Cowboys’ roster if they didn’t believe in his potential.

“His ball skills are incredible,” Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne said. “When the ball is in the air, he knows how to go up and play it.”

This is the stuff that always gets me excited about a player: when other players say great things about him. Put that together with Johnson's interviews, and you can't help but have high hopes for the guy.

 

[Wood]

If anyone looks the part its Johnson. Lets all just hope he is more John Lynch than Justin Beriault.

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Yeah sure whatever.

Just like Miles Austin's hammy problems are because he isn't drinking enough water.

Or that Felix Jones' problem in 2011 is that he wasn't big enough and needed to gain weight.

Or that Marion Barber's 2010 problem was that he wasn't small enough and needed to loose weight.

Look, just do what the trainers tell you, get out there and play, and pray that you don't get injured.

 

[ghst187]

“We’ve done more hamstring work instead of putting on 400 pounds and squatting,” Johnson said Tuesday after the Cowboys’ first organized team activity practice. “When I was in college, I did that some. When you get to the pros, and playing at safety, I don’t need to squat 500 pounds.
]

makes no sense to me why on earth a DB would be squatting 400-500 lbs regularly anyway.........build up giant heavy thighs and then see how quick and agile you will be....less so. IMO a DB should workout their legs mostly with bodyweight and plyos and very light weights. You want quicker feet and turns not heavier. No wonder none of our DBs and esp S's make any INTs, they're running and turning in concrete.

 

[DFWJC]

I've been saying it for awhile, but I'll say it again...I bet this guy ends up being really good.

I know we have a lot of pedigree snobs around here, but just give him a chance.

 

[jobberone]

I think the best way to prevent is to warm muscle groups prior to exercise, don't exercise too hard until your muscles are ready (not just everyday but you need to get muscles in shape to match your performance expectations), stretching muscles to lengthen tendons and muscles to match performance, and make sure your muscle groups are balanced. He needs to work on burst, acceleration, aerobic capacity, ROM esp hips and repetitive muscle grp work as well as the usual stuff. I don't know much about cellular and microcellular stuff. I do know that strength training muscle groups reduces mitochondrial densities with an associated muscle hypertrophy. Endurance training increases mitochondrial density....which is good. I don't know how mixed training affects both muscle hypertrophy and mitochondrial density but I'll try to find out.

 

[Teague31]

If every cowboy fan on the planet isn't rooting for this guy to be a star, something is wrong.

 

[jrumann59]

makes no sense to me why on earth a DB would be squatting 400-500 lbs regularly anyway.........build up giant heavy thighs and then see how quick and agile you will be....less so. IMO a DB should workout their legs mostly with bodyweight and plyos and very light weights. You want quicker feet and turns not heavier. No wonder none of our DBs and esp S's make any INTs, they're running and turning in concrete.

Spectacular bone jarring hits would be my only guess. Doesn't he know the NFL does not allow those now.

 

[kTXe]

To echo everyone's sentiment, I simply can't wait to see this kid play. I really think he will be the breakout star on D this year, much like Carter last year and Lee the year before that.

 

[CyberB0b]

I see a huge meltdown coming. Never seen a second year late 4th rounder who never played in any NFL game get so much hype.