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Jerrod Johnson: College Football’s Best-Kept Secret
Written by MC3 Sports Media
http://www.xtrapointfootball.com/20...hnson-college-footballs-best-kept-secret.html
Sunday, 16 May 2010 07:19
Despite the flood of 2011 NFL Draft previews that have already been published, the most NFL-ready prospect has garnered very little attention from the national media so far.
Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson threw for more yards than Tim Tebow last year, as well as tossing more touchdowns and fewer interceptions than Colt McCoy. Johnson's stat line as a passer is impressive enough by itself: 3579 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions. Although his arm is impressive enough, his legs add to his skill set as well, as he accounted for 506 yards and 8 touchdowns. After watching his play, Johnson's skill set becomes even more impressive. Unlike most dual-threat quarterbacks, Johnson's not dangerous because he can run or pass. He is dangerous because he can run and pass. Johnson possesses phenomenal body control as he scrambles, and does an excellent job at keeping his feet under him and releasing the ball quickly. For this reason, he can still hurt defenses through the air even as he is on the run. Listed by ESPN.com as 6'5" and 243 pounds, he is the ideal size for a quarterback and is difficult to bring down.
"When he is flushed out of the pocket he has the innate ability to always find someone open down the field and get them the ball," Johnson's high school football coach Walt Beasley said. "He can make all the throws but he is especially good on the deep throws."
Along with being physically gifted, Johnson seems to be more than capable of handling the mental aspects of being an NFL quarterback. His instinct for knowing when to pass and when to run is impeccable, and he does a great job of progressing through his reads. When watching his highlights at half-speed, it is easier to watch where he is looking. On most of the passing plays, he appears to be looking to at least two, and usually three receivers. In the few instances where he did appear to be "staring down" his target, you could see when he threw the ball that there were actually two receivers in his line of sight, but one was deeper downfield than the other. On these instances, he had been looking at both of them, waiting for one to get open. Additionally, Johnson is a quick learner.
"The thing he had to work on the most was keeping the ball up high in a good throwing position when moving around in the pocket," Beasley said when asked to name an aspect of the quarterback position where Johnson struggled initially.
Despite Johnson's senior year being his first season as a full-time quarterback, this high school highlight reel shows that he had fixed his biggest mechanical flaw by the time he was ready to graduate.
This suggests that Johnson definitely has the work ethic and intelligence to improve himself quickly. Additionally, I had the opportunity to interview Johnson via phone in the middle of October, and I came away highly impressed. Johnson came across as both genuine and intelligent, and he had a much better sense of perspective than most people.
"It taught me, hold on to the people you love," Johnson said when I asked what he learned from when his father passed away from a stroke in 2007. "I never would've thought that I would lose my dad that early. But those things can happen. So just keep the people you love close to you."
Johnson's father, Larry, was a well-known fixture of the community of Humble, Texas, and was the principal of Humble High School, the school from which Jerrod graduated. Larry and his wife, Pamela, raised approximately two dozen foster children at different points in time, never worrying about the children's age, race, or background. The Johnsons were a pillar of the community, and over two thousand people attended Larry's funeral. Although Jerrod Johnson's father is gone, the lessons he instilled aren't.
"Just to be humble and carry yourself the right way," Johnson told me in October when asked what he learned from growing up that helped him the most, "I'm lucky to have grown up in that kind of community."
Beasley also weighed in on the benefits of Johnson's upbringing.
"His mom and dad had a great influence on him growing up," Beasley said. "Teaching the difference between right and wrong and the importance of making his own decisions without letting his peers sway him into doing something he knew was wrong."
In an era of the NFL where Ben Roethlisberger and Michael Vick are the most talked-about quarterbacks of the offseason, a team's personnel department doesn't have to worry about the type of headlines Johnson will generate when drafted. When you combine his character with his physical skills, he is the perfect player around whom a franchise can be built. His mobility, along with his accuracy while throwing on the run, give him a better chance of surviving on a highly-drafting team, unlike Sam Bradford, who is a statue in the pocket and will be hard-pressed to survive behind the Rams' porous offensive line. This is the fundamental flaw with drafting quarterbacks so highly - most teams that are in a position to take a quarterback 1st overall do not have an offensive line with which to protect him. The result of this could be seen very clearly in the 2009 NFL season. Matthew Stafford, drafted 1st overall by the Lions, suffered 24 sacks in the 10 games in which he played, and had to miss six games due to injury. Johnson's running abilities will counteract any weaknesses in the offensive line he plays behind, making him a much safer top pick.
On top of being an ideal franchise player, Johnson is the most complete quarterback who will be draft-eligible. Stanford's Andrew Luck struggles mightily with planting his feet as he throws, and has poor pocket presence - he drops back way too far in the pocket instead of stepping up to make his throws. Also, Luck will only be a redshirt sophomore, so he would be better served waiting another year or two to develop before entering the draft. Sports Illustrated's Andrew Perloff says that Luck's family has plenty of money, so Luck won't be compelled for financial reasons to declare for the draft before he is ready.
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett's slight jump as he throws is reminiscent of Jamarcus Russell's throwing style, and that "jump shot" release will significantly hurt his accuracy in the NFL. Florida State's Christian Ponder is stiff in the pocket, doesn't plant his feet well, and struggles with play fakes. Washington's Jake Locker is probably the next-best quarterback behind Johnson, but when NFL draft experts start nitpicking all the prospects' mechanics, they will point out his tendency of "pushing" the ball. While Ponder and Locker could improve their draft stock with some improvements during the 2010 season, Johnson is currently the most NFL-ready quarterback in the country.
Now that Colt McCoy has graduated from Texas, and offensive mastermind Mike Leach was fired from Texas Tech, the Big 12 South is wide open for the Aggies' taking. Their young defense, ranked last in the Big 12 last year, is now a year older and better without any major departures, and Big 12 Freshman of the Year Christine Michaels will help keep defenses from focusing solely on Johnson. The only reason that Jerrod Johnson isn't already a household name is because of all the media focus in the Big 12 went to Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford. Now that the Big 12 is wide open for the taking, expect Johnson to be a frontrunner for both the Heisman and the top selection of the 2011 Draft. - Hank Koebler, IV
Hank is an aspiring sports journalist who will be attending the University of Missouri's school of journalism starting this fall.
Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.
Written by MC3 Sports Media
http://www.xtrapointfootball.com/20...hnson-college-footballs-best-kept-secret.html
Sunday, 16 May 2010 07:19
Despite the flood of 2011 NFL Draft previews that have already been published, the most NFL-ready prospect has garnered very little attention from the national media so far.
Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson threw for more yards than Tim Tebow last year, as well as tossing more touchdowns and fewer interceptions than Colt McCoy. Johnson's stat line as a passer is impressive enough by itself: 3579 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions. Although his arm is impressive enough, his legs add to his skill set as well, as he accounted for 506 yards and 8 touchdowns. After watching his play, Johnson's skill set becomes even more impressive. Unlike most dual-threat quarterbacks, Johnson's not dangerous because he can run or pass. He is dangerous because he can run and pass. Johnson possesses phenomenal body control as he scrambles, and does an excellent job at keeping his feet under him and releasing the ball quickly. For this reason, he can still hurt defenses through the air even as he is on the run. Listed by ESPN.com as 6'5" and 243 pounds, he is the ideal size for a quarterback and is difficult to bring down.
"When he is flushed out of the pocket he has the innate ability to always find someone open down the field and get them the ball," Johnson's high school football coach Walt Beasley said. "He can make all the throws but he is especially good on the deep throws."
Along with being physically gifted, Johnson seems to be more than capable of handling the mental aspects of being an NFL quarterback. His instinct for knowing when to pass and when to run is impeccable, and he does a great job of progressing through his reads. When watching his highlights at half-speed, it is easier to watch where he is looking. On most of the passing plays, he appears to be looking to at least two, and usually three receivers. In the few instances where he did appear to be "staring down" his target, you could see when he threw the ball that there were actually two receivers in his line of sight, but one was deeper downfield than the other. On these instances, he had been looking at both of them, waiting for one to get open. Additionally, Johnson is a quick learner.
"The thing he had to work on the most was keeping the ball up high in a good throwing position when moving around in the pocket," Beasley said when asked to name an aspect of the quarterback position where Johnson struggled initially.
Despite Johnson's senior year being his first season as a full-time quarterback, this high school highlight reel shows that he had fixed his biggest mechanical flaw by the time he was ready to graduate.
This suggests that Johnson definitely has the work ethic and intelligence to improve himself quickly. Additionally, I had the opportunity to interview Johnson via phone in the middle of October, and I came away highly impressed. Johnson came across as both genuine and intelligent, and he had a much better sense of perspective than most people.
"It taught me, hold on to the people you love," Johnson said when I asked what he learned from when his father passed away from a stroke in 2007. "I never would've thought that I would lose my dad that early. But those things can happen. So just keep the people you love close to you."
Johnson's father, Larry, was a well-known fixture of the community of Humble, Texas, and was the principal of Humble High School, the school from which Jerrod graduated. Larry and his wife, Pamela, raised approximately two dozen foster children at different points in time, never worrying about the children's age, race, or background. The Johnsons were a pillar of the community, and over two thousand people attended Larry's funeral. Although Jerrod Johnson's father is gone, the lessons he instilled aren't.
"Just to be humble and carry yourself the right way," Johnson told me in October when asked what he learned from growing up that helped him the most, "I'm lucky to have grown up in that kind of community."
Beasley also weighed in on the benefits of Johnson's upbringing.
"His mom and dad had a great influence on him growing up," Beasley said. "Teaching the difference between right and wrong and the importance of making his own decisions without letting his peers sway him into doing something he knew was wrong."
In an era of the NFL where Ben Roethlisberger and Michael Vick are the most talked-about quarterbacks of the offseason, a team's personnel department doesn't have to worry about the type of headlines Johnson will generate when drafted. When you combine his character with his physical skills, he is the perfect player around whom a franchise can be built. His mobility, along with his accuracy while throwing on the run, give him a better chance of surviving on a highly-drafting team, unlike Sam Bradford, who is a statue in the pocket and will be hard-pressed to survive behind the Rams' porous offensive line. This is the fundamental flaw with drafting quarterbacks so highly - most teams that are in a position to take a quarterback 1st overall do not have an offensive line with which to protect him. The result of this could be seen very clearly in the 2009 NFL season. Matthew Stafford, drafted 1st overall by the Lions, suffered 24 sacks in the 10 games in which he played, and had to miss six games due to injury. Johnson's running abilities will counteract any weaknesses in the offensive line he plays behind, making him a much safer top pick.
On top of being an ideal franchise player, Johnson is the most complete quarterback who will be draft-eligible. Stanford's Andrew Luck struggles mightily with planting his feet as he throws, and has poor pocket presence - he drops back way too far in the pocket instead of stepping up to make his throws. Also, Luck will only be a redshirt sophomore, so he would be better served waiting another year or two to develop before entering the draft. Sports Illustrated's Andrew Perloff says that Luck's family has plenty of money, so Luck won't be compelled for financial reasons to declare for the draft before he is ready.
Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett's slight jump as he throws is reminiscent of Jamarcus Russell's throwing style, and that "jump shot" release will significantly hurt his accuracy in the NFL. Florida State's Christian Ponder is stiff in the pocket, doesn't plant his feet well, and struggles with play fakes. Washington's Jake Locker is probably the next-best quarterback behind Johnson, but when NFL draft experts start nitpicking all the prospects' mechanics, they will point out his tendency of "pushing" the ball. While Ponder and Locker could improve their draft stock with some improvements during the 2010 season, Johnson is currently the most NFL-ready quarterback in the country.
Now that Colt McCoy has graduated from Texas, and offensive mastermind Mike Leach was fired from Texas Tech, the Big 12 South is wide open for the Aggies' taking. Their young defense, ranked last in the Big 12 last year, is now a year older and better without any major departures, and Big 12 Freshman of the Year Christine Michaels will help keep defenses from focusing solely on Johnson. The only reason that Jerrod Johnson isn't already a household name is because of all the media focus in the Big 12 went to Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford. Now that the Big 12 is wide open for the taking, expect Johnson to be a frontrunner for both the Heisman and the top selection of the 2011 Draft. - Hank Koebler, IV
Hank is an aspiring sports journalist who will be attending the University of Missouri's school of journalism starting this fall.
Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.
DAL @ GB
