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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
TUSCALOOSA — One of the keys to Alabama’s defensive system is that often its cornerbacks are on an island.
Saturday night, there was lava flowing — or Stephen Garcia throwing — on Marquis Johnson’s island.
Johnson started for injured senior cornerback Javier Arenas. It didn’t take long for South Carolina to identify the lineup change.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior from Sarasota, Fla., responded by tying a school record with six pass breakups — including a stunning second-quarter sequence in which he defended three consecutive fade passes in the end zone from the 5-yard line against 6-foot-4 receiver Alshon Jeffery.
“I knew they were going to throw at No. 1 (Jeffery). No. 1’s a big boy,” said the fast-talking, excitable Johnson after practice this week. “He’s big. He’s big.”
But three in a row?
“That was different. That’s a little more action,” he said. “But you gotta realize, I play every down like the ball’s coming my way.”
He had seen this before. Johnson was obviously targeted by Florida and Utah in the final two games of last season.
“I still have things to prove because of how I ended last year,” he said after the South Carolina game.
Asked what he meant by that, Johnson displayed the cockiness a cornerback must have. It’s similar to a closer who blew a lead in the ninth inning the night before. A short memory is a must.
“No matter who I play — Randy Moss — if he caught two passes on me, I want to at least knock down one. Catch four passes on me, I at least want to knock down two,” he said.
“Last year, I mean, they came at me three times and was 3-for-3. ... They say great players, you know, handle adversity and come back with a great play. ... And that’s what I didn’t get to prove last year at the end of last year. It’s just good to do that this year, South Carolina game.”
Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier was asked about the three consecutive fade routes.
“We thought that was our best chance,” Spurrier said.
“Hopefully, someday we can run it in from the 5-yard line. We just didn’t think we could.”
By the time Johnson fended off the first two fades — he made a tremendous play on second down — he was eager for another shot.
“The third time was a charm, but it didn’t work,” he said. “I didn’t want nothing complete on my side at all.”
He said felt singled out — and he talked to himself as much as his teammates were pumping him up.
“‘Oh, they come my way three times?’” he recalled thinking. “If anything, not disrespect or disrespectful, but in my head, just mental, my mindset, it was like, ‘Well let’s go. They want to come at you? What’s wrong with them?’ That’s what we said in the locker room. ‘What’s wrong with them? Coming your way. Let’s go ’Quis. All right, 2-4.’
“So that’s how I be feeling,” Johnson said. “I thank them for coming my way. It builds your confidence play after play after play. You repeatedly do the same thing that you practice everyday. Technique, technique.” -
Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
I am proud of myself! I had him in seventh for us and it seems that only Devaney, at whole world, shared my opinion (he was out of all mocks, worldwide). I am very, very glad we took him. Maybe you noticed guy who had most atractive pass break-ups (new statistical category) in entire college football (if I overreact, than it's slightly). Even in Championship game, he had one in end zone, in front of Malcolm Williams to pevent TD for total Longhorns' comeback. My favourite underrated player. Very good pick.Comment
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
Nick, give us some guidance on this guy. To many fans, i am sure we passed on the next tom brady to take this guy, but for those of us with no specific preference at this point, please give us an informed opinion.
Ramming speed to all
general counsel
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
Great find, there RY. Sounds promising!Comment
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
Apparently Darrel Green has been helping him get prepared for the NFL.Comment
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
he probably had the most pass breakups because as the #3 CB on a team with a 1st rounder and a 2nd rounder starting, he was going to be picked on. Reality was that he likely would have started on any other team in the SEC.Comment
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
Sounds like a legit pick at this point of the draft, maybe he can make it as a special teams guy. Of course, with our lack of pass rush, we probably need to add Lem Barney and Night Train Lane to have a chance realistically to cover down the field.
ramming speed to all
general counselComment
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
I love what im hearing about him.Comment
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
Camp body for sure...Comment
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
I've watched this guy his whole college career, and this is a good pick. He struggled at times earlier in his career, but really came along last year. Of course, his performance in that South Carolina game is his career statement.
He's great depth, and I think Spags should be able to help him along and give him at shot at starting one day.Comment
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
Great pick, especially in the seventh round. HAven't seen much of the guy but the little i saw, i liked. Another physical guy who brings that energy and attitude, i love itComment
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
I love the kind of defense they run in Alabama, so I have to say I like the pick, and the value here. Don't count him out just because he wasn't a starter, instead look at who was above him on the depth chart.Comment
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Re: With the 211th pick in the NFL Draft, the Rams select Marquis Johnson, DB, Alabam
He was the third cornerback behind two guys who went in the first and second round, respectively. His time in the SEC under good coaching means he's probably fairly well prepared to play against a high level of competition. With Bartell, Fletcher, and Murphy likely holding down the top three CB spots, hopefully Johnson will be able to at least compete with Butler and King for the #4 and #5 spots.Comment
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Running back and return specialist Chris Johnson had hoped to enter the NFL draft after his junior season at East Carolina.
It was LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - There are two reasons Darren McFadden didn't have the fastest 40-yard dash among running backs at last month's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis:
East Carolina's Chris Johnson and one of his friends.
Johnson was content with the 4.29-second time posted on his first attempt and didn't plan to run again. But he then received a text message from University of South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins, who was watching the workouts on TV.
Jenkins relayed that McFadden — the star Arkansas rusher — had blazed an unofficial time of 4.27 seconds.
"When I found that out," Johnson said, "I started warming up to run another 40."
And did he.
Johnson ran faster than all but one of the roughly 3,000 combine participants since electronic timing was adopted in 1999. He was clocked at 4.24 seconds, which easily bested McFadden's official time of 4.33.
"I thought I was fast, but I didn't know I was that fast," Johnson said after a recent post-combine workout at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. "I would have been happy with anything in the 4.2s. It surprised me."
Yet, Johnson's time didn't receive as much media buzz as the player he bested — and understandably so.
McFadden enjoyed a more storied college career and entered the combine as the draft's top running back prospect. Johnson averaged an NCAA-best 227.7 all-purpose yards in 2007 but didn't face the same level of competition in Conference USA.
Johnson said he isn't envious of all the attention McFadden has received. Instead, it has served as motivation.
"I just knew I had to be the fastest one there to get any publicity," said Johnson, who is 3 inches shorter and 15 pounds lighter than the 6-foot-2, 210-pound McFadden. "It's a political thing. McFadden already is rated so high that for him to run a 4.33 was good on his part and helped his stock rise.
"I'm in another situation. I'm a late first-round/early second-round guy. My time, I hope, rose me up."
It definitely didn't hurt.
"That's my first time ever running an electronic 40," Johnson said. "I've run a stop-watch 40 where I've had a 4.22 and 4.18. The electronic time is really accurate, so I was pretty happy with that."
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A high school track...-03-27-2008, 09:41 PM -
Chris Johnson
Position: Cornerback
College: Louisville
Height: 6-0
Weight: 184
Hometown: Longview, Texas
Career Notes | Agility | High School | Personal | Stats
ANALYSIS
Positives: Aggressive wrapup tackler … Knows how to locate the ball, showing alertness and good hip swerve turning out of his breaks to track the ball in flight … Stays low in his backpedal, keeping his feet in control … Has a good feel for his man in the zone, getting a jump on the ball due to his ability to read the quarterback's moves … Sticks tight with his man, mirroring the receiver step-by-step … Effective in run support, quickly stepping up to fill the lanes.
Negatives: Bit of a gambler, spending more time concentrating on the ball rather than making the switch-off assignment in the zone … Has dropped a few sure interceptions due to his concentration lapses (wants to run before he has the ball secured) … Has poor hand usage in run support, allowing blockers to cut him off at his feet … Despite fluid hips, appears very tight when having to make lateral moves.
CAREER NOTES
Physical hitter who provided quality depth in the secondary while seeing action in the nickel and dime packages … Began his career at Blinn (Texas) Junior College … In two seasons at Louisville, recorded 40 tackles (28 solos) with 7 pass deflections in 21 games.
2002 SEASON
Played in 12 games, starting against Cincinnati, Southern Mississippi and Houston … Made 28 tackles (21 solos) with 6 pass deflections.
Colorado State and Army - Made an assisted tackle in each game.
Memphis - Had a season-high 7 hits (6 solos) and a pass breakup.
Texas Christian - Deflected a pass and delivered 6 tackles (3 solos).
East Carolina and Southern Mississippi - Registered 3 tackles in each contest.
Cincinnati and Houston - Deflected a pass and came up with 2 tackles in each game.
Alabama-Birmingham - Delivered 3 solo tackles and a deflected pass.-09-06-2005, 03:46 PM -
By Nick Wagoner
For any rookie entering the NFL, there is a seemingly unavoidable adjustment period that could last an indeterminate amount of time depending on where the player comes from and his capacity to learn at a fast rate.
The NFL waits for no player and each adjustment period is different. For rookie Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, many of his alterations to the league are standard fare such as getting used to the speed of the game, learning a far more advanced defense and acclimating his body to the grind of a NFL practice.
Coming from the University of Montana to the Rams, though, also comes with a special set of circumstances that have made for a few other modifications that will almost certainly come much easier.
Take, for example, Johnson’s relationship with assistant secondary coach Brandon Fisher, the son of head coach Jeff Fisher. Johnson and Brandon Fisher played two years together for the Grizzlies. In a basic sense, they’re old friends who have more of a history as teammates than they do as coach-player.
“Me and him joke a lot,” Johnson said. “It’s funny calling him Coach Fisher because I played with him two years but out of respect, of course I am going to call him Coach Fisher.”
If the rest of Johnson’s adjustment to the NFL comes as easy as that one, he could be on the field and producing much sooner than expected. More than a month into his first offseason as a NFL defensive back, Johnson has spent the better part of his time in St. Louis with his head buried in the defensive playbook.
When Johnson’s not studying up on the book, he’s sidling up to Fisher, defensive backs coach Chuck Cecil and veteran corners such as Cortland Finnegan to pick their brains on what he’s trying to learn.
“We’ve got pretty close to everything installed and I am just taking it day by day,” Johnson said. “It’s a lot for me and I am just trying to learn as much as I can right now.”
When Johnson isn’t at the ContinuityX Training Center in a meeting room or working on the practice field, he makes it a point to spend at least an hour every night studying his playbook.
The Rams defensive scheme is fairly complicated and asks far more from its personnel than what Johnson had at Montana. Even at the expense of his beloved NBA playoffs, where Johnson focuses his fandom on the Miami Heat and LeBron James, he’s making a point to find time every night to study up.
“Outside of here, I take my playbook home every day and try to get at least an hour in,” Johnson said. “I’m usually exhausted from practice and I like basketball so with the playoffs on, I try to make sure I still get in my hour, sneak it in any way I can. You’ve got to get it in where you can fit in.”
As a small school alumnus, Johnson regularly gets the inevitable question about the jump in competition from a non FBS...-06-07-2012, 03:35 PM -
By Patty Hsieh
Published: June 01, 2012
Patty Hsieh is a member of a network of female writers that cover NFL teams on Aeryssports.com. Patty will focus on the St. Louis Rams and you can follow her on Twitter @ThePigskinArch.
The weather at Rams Park gave the players a slight break from the heat last Friday. Temperatures were cooperative, as was the humidity. The cloud cover and the west-to-east winds almost made it bearable.
But if you’ve lived here long enough, you know the real baste-and-bake phase of a typical St. Louis swelter has yet to come. Poor rookies – they have no idea how warm and gooey it’s going to get during training camp. The maternal instinct in me wants to warn them, but then I wonder if ignorance is bliss. Besides, they’ll figure it out soon enough.
Everything Else Is Just Football
The rookies will navigate new obstacles as they take that next step from college life to the complicated world of playing in the NFL – more temptations, new teammates and coaches, more money than they’re used to having, colossal playbooks and grueling daily routines.
Teams do what they can to make the transition easier by having rookie minicamps prior to full squad OTAs (organized team activities). They get their own how-to course before the veterans arrive at Rams Park.
When asked if head coach Jeff Fisher’s freshman orientation helped, former Montana cornerback Trumaine Johnson replied, “Of course. Rookie minicamp was two days. (We) came out here and did the drills we were going to do in OTAs. We went over the playbook. They’re still installing plays now so I’ve been trying to take that all in and learn as much as I can every day.”
No deer-in-headlights anxiety for this rookie. Yes, he’ll probably make some newbie mistakes along the way, but Johnson had a calm confidence about him.
But is the change bigger than he had imagined? “(It was a) way bigger transition from college, (but) just speed-wise. Everything else is just football,” Johnson said. I immediately appreciated his bring-it-on attitude.
I’ll Be There
He actually walked right past me at first, so I had to hail him down. I don’t think Johnson was expecting an Asian female to ask him football questions. He did a quick double-take and gave me a bright smile as if to say, “Oops, sorry.”
You can’t miss Johnson, though. He stands at 6 feet, 2 inches, noticeably taller than most of the Rams secondary. Johnson took advantage of his God-given height and hops during an 11-on-11 drill toward the end of practice.
In a skillfully timed play, he broke up a pass intended for rookie wide receiver Brian Quick. (Quick has a couple of inches on Johnson.) “It was 3rd and 15, I knew they had to go deep nine route which is basically a fade. Just played it man-to-man, basically a one-on-one.” The Rams have height...-06-05-2012, 10:01 AM -
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Tuesday, Sep. 06 2005
At his pro day coming out of college, Chris Johnson turned heads by running the
40-yard dash in a sizzling 4.18 seconds.
"To me it's a blessing," Johnson said. "A lot of people aren't really blessed
to be that fast. So that's just something that stuck with me once I did it."
It stuck with him, all right. Johnson, a cornerback from the University of
Louisville, commemorated the occasion with a tattoo. The inscription is "4." on
his left calf. His right calf reads: "18." Put them together, and you have
4.18.
That was 2 1/2 years ago. The tattoo is still there.
"It's not going nowhere," Johnson said.
No, but Johnson is. The fastest player in the 2003 NFL draft was traded
Saturday evening from Green Bay to the Rams for linebacker Robert Thomas.
Johnson, 25, passed his physical Sunday morning, flew into St. Louis that night
and was on the practice field Monday at Rams Park.
Even though Johnson entered the NFL in 2003, knee and leg injuries so far have
prevented him from playing in a regular-season game.
Physically, Johnson says, "I feel great."
As for being traded for a former NFL first-rounder, Johnson laughed and added,
"That feels even better."
The Rams, obviously, were eager to dump Thomas, whose toughness and intensity
were questioned by some at Rams Park. So eager that he was traded for a former
seventh-round pick whose next NFL game will be his first.
"Here's a tall guy with terrific deep speed and range," coach Mike Martz said.
"He has the reach."
But can he stay healthy? "After my first year, it was just really a mind
thing," said Johnson, who is 5 feet 11, 198 pounds. "So I had to dedicate
myself back to the weight room, and back to running. And just focus on my job.
Once I did that, everything came into play. So now I'm feeling good and ready
to go."
In Green Bay, Johnson suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee as a
rookie when he collided with wide receiver Donald Driver in a training camp
practice. So much for his 2003 season.
"I was trying to cover him, and he stopped, and I kind of placed my knee up
under his backbone," Johnson said. "It was a little freak accident."
That was injury No. 1.
Before the 2004 season, Johnson suffered a stress fracture in the tibia, the
larger of the two bones in the lower leg. Contrary to previous reports, the
injury was in his left leg - not the same leg as his knee injury....-09-07-2005, 05:25 AM
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