Chris Johnson, running back out of East Carolina University, starter for the Ten
nessee Titans. Imagine this, you’re an athlete from a small division 1 AA college and you’re drafted by the NFL by a team who has struggled recently, and in your sophomore season you rush for over 2,000 yards! Fans praise you left and right for becoming such an amazing back. How would you feel? Astonished, Flawed, delighted? Well Chris Johnson feels the same. He was star struck after Week two where he rushed for 197 yards. He was through in to the limelight and thrived off it becoming the leagues leading rusher and predictably was voted as the AFC’s starting running back for the 2009 – 2010 NFL Pro Bowl in Miami. Chris Johnson has turned his career around in just his second season in the NFL. Sophomore Surprise anyone?
Chris Johnson grew up in Orlando, Florida. Chris Johnson loved football growing up and always looked up to superstar football player Deion Sanders. He always was fast growing up according to his mother and would challenge peers and classmates to races, which he would usually win. But when he was down from either losing a race or any other reason he always had his three brothers to pick him up. Chris even today says that they were the biggest influences on not only his football career also. After Chris Graduated from Olympia High school, he chose to attend East Carolina University and become a pirate (East Carolina’s school mascot) on a full football scholarship.
East Carolina University is a small Division 1 AA college in Greenville, North Carolina. In his freshma
n season as a Pirate, Chris saw much playing time and rushed for 1562 total yards. He was a primary back in all 11 games. He really surprised East Carolina fans. Chris went into his sophomore season with high expectations from the Pirates fans. And he fulfilled his expectations by putting up better numbers then his freshman year 1499 total yards and was a full time starter as the team’s tailback. After two breakout seasons Johnson was expected to put up the same numbers in his junior season. He had a down year though and only rushed for 700+ total yards. In Johnson’s senior year he had to put up big numbers if he wanted to become an NFL back. He put up big numbers in 2007 and had his best game against Boise State in the 2007 Hawaii Bowl where he rushed for a whopping 223 yards. Johnson was destined for success.
Chris Johnson entered the draft as a projected first round pick. He was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the 24th pick in the draft. On July 26 he sighed a 5 year 12 million dollar deal with Tennessee. He was the highest pick ever taken in the draft by an East Carolina Player since Robert Jones went to the Cowboys with their 24th pick, respectively. Tennessee fans expected big things from the Speedy Chris Johnson.
Johnson entered his rookie season with the Titans, as their 2nd string running back. Only behind “Plow Back”, LenDale White. Johnson wasn’t expected to play that much in his rookie year but got a few chances here and here and capitalized on them. He was promoted to the starting job where he shared the role with White. Johnson and White were known as “Smash and Dash”, because White was an excellent goal line back who could plow through the line, and Johnson was a speed back who could outrun most of the opposing defense. “Smash and Dash”, along with Quarterback, Kerry Collins, led the titans to an outstanding season finishing 13-3 and with a first round bye in the playoffs. Although LenDale White was the reason for some of Chris’s success it was Chris who was selected to the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu.
After a Pro Bowl rookie season, Chris was expected to do big things in his sophomore year, and he did more then even imagined. In only week two Johnson stunned fans by rushing for 197 yards. Fantasy owners were stunned and quickly added this breakout stud. And he kept up the pace. At the end of the season, Chris finished with a hair over 2,000 rushing yards. Chris became only the 6th running back to ever accomplish that in the NFL. He was a definite Pro Bowl nod and was named the starting Half Back for the AFC team.
Finally, you can understand why Chris Johnson is arguably one of the best running backs in the NFL. It truly shows that you don’t have to go to a big name college like Alabama, USC, or Texas, to become a NFL running back. You can go to a smaller school like Chris did. Chris should be a role model to all kids in the country for he has succeeded great obstacles and expectations. Let’s hope he can keep this up. If he does then he be a sure nod to make it in to the NFL Hall of Fame, in Cranston, Ohio.
nessee Titans. Imagine this, you’re an athlete from a small division 1 AA college and you’re drafted by the NFL by a team who has struggled recently, and in your sophomore season you rush for over 2,000 yards! Fans praise you left and right for becoming such an amazing back. How would you feel? Astonished, Flawed, delighted? Well Chris Johnson feels the same. He was star struck after Week two where he rushed for 197 yards. He was through in to the limelight and thrived off it becoming the leagues leading rusher and predictably was voted as the AFC’s starting running back for the 2009 – 2010 NFL Pro Bowl in Miami. Chris Johnson has turned his career around in just his second season in the NFL. Sophomore Surprise anyone?Chris Johnson grew up in Orlando, Florida. Chris Johnson loved football growing up and always looked up to superstar football player Deion Sanders. He always was fast growing up according to his mother and would challenge peers and classmates to races, which he would usually win. But when he was down from either losing a race or any other reason he always had his three brothers to pick him up. Chris even today says that they were the biggest influences on not only his football career also. After Chris Graduated from Olympia High school, he chose to attend East Carolina University and become a pirate (East Carolina’s school mascot) on a full football scholarship.
East Carolina University is a small Division 1 AA college in Greenville, North Carolina. In his freshma
n season as a Pirate, Chris saw much playing time and rushed for 1562 total yards. He was a primary back in all 11 games. He really surprised East Carolina fans. Chris went into his sophomore season with high expectations from the Pirates fans. And he fulfilled his expectations by putting up better numbers then his freshman year 1499 total yards and was a full time starter as the team’s tailback. After two breakout seasons Johnson was expected to put up the same numbers in his junior season. He had a down year though and only rushed for 700+ total yards. In Johnson’s senior year he had to put up big numbers if he wanted to become an NFL back. He put up big numbers in 2007 and had his best game against Boise State in the 2007 Hawaii Bowl where he rushed for a whopping 223 yards. Johnson was destined for success.
Chris Johnson entered the draft as a projected first round pick. He was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the 24th pick in the draft. On July 26 he sighed a 5 year 12 million dollar deal with Tennessee. He was the highest pick ever taken in the draft by an East Carolina Player since Robert Jones went to the Cowboys with their 24th pick, respectively. Tennessee fans expected big things from the Speedy Chris Johnson.
Johnson entered his rookie season with the Titans, as their 2nd string running back. Only behind “Plow Back”, LenDale White. Johnson wasn’t expected to play that much in his rookie year but got a few chances here and here and capitalized on them. He was promoted to the starting job where he shared the role with White. Johnson and White were known as “Smash and Dash”, because White was an excellent goal line back who could plow through the line, and Johnson was a speed back who could outrun most of the opposing defense. “Smash and Dash”, along with Quarterback, Kerry Collins, led the titans to an outstanding season finishing 13-3 and with a first round bye in the playoffs. Although LenDale White was the reason for some of Chris’s success it was Chris who was selected to the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu.
After a Pro Bowl rookie season, Chris was expected to do big things in his sophomore year, and he did more then even imagined. In only week two Johnson stunned fans by rushing for 197 yards. Fantasy owners were stunned and quickly added this breakout stud. And he kept up the pace. At the end of the season, Chris finished with a hair over 2,000 rushing yards. Chris became only the 6th running back to ever accomplish that in the NFL. He was a definite Pro Bowl nod and was named the starting Half Back for the AFC team.
Finally, you can understand why Chris Johnson is arguably one of the best running backs in the NFL. It truly shows that you don’t have to go to a big name college like Alabama, USC, or Texas, to become a NFL running back. You can go to a smaller school like Chris did. Chris should be a role model to all kids in the country for he has succeeded great obstacles and expectations. Let’s hope he can keep this up. If he does then he be a sure nod to make it in to the NFL Hall of Fame, in Cranston, Ohio.
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