Finally, Some Props For JJ

I was beginning to wonder if anyone watched the same Jerrod Johnson on the field last year that I saw. Although he incorrectly identifies Johnson's 400 yd passing game as against KSU (it was against ISU), I was happy to see Tim Griffin mention Johnson as a possible difference maker under center this year. I have spent a lot of the offseason reading message board posts from fans who think we need to replace Johnson.

They point to Johnson's interception totals last year. I point to his TD totals. I point to the school records he broke. Towards the end of the season, Johnson's play did tail off. Some of that may be due to the fact that he faced OU and tu at the end of the year. Some of it may have been in injuries finally getting to him. Johnson played with a bum ankle for much of the year. Instead of giving him credit for his toughness and playing through pain, I see a lot of fans ready to throw him under the bus for everyone's favorite player on the roster, the backup QB.

I thought Johnson showed amazing poise throughout the season. He stepped in against UNM and led us to a win on the road. He never complained even though he played behind a complete sieve of an OL and spent the entire season running for his life. If we give Johnson just average pass protection, my bet is that he will turn in the best passing season in A&M history this year. He was only a sophomore last season, playing his 3rd season of QB on the field. When you take that into consideration, I think his performance was nothing short of outstanding. Also consider the fact that he had pressure to score almost every time the offense touched the football because the defense was so poor last year. When you take his OL, his experience, and his injuries into consideration, I would argue that Johnson turned in one of the best seasons ever by an A&M QB last year. I expect this year to be even better because I think the OL will be improved and we will have a better running game with Cyrus Gray, Bradley Stephens, and Christine Michael leading the way.