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'Chip on my shoulder': Jaguars' rookie Antonio Johnson using draft to fuel his fire in NFL
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- 'Chip on my shoulder': Jaguars' rookie Antonio Johnson using draft to fuel his fire in NFL
Antonio Johnson admits there is a bit of a chip on his shoulder as he starts his NFL career.
After being projected to be selected as high as the second round of the NFL Draft, Johnson fell to the fifth round, where the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him No. 160 overall. But that experience is fuel to his fire as he finds himself trying to carve out a role in Jacksonville's defense.
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"For sure it put a chip on my shoulder," Johnson said. "I just feel like it put that much hunger into me. God works in mysterious ways, and this is how it happened. I'm blessed to be here and I'm going to go out here and prove myself now."
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The 6-foot-3, 195-pound defensive back will start his career as a safety for the Jaguars, a different role from his days at Texas A&M where he was largely featured as a nickel cornerback.
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But his versatility gives him an edge at a thin position group for Jacksonville.
"It's multiple things. Playing free (safety), strong (safety), playing in the slot. It doesn't matter," Johnson said when asked about his role. "Whatever coach needs me to do, I feel like I can do and just be that X-factor for the team."
Mizzou game provided homecoming, special moment for Johnson's family
Johnson was rated as a four-star athlete coming out of high school, predominantly playing safety while also featured as a receiver. He was a top-50 recruit nationally and rated as the second-best prospect in the state of Illinois.
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He recorded 1,479 yards on 71 receptions for 16 touchdowns in 26 varsity games as a receiver and logged 170 total tackles with seven interceptions while playing defense.
During his standout recruiting cycle, Johnson picked up 25 offers, ultimately landing with Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M where he appeared in 25 games through three seasons.
He recorded 168 total tackles, including a career-best 53 solo stops during his sophomore season. He had 14 tackles for a loss, seven pass deflections and forced forced fumbles throughout his career.
Johnson became widely known for his jarring tackling ability. He was seen as a thumper, forcing three fumbles during his final season as an Aggie and oftentimes helping the run defense.
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But his favorite memory from college came from his only career interception. When Texas A&M faced Missouri during Johnson's sophomore season, it served as a homecoming of sorts for the East St. Louis native.
He was able to have his family in attendance as he snagged an interception in a 35-14 victory against the Tigers.
"I had a lot of family at the game, and I hadn't had an (interception) in my career," Johnson said while recalling the moment. "It was my sophomore year and just being able to get that moment in front of a lot of my family and friends, close to home. That's basically close to home for me. It meant a lot and it was a moment I could share with them for a long time."
Antonio Johnson back pedals in a drill during the 2023 Jaguars Rookie Minicamp held at TIAA Bank Field.
Learning from Rayshawn Jenkins , excited to be playing again
During the opening day of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) for the Jaguars, Johnson was seen working with starting safety Rayshawn Jenkins during drills and it looked like Jenkins was offering advice to the rookie.
Jenkins, who is heading into his seventh season in the NFL, was a fourth-round selection in the 2017 draft and has emerged into a vital piece of Jacksonville's defense.
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He became a hero for the Jaguars last season. Jenkins recorded a walk-off pick-six to sink the Cowboys and a game-clinching sack-fumble to win the AFC South Championship against the Titans.
He's a player who can impart wisdom to Johnson, and someone who the rookie can mold his game after. According to Johnson, he'll take all the coaching he can get.
"I always trying to get feedback of how I can improve a play or if I made a play, how I can consistently keep making that play," he said. "I always look for the coaches for feedback, either good or bad, just so I can learn and just improve myself as a player. Like a student of the game."
Jacksonville Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson catches a pass on a defensive drill during an NFL football rookie camp, Friday, May 12, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
For many of the rookie class, they haven't been around football since early December. They've gone through the struggles of the combine, the draft and everything in between.
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It's now about getting reacclimated, adjusted and learning how to be a professional.
"We just went through a stressful time in our life. For a lot of us, this is just a gateway to get away from all that," Johnson said. "So getting back on the field, you see our personalities come out. All of us worked hard to get to this moment and we're here. Now, we're just trying to stay here."
Juston Lewis is a sports reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @JustonLewis_ .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars Antonio Johnson learns from Rayshawn Jenkins
