It's easy to find Caleb Johnson on a football field on a Jaguars kickoff or punt: look for the ball. His No. 57 jersey is almost certainly somewhere within arm's length.
On a team loaded with role players and unsung heroes, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound California native and the first member of the Houston Baptist football team to play in the NFL can make a case as one of the most important. The casual fan may not know him but Jaguars coaches and teammates understand fully the contribution he makes by playing on punt and kickoff teams, plus punt and kickoff return teams.
Johnson was signed on Sept. 1 after being waived by the Chicago Bears, where he had seven special-teams tackles in 14 games, with a fumble recovery.
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His official position is linebacker but Johnson has yet to take a snap there during the regular season. But he's played 235 snaps on all four main phases of the kicking game (he's not on extra-point or field goal teams) and in the Jaguars' 40-34 victory over Dallas on Sunday, he played a season-high 21 snaps.
"Effort ... 100 percent effort," he said, when asked what it takes to be a good special-teams player. "You have to want to be out there and take any play that comes to you. You're always hoping for something bigger but right now my job is to perform at the highest level possible and the plays will come to me."
Entering Thursday's game against the New York Jets (7-7) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Johnson is in a battle with teammate Andrew Wingard in threatening the team record for the most special-teams tackles in one season.
Wingard has 13 and Johnson 12 with three games left. The record is 17, shared by Chad Nkung and Brian Iwuh in 2007 and Brant Boyer in 1999 but at this point, the last time a Jaguars player had 12 or more special-teams tackles was Montell Owens with 14 in 2009.
The difference between Johnson and Wingard is that Wingard has numerous chances to play on defense and started three games in a row at one point. Wingard has two interceptions and 34 tackles on defense, while Johnson is still looking for his first defensive snap, let alone make a play.
But he's made more than his share in the most thankless fashion -- outside the inner circle of the team.
"When he became available from Chicago, he was a guy that we targeted," said Jaguars special-teams coordinator Heath Farwell. "He's exceeded expectations. We knew he was going to be a good player but he's been even better. He has great hands, good physicality, good instinct and a good feel to get to the ball. His ability to get off blocks, he has good length and he's just always around the football."
Johnson plays side-by-side with Wingard on kickoff coverage teams, with the two lined up just outside Daniel Thomas, who is the closest player to kicker Riley Patterson. On kickoff return teams, he and Wingard are squarely in the middle of the front line.
On the punt team, he and Wingard are blocking backs for punter Logan Cooke, and on punt return teams, Johnson is on the inside.
Johnson's highlights this season have been a forced fumble on a kickoff against Kansas City just before the end of the first half and nailing Baltimore's Devin Duvernay for a 6-yard gain on a kickoff return. The resulting field position was crucial because Wingard forced a fumble that Tyson Campbell recovered at the Ravens' 16, setting up a Patterson field goal that gave the Jaguars the lead.
"He's a ball hawk, always in the right place at the right time," Cooke said. "A lot of guys who are good special-teams players embrace that role. It's not one they fell into but guys like Caleb, Dewey, Shaq [Quarterman] and [Thomas] take a lot of pride in special teams and they are looked on with a lot of pride by our players."
Despite his ample opportunity to play defense, Wingard still loves playing special teams, and relishes having Johnson as a sidekick.
"He loves the game," Wingard said of Johnson. "He will do anything to be successful. You 100 percent have to love football to play well on special teams but somewhere down the line, he's going to get an opportunity to play defense because of the work he puts in. He's a smart guy, a great team player and the guy you want next to you."
Johnson said his favorite play to make on special teams is racing down the field on coverage, and making a big hit on a returner.
"Put it across his chest, make a nice, clean hit ... I love it when it's physical," Johnson said. "You have to have a real warrior's mentality. You have to want to run down there and put your body on the line."
As far as getting defensive snaps at any point, Johnson is fourth in line behind Devin Lloyd, Chad Muma and Quarterman. He knows a lot of injury dominos would have to fall for him to get a shot this late in the season but none of them would be good.
All he can do is race down the field in coverage, or seek out opposing players to block on returns, and make the most of it.
"You can't count the reps," he said. "You have to make your reps count."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Caleb Johnson has 'a warrior's mentality' when it comes to special teams
