Written by
Mark Emmert
SATURDAY’S GAME
WHO: UNI (1-1)at Iowa (1-1)
WHERE: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City
TIME/TV: 2:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
CEDAR FALLS, IA. — The rejection stung.
David Johnson was sure he was going to end up playing at Kinnick Stadium as the heir apparent to punishing running backs Albert Young and Shonn Greene, chewing up yards and spitting out victories in eastern Iowa’s football shrine.
It was not to be. After a long recruiting process, Johnson got word that Iowa was not offering him a scholarship, and his options suddenly had dwindled to Illinois State or Northern Iowa.
“I was very surprised,” Johnson said. “I don’t know what happened. I was talking to Iowa all the way up to the week before signing day, and they said they weren’t going to offer me, so I said I’m going to come to UNI and show them why they should have offered me.”
He will get that chance to play in Kinnick after all, on Saturday when the Panthers visit for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. The sophomore who starred at Clinton High School figures to get plenty of chances to carry the football as Northern Iowa looks to establish a running game against an Iowa team it hasn’t beaten since 1898.
Johnson, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 214 pounds, said he was told by Hawkeye recruiters that they were concerned that he would grow bored whenever the ball wasn’t in his hands, and just stand and watch as such plays unfolded. He concedes there was some truth to that.
“After I watched film of my high school career, I kind of did watch a little bit,” he said. “Because when you’re one of the best athletes for your school, you kind of get lackadaisical and you don’t really pay attention to what’s going on.”
Johnson swears those issues are behind him, as is one productive season at the FCS level and one impressive showing against a Big Ten team already this fall. Johnson ran for 822 yards and nine touchdowns as a redshirt freshman for Northern Iowa, adding 33 receptions for another 422 yards and three scores.
In the Panthers’ opener at Wisconsin two weeks ago, he scorched the Badgers for two long touchdown receptions as a fourth-quarter rally came up five points shy of victory.
“David’s just a big, strong running back where he can catch the ball out of the backfield, he can protect in the passing game, he’s always got the size and he has the ability to run through tackles, possibly,” Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley said. “And there’s a wear and tear factor. The more you play against a big running back, the more things can happen.
“Because he’s got size where he can just keep coming after you with size and strength. We just need to get him to that stage to where he can take advantage of the opportunities that his size gives him, and that’s more in the third and fourth quarter.”
Johnson barely played in a 59-0 breeze past Division II doormat Central State on Saturday, so he’s healthy and well rested for his first crack at the team that passed on him. He figures to get another one in 2014 as a senior.
For now, Johnson said he wants to be more decisive when carrying the ball, not worry about who’s in his way.
“I feel like I’m trying to find the hole too much. I think I should start making my own holes, just running over guys,” he said.
“Get the guys tired of tackling me, that’s what I hope to do.
Johnson will be joined in the backfield by senior Carlos Anderson, his 5-8, 172-pound counterpart who thrives on elusiveness, not brutishness. It’s a combination that can keep defenses off balance, Farley said.
“You try to get a bead on David to bring him down and then the other guy’s going to try to make a jump cut on you right at the end,” he said. “I think the burst of Carlos and the size of David is a nice complement as long as you can run the ball enough so that you have different targets, different speeds of target, coming at the opponent.”
Anderson is a Missouri native who was pursued by Iowa as a preferred walk-on, but opted to take the free education at Northern Iowa. He gained 75 yards against the Hawkeyes in a 17-16 loss at Kinnick in 2009, his debut game as a redshirt freshman, and has 2,009 for his career.
“I don’t know if I made them regret it or not. I tried to. I just came and played hard for who gave me my chance,” Anderson said.
“I don’t have time really to look back. I just thank God for giving me the opportunity here.”
Johnson also said he’s delighted to be wearing Panther purple. But he’s watched as the Hawkeyes have shuttled through tailback after tailback in recent years, and the pain of being told “no, thanks” is fresher for him.
“I hope they are second-guessing the decision,” he said of Iowa’s coaches. “Because I was a little down when I didn’t get a scholarship. But I’m glad that I came here and proved them wrong for not offering me.”
David Johnson was sure he was going to end up playing at Kinnick Stadium as the heir apparent to punishing running backs Albert Young and Shonn Greene, chewing up yards and spitting out victories in eastern Iowa’s football shrine.
It was not to be. After a long recruiting process, Johnson got word that Iowa was not offering him a scholarship, and his options suddenly had dwindled to Illinois State or Northern Iowa.
“I was very surprised,” Johnson said. “I don’t know what happened. I was talking to Iowa all the way up to the week before signing day, and they said they weren’t going to offer me, so I said I’m going to come to UNI and show them why they should have offered me.”
He will get that chance to play in Kinnick after all, on Saturday when the Panthers visit for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. The sophomore who starred at Clinton High School figures to get plenty of chances to carry the football as Northern Iowa looks to establish a running game against an Iowa team it hasn’t beaten since 1898.
Johnson, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 214 pounds, said he was told by Hawkeye recruiters that they were concerned that he would grow bored whenever the ball wasn’t in his hands, and just stand and watch as such plays unfolded. He concedes there was some truth to that.
“After I watched film of my high school career, I kind of did watch a little bit,” he said. “Because when you’re one of the best athletes for your school, you kind of get lackadaisical and you don’t really pay attention to what’s going on.”
Johnson swears those issues are behind him, as is one productive season at the FCS level and one impressive showing against a Big Ten team already this fall. Johnson ran for 822 yards and nine touchdowns as a redshirt freshman for Northern Iowa, adding 33 receptions for another 422 yards and three scores.
In the Panthers’ opener at Wisconsin two weeks ago, he scorched the Badgers for two long touchdown receptions as a fourth-quarter rally came up five points shy of victory.
“David’s just a big, strong running back where he can catch the ball out of the backfield, he can protect in the passing game, he’s always got the size and he has the ability to run through tackles, possibly,” Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley said. “And there’s a wear and tear factor. The more you play against a big running back, the more things can happen.
“Because he’s got size where he can just keep coming after you with size and strength. We just need to get him to that stage to where he can take advantage of the opportunities that his size gives him, and that’s more in the third and fourth quarter.”
Johnson barely played in a 59-0 breeze past Division II doormat Central State on Saturday, so he’s healthy and well rested for his first crack at the team that passed on him. He figures to get another one in 2014 as a senior.
For now, Johnson said he wants to be more decisive when carrying the ball, not worry about who’s in his way.
“I feel like I’m trying to find the hole too much. I think I should start making my own holes, just running over guys,” he said.
“Get the guys tired of tackling me, that’s what I hope to do.
Johnson will be joined in the backfield by senior Carlos Anderson, his 5-8, 172-pound counterpart who thrives on elusiveness, not brutishness. It’s a combination that can keep defenses off balance, Farley said.
“You try to get a bead on David to bring him down and then the other guy’s going to try to make a jump cut on you right at the end,” he said. “I think the burst of Carlos and the size of David is a nice complement as long as you can run the ball enough so that you have different targets, different speeds of target, coming at the opponent.”
Anderson is a Missouri native who was pursued by Iowa as a preferred walk-on, but opted to take the free education at Northern Iowa. He gained 75 yards against the Hawkeyes in a 17-16 loss at Kinnick in 2009, his debut game as a redshirt freshman, and has 2,009 for his career.
“I don’t know if I made them regret it or not. I tried to. I just came and played hard for who gave me my chance,” Anderson said.
“I don’t have time really to look back. I just thank God for giving me the opportunity here.”
Johnson also said he’s delighted to be wearing Panther purple. But he’s watched as the Hawkeyes have shuttled through tailback after tailback in recent years, and the pain of being told “no, thanks” is fresher for him.
“I hope they are second-guessing the decision,” he said of Iowa’s coaches. “Because I was a little down when I didn’t get a scholarship. But I’m glad that I came here and proved them wrong for not offering me.”
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