A special contributor
Johnson catches passes, blocks punts for Michigan
Cornelius Johnson leads Michigan in receiving, and while catching passes is his main contribution game to game, he has developed a unique side gig.
Johnson leads the Wolverines (12-1) with 37 catches for 602 yards and has scored three touchdowns. Michigan is the No. 2 team in the College Football Playoff rankings and is preparing to face No. 3 Georgia in the Orange Bowl national semifinal Friday in Miami Gardens, Florida. The winner advances to the national championship game.
But Johnson also ranks second nationally in blocked punts. Michigan has three this season, and Johnson has two of them, most recently against Iowa in the Big Ten championship game. That success has been a product of film study and anticipation.
“It’s one of those things where you only get one shot in the game,” Johnson said last week. “All that I’m thinking in my head is, ‘It may be the first play, your first rep.’ But if you don’t get it on that first rep, you always come back and spin the ball again. I just think anything to get myself excited for that moment because you can only get one shot sometimes, so you’ve gotta be ready when that snap is called to block the punt.”
Johnson’s first blocked punt came against Northwestern on Oct. 23. It was the first time he had been in a position to make a play like that.
“He just ran a perfect course, perfect amount of steps,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said at the time. “Great vision on the ball and ball skills to get that punt blocked.”
Special teams play, often overlooked, has drawn considerable attention this season at Michigan.
There’s kicker Jake Moody, the Big Ten kicker of the year and the program’s first Lou Groza Award winner as the best kicker in the country. Moody is 22 of 24 on field-goal attempts this season and set a school record with 56 extra points. He leads the team with 122 points and is eighth nationally in field goals per game and field-goal percentage.
Then there’s punter Brad Robbins, a Ray Guy Award semifinalist, who’s fifth nationally in hang time per punt at 4.3 seconds. Michigan ranks fourth in net punting (44.21 yards) and has allowed 35 yards on punt returns this season. And A.J. Henning leads the Big Ten averaging 9.2 yards on punt returns.
“These guys are far and away the best team we’ve played this year in special teams,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “They have starters all over it. They are very aggressive. I have a ton of respect for the way they play and the way they coach.”
Johnson said the key to his blocked punts has been in large part because of game preparation.
“It’s a lot of film study,” Johnson said. “Give a lot of credit to Coach Harbaugh and the special teams staff, and all of the other assistant coaches, because it’s something that you go through all the tape throughout the year and you try to find those little weaknesses they have in their defenses.
“Also, shout out to our scout punt team because during practice they give us a good look so we’re able to go out on Saturdays and perform. It’s really everyone combined. It’s never just one guy who deserves any of the credit; it’s really the whole team, because you can’t do it without everyone else.”
Johnson said it has been about Michigan maintaining its structure on special teams while adapting in practice to what they believe they might see from the punt team.
“Week to week, what you see on film it’s always a different look,” he said. “Being able to keep it consistent on our end, it takes a lot of discipline because we have to follow our rules and adjust to what we see on film. For me personally going into each week, I see it as anything happens. From the first play to the last, I’ve got to rehearse that in my head. The night before I put myself in like a dark place and go through all the possible scenarios in my head before the game while I’m in that dark spot.”
That dark place is where Johnson said the team needs to be as it prepares for the Orange Bowl. In that place, he said it’s about staying focused and maintaining a level-headed approach.
“You’ve gotta put yourself in that dark place and it’s almost in a sense where you can’t be thinking about the future,” Johnson said. “Because it all just comes down to one day. You’ve got one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted.”
Johnson smiled slightly as he quoted Eminem from “Lose Yourself ” with that last comment. Everything Michigan has wanted is ahead.