Versatile rookie lineman bids for roster spot
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has a nickname for just about everyone at training camp. Rookie quarterback Devlin Hodges, for example, is “Duck Dynasty.” Fred Johnson, a 6- foot- 7, 326- pound offensive lineman from the University of Florida, is “Big Gainesville.”
In summers past there was “Nightmare” and “Bell Biv DeVoe,” the off- the- cuff monikers for running backs Terrell Watson and Brandon BrownDukes. “Dirty Red” is Tyler Matakevich. That one has had staying power because the former seventh- round pick is entering his fourth NFL season.
“You know how it is,” Tomlin said. “It is easier sometimes to call them a nickname.”
Johnson laughed Tuesday when informed of Tomlin’s nickname for him. Even though Tomlin calls it out often when Johnson is about to take a rep in one- on- one drills against the defensive linemen, Johnson said he was oblivious to it.
“I don’t even hear it, I’m so locked in,” he said. “I don’t know where that nickname came from. But if people started calling me that, I wouldn’t be mad.”
Whether any of the nicknames for the rookies stick largely depends on whether they make it onto the 53- man roster or practice squad. The Steelers are stocked with quality offensive linemen, but “Big Gainesville” is making big gains in his first NFL camp.
Offensive linemen of Johnson’s size usually end up as tackles. Many NFL teams shy away from tall guards for a variety of reasons. Guards have to play with great leverage because their job requires them to uproot heavy interior defensive linemen. It’s much more difficult for taller linemen to play with leverage on a consistent basis. There is also the matter of tall linemen impeding the vision of the quarterback, which is less of an issue for the Steelers because Ben Roethlisberger is 6- 5.
The Steelers, in fact, originally signed Johnson as a tackle and played him there when he first arrived in the spring. But he has settled in at guard and has showed off his skill set. He’s smooth in pass protection and has shown an ability to win one- on- one battles with consistency.
On Tuesday, when several starting offensive linemen went down with injuries, Johnson played guard and tackle. For offensive linemen that are hoping to make the roster or practice squad as reserves, the ability to play two positions is a must because teams usually only dress seven or eight linemen on game days. Centers have to be able to play guard. Guards have to be able to play tackle. Tackles have to be able to play tight end.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys who are vying for roles and part of that is to make yourself versatile,” Tomlin said.
“We’ve got tackles playing the left side and the right side. We have tackles playing guard and tackle. Versatility is big for situations such as that. We call on guys to show what they are capable of. It is no different than game day for us. Those two or three backups have to have some versatility.”
Johnson has looked so comfortable and confident that it makes one wonder how he went undrafted in the spring. Most NFL draft analysts thought he would be drafted somewhere in the later rounds. When his name wasn’t called, Johnson signed with the Steelers, who have a strong history of developing undrafted free agents. More than half their starters on the line entered the league as undrafted free agents.
“I thought I would go somewhere around the fifth round or after,” Johnson said. “I can’t dwell on that now. It’s in the past. In college I wasn’t a top recruit. We had a Number 1 lineman. There was stuff that could have deterred me from going there. But I went there anyway and made a name for myself. Now I have to do the same thing here. I like being the underdog. I like having to work for stuff so I can say I earned it.
“Some things in life you can’t control. You have to play the cards you’re dealt. That’s one thing that motivated me to come out here and decide where I wanted to go. The opportunity is in front of me. Now I just have to go get it.”