Johnson gets NFL shot with Texans
Jan Johnson didn’t watch the NFL draft on Saturday, but he kept his phone close waiting for the call he’d dreamed of receiving for many years.
Johnson’s reward came Saturday night when he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans.
“It’s just awesome,” he said Sunday. “That’s what I was looking for, an opportunity. It would have been awesome to be drafted, but I was just looking to get my foot in the door. I got that chance.”
Johnson, the former Gov. Mifflin star, made the most of a similar opportunity at Penn State, where he enrolled in 2015 as a preferred walk-on, earned a scholarship and wound up as a two-year starter at middle linebacker.
He will try to find a spot on an NFL team where former Nittany Lions coach Bill O’Brien is coach and general manager.
“I’m just a guy who’s going to do everything he can to help the team at any spot,” Johnson said, “whether that’s on special teams, on defense or anywhere I can fill a role. I’m going to try to do that to the best of my ability.
“It’s kind of what I did at Penn State. Anywhere that I can help, I will.”
The 6-2, 236-pound Johnson also had free agent offers from the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans. But he chose the Texans mostly because of a conversation that he had with Houston assistant coach Bobby King.
Going into the final four rounds Saturday, Johnson thought the Texans might take him with one of their three seventh-round picks. But they traded them away in two deals.
“I felt good because their linebacker coach had called me,” Johnson said about King. “They seemed like they were pretty interested. I wanted to go to a place where they wanted me and where I could have an opportunity to make the roster.”
Inside linebackers Zach Cunningham and Benardrick McKinney each played more than 90% of the snaps last season for Houston, which was looking to add depth. The Texans have taken just two inside linebackers in the last five drafts.
Johnson had not spoken with O’Brien, as of Sunday afternoon.
“My first and second year at Penn State, there was a bunch of older guys who were on the team with Coach O’Brien,” Johnson said. “They really liked him. I’m just looking forward to get to meet him and to know him.”
Earlier Saturday, the Texans drafted Penn State cornerback John Reid in the fourth round. Reid and Johnson started their college careers together and finished them together in the Cotton Bowl in December.
“Me and John are pretty close,” Johnson said. “We both like to play video games. It’s really awesome that I get to go down to Houston with him.”
Reid and four other Penn State players were drafted: defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (Carolina), receiver KJ Hamler (Denver), linebacker Cam Brown (New York Giants) and defensive tackle Robert Windsor (Indianapolis).
Johnson and five other Penn State players signed free agent contracts: guard Steven Gonzalez (Arizona), tight end Nick Bowers (Las Vegas), safety Garrett Taylor (Buffalo), wide receiver Dan Chisena (Minnesota) and punter Blake Gillikin (New Orleans).
In addition, former Penn State quarterback Tommy Stevens, who finished his career at Mississippi State, was drafted in the seventh round by the Saints. He’ll join former Nittany Lions receiver Juwan Johnson, who signed a free agent deal after finishing his career at Oregon.
“It’s just awesome seeing all the guys from when we were freshmen at Penn State have success,” Jan Johnson said. “It’s just really cool to see everyone get a shot at what we were all working for since we were freshmen.”