Pressure's on for Utes' young QB
Anthony Gimino
Tucson Citizen
Aug. 31, 2005 12:00 AM
TUCSON - Twenty-six times in college football history a quarterback has had the challenge of replacing the No. 1 overall draft pick in the NFL draft.
Numerous other quarterbacks have had the pressure of taking over a team following an undefeated season.
No quarterback has had the burden of doing both.
Until Utah's Brian Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 203-pound sophomore from Baytown, Texas, who embarks on his mission Friday night against Arizona.
"I try not to look at it as pressure," said Johnson, who is replacing Alex Smith, selected first in the NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers after leading Utah to an unbeaten season last year.
"It really is a blessing. Not many kids get to play Division I football, and I am lucky enough to be one of those guys."
That all sounds like the right things to say, but Arizona is hoping the cool-talking sophomore manages to have a case of the nerves Friday night.
Johnson saw only mop-up duty as a freshman in Utah's 12-0 season, completing 14 of 21 passes.
His first starting assignment, on national TV (ESPN), could bring out the jitters, especially considering the 18-year-old Johnson is younger than all but six members of the current UA freshman class.
Johnson is a month younger than Arizona freshman quarterback Willie Tuitama.
"I feel a little bit older than I am," Johnson said. "My parents brought me up really well, and that helped with my maturity. And I think it made me a better quarterback, too."
Johnson has been playing with and against older kids almost his entire life after skipping the first grade.
"I was reading books and stuff in the first grade," he said. "I just had a little more knowledge than everyone else when I was that young."
Knowledge of the game is an area he rates as his strength. He's athletic - a necessity to run what remains of Utah's shotgun-spread offense - but says the thing he learned most from Smith was how to prepare mentally.
"Alex tells me a lot to just play your game and prepare," Johnson said. "It's not easy. You can't half do it. It's a great big process, but the reward is definitely sweet."
Arizona coach Mike Stoops said Johnson is a more elusive runner than Smith and expects Utah to use the option to test the UA defense. In turn, UA is eager to see how Johnson reacts in crunch time.
"Playing when the game is on the line is a lot different than playing when you're up 20 or 30 points," Stoops said. "We'll have to see how this quarterback reacts."
UA defensive end Marcus Smith said: "It's going to be his first time getting hit in a long time, so I'm sure if somebody puts his helmet and shoulder pads into him, it will give him a nice little welcome."
Every which way, the pressure figures to mount, but he's not shying away from it.
"The bar here is set really high," Johnson said. "But you wouldn't want it any other way."
JT
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