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CHERUBINI CHIMES IN
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One-on-One with the
Pirates
Tuesday,
August 14, 2010
By Ron Cherubini |
Q&A with
Derrell Johnson
By
Ron Cherubini
©2012 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
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Of all of the players on the East Carolina defense in the past two seasons,
in terms of pressuring the quarterback and disrupting the backfield, Derrell
Johnson stood out. A menacing 260-pounder who can fly and has a destroyer’s
mindset, Johnson was moved to outside linebacker for one purpose and one
purpose only: disrupt the quarterback. It is a role that Johnson already
appears to have comfortably settled in with just the spring to grasp the
change in jobs.
Defensive coordinator Brian Mitchell could barely contain his excitement
about the thought of Johnson coming off the edge for the Pirates. Joy for
the ECU defense is likely a larger dose of pain for opposing QBs. Johnson
has been given license to wreak havoc and will be a welcomed aspect of a D
that was more than solid but lacked some in the sack department and much
more in the area of turnover creation. Johnson will have a big impact on
changing those numbers in 2012.
When asked what player he would always want to know where he is, starting
quarterback hopefuls
Shane Carden and
Rio Johnson both pointed out
Johnson. He is a big, strong and aggressive quarterback killer, ready to
make more noise than ever from the OLB position.
Derrell was kind enough to sit down for a chat with Bonesville to share his
insights on the upcoming season.
Derrell Johnson in action
(ECU SID photo)
One-on-One with Derrell Johnson
Q: When you learned you would be
moved to OLB, what was your initial reaction?
A: My initial reaction was, ‘Hey,
whatever the team needs me to do, I am going to go
and work at it and do it.' So when the coaches
approached me on it, they asked the same question,
you know, ‘How do I feel about it?’ And I told them
the same thing. Once I started (getting reps at OLB),
it was pretty exciting. You know, I had to work at
understanding the coverage responsibilities, but
from the outside position, I get to move around a
lot more and definitely it is part of the job to
disrupt the backfield. I like it because I can use
my speed along with my strength at this position.
Q: (After) a great spring, are
you getting excited about the role? Describe the
role. Do you think you will be able to get more
pressure on the QB this time around?
A: Definitely. Being able to move
around and use my speed will allow me to get more
opportunities (in the backfield). The guys up front
(DEs) are good and that helps us (OLBs) to get into
the backfield quicker.
Q: If you had to describe the
defensive unit’s mantra, what would it be?
A: Run to the ball… run to the
ball and give maximum effort no matter what you are
doing… a drill, a play, getting water. Do everything
to the maximum. Even if you are making a mistake,
make it at 100% effort. We all are definitely
swarming to the ball and we are a faster defense now
with how Coach (Jeff) Connors has developed us. We
are all loving the aggressiveness and pace out here.
Q: Do you find yourself wanting
to mentor the DEs, guys like Lee Pegues, John
Lattimore, Justin Dixon, etc.?
A: Those guys know what they are
doing, but, yeah, every now and then I will work
with them. A lot of times, when I am lining up just
outside of one of them, we talk before the play. It
helps because I know what they are supposed to be
doing, so sometimes we (communicate) when I am on
the side of them. I know what they are doing so we
talk pre-snap and get things straight, but really,
those guys don’t need me. They know what they are
doing.
Q: What player on this team do
you most respect and why?
A: It would be Justin Dixon. He
works hard on the field and he is selfless. It would
definitely be Justin.
Q: Why should fans believe that
this defense can become an elite unit in C-USA and
beyond?
A: This year the level of work we
are putting in is intense… greater than we have. We
believe we are a top defense, that we can perform at
that level. We know we have the tools and that we
have to take care of business and that is how we
practice, how we do everything we do. We are playing
fast, smart and are physical at the point of attack.
We talk about working hard and having fun and if we
do that, good things will follow.
Q: Do you think this defense can
be the type that dictates the game? How important is
it to this unit to be known as a great defense?
A: We believe that we can control
game tempo, but so does our offense. We are prepared
as a defense to step up and be the difference maker
for this team. We want the challenge. We want to be
a defensive football team.
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08/14/2012 02:02 AM |
