BeeDee
08-11-2005, 10:53 AM
Johnson fights web of experience
OL starts over after spider bite ends 2004
By Jim Kleinpeter
NOLA.com (http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-20/112374371654280.xml)
Thursday, August 11, 2005
BATON ROUGE -- The biggest player on the LSU football team last year was felled by the smallest of obstacles.
Redshirt freshman Herman Johnson, a 6-foot-7 offensive tackle who weighed 411 pounds last summer, missed all of fall camp last season because of an infection caused by a spider bite.
Now he's competing for playing time in a veteran offensive line. As far as his first real fall camp goes, he said, "so far, so good.
"I'm not doing the best job that I can do, but I have more days to improve my game and learn the plays," Johnson said. "I'm feeling pretty good about it."
He's certainly feeling lighter, and more active. His weight has dropped to 340 pounds, thanks to a year of dieting, but he's no overweight slob, just a big person. When he was born in West Monroe, he weighed 15 pounds, 14 ounces. He remains one of the biggest newborns on record in the state.
Johnson is still the biggest player on the team, but getting into the lineup is another matter. LSU lost only center Ben Wilkerson from last season's starting offensive line, and there is experienced depth among the backups. But Johnson's combination of size and agility will be tough to keep down long.
"He's developing," said LSU coach Les Miles. "I think he'll be in the mix. I don't know exactly how well he's going to have matured. We haven't put the pads on or scrimmaged yet, so I don't know how quickly he'll see the field."
Tigers' safety Jessie Daniels knows that when Johnson gets in the lineup, he will be a force. Daniels recalls what happened last season when end Brian West beat Johnson for a sack in practice.
"He got mad," Daniels said. "Man, the next play he just destroyed Brian. We know what he can do when he sets his mind to it."
Johnson is still learning. Daniels said he was able to fend off Johnson on a sweep during Tuesday's practice by staying low, and followed that with trash talk. But Daniels said players of Johnson's size who can move so well will win most of the battles against most safeties.
"He's going to be real good," Daniels said. "He can move real well. When he gets more comfortable, he'll be a lot better."
Last year, Johnson returned to Denton, Texas, just before camp to help his mother move, and was bitten by the spider. He ignored it for a couple of days, but his leg swelled and became painful to the point that he couldn't put pressure on it.
The infection subsided slowly as Johnson was treated with antibiotics, but he couldn't even walk at practice. Except for meetings, he was confined to his room for the duration of camp.
He played 42 snaps in games against Arkansas State and Mississippi State. When the infection flared again, he didn't play the rest of the season, and received a medical redshirt. "He's still like a true freshman," said offensive line coach Stacy Searles. "He's a good athlete for a kid that size. He's coming along and getting better."
Johnson said he thinks he will play more this season, even if he doesn't start.
"We lose four starters (next season), and we need to get the younger guys to get some game experience for the following season," Johnson said. "I feel the coaches are going to let some of the younger guys play more this year than last."
CAST PARTY: It's hard to recognize Daniels without a cast on his hand. Three weeks ago, Daniels underwent the fifth wrist surgery since his freshman season. In the most recent procedure, pins were removed from a previous surgery on his right wrist during spring practice.
Daniels had successful surgery on his left wrist during his freshman season. Last year, he injured his right wrist and had surgery during an off week, and another surgery on the same wrist at the end of the season to insert a pin and a screw. When the screw came out, he had another surgery during spring practice.
"It won't affect me in practice," Daniels said. "I'll probably wear a protective cast for the first two games this year."
OL starts over after spider bite ends 2004
By Jim Kleinpeter
NOLA.com (http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-20/112374371654280.xml)
Thursday, August 11, 2005
BATON ROUGE -- The biggest player on the LSU football team last year was felled by the smallest of obstacles.
Redshirt freshman Herman Johnson, a 6-foot-7 offensive tackle who weighed 411 pounds last summer, missed all of fall camp last season because of an infection caused by a spider bite.
Now he's competing for playing time in a veteran offensive line. As far as his first real fall camp goes, he said, "so far, so good.
"I'm not doing the best job that I can do, but I have more days to improve my game and learn the plays," Johnson said. "I'm feeling pretty good about it."
He's certainly feeling lighter, and more active. His weight has dropped to 340 pounds, thanks to a year of dieting, but he's no overweight slob, just a big person. When he was born in West Monroe, he weighed 15 pounds, 14 ounces. He remains one of the biggest newborns on record in the state.
Johnson is still the biggest player on the team, but getting into the lineup is another matter. LSU lost only center Ben Wilkerson from last season's starting offensive line, and there is experienced depth among the backups. But Johnson's combination of size and agility will be tough to keep down long.
"He's developing," said LSU coach Les Miles. "I think he'll be in the mix. I don't know exactly how well he's going to have matured. We haven't put the pads on or scrimmaged yet, so I don't know how quickly he'll see the field."
Tigers' safety Jessie Daniels knows that when Johnson gets in the lineup, he will be a force. Daniels recalls what happened last season when end Brian West beat Johnson for a sack in practice.
"He got mad," Daniels said. "Man, the next play he just destroyed Brian. We know what he can do when he sets his mind to it."
Johnson is still learning. Daniels said he was able to fend off Johnson on a sweep during Tuesday's practice by staying low, and followed that with trash talk. But Daniels said players of Johnson's size who can move so well will win most of the battles against most safeties.
"He's going to be real good," Daniels said. "He can move real well. When he gets more comfortable, he'll be a lot better."
Last year, Johnson returned to Denton, Texas, just before camp to help his mother move, and was bitten by the spider. He ignored it for a couple of days, but his leg swelled and became painful to the point that he couldn't put pressure on it.
The infection subsided slowly as Johnson was treated with antibiotics, but he couldn't even walk at practice. Except for meetings, he was confined to his room for the duration of camp.
He played 42 snaps in games against Arkansas State and Mississippi State. When the infection flared again, he didn't play the rest of the season, and received a medical redshirt. "He's still like a true freshman," said offensive line coach Stacy Searles. "He's a good athlete for a kid that size. He's coming along and getting better."
Johnson said he thinks he will play more this season, even if he doesn't start.
"We lose four starters (next season), and we need to get the younger guys to get some game experience for the following season," Johnson said. "I feel the coaches are going to let some of the younger guys play more this year than last."
CAST PARTY: It's hard to recognize Daniels without a cast on his hand. Three weeks ago, Daniels underwent the fifth wrist surgery since his freshman season. In the most recent procedure, pins were removed from a previous surgery on his right wrist during spring practice.
Daniels had successful surgery on his left wrist during his freshman season. Last year, he injured his right wrist and had surgery during an off week, and another surgery on the same wrist at the end of the season to insert a pin and a screw. When the screw came out, he had another surgery during spring practice.
"It won't affect me in practice," Daniels said. "I'll probably wear a protective cast for the first two games this year."