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By Michael Casagrande
5:59 p.m. EDT, September 4, 2012
CORAL GABLES — As if there wasn't enough buzz surrounding Randy "Duke" Johnson already ...
The Miami true freshman running back was named ACC rookie of the week Tuesday after running for 135 yards on seven carries including two touchdowns at Boston College.
The hype machine red-lined sometime Saturday night.
By Monday morning, we got a chance to talk to the center of attention for only the second time since practices opened. He's an impressive kid who has a sense of humility.
Here are a few notes from the interview.
He was mentally and physically exhausted after the BC game. He slept all the way back from Boston.
Ex-Cane Devin Hester got in touch with Johnson's mother after the game. He offered tips for kickoff returns. "Look for the crease," was the relayed message.
Having the Eagles kick to the up man in the second half was cool with Johnson because it leads to automatic field position. He prefers it, actually.
Despite the hype, Johnson said he's not "into the scene and the spotlight."
He likes having the rotation with Mike James and Eduardo Clements. It's not about getting every carry at this point for Johnson.
Linebacker was his first position on the football field. Running back came a year later.
All the talk of LeBron James tweeting about Johnson was a bigger deal to his sisterr than to him. He appreciated the shout out, though.
On the 54-yard, tackle-breaking touchdown he scored in the second quarter: "When I was stumbling, that was the only time in my mind where I figured someone could tackle me. I wasn't looking or I wasn't aware of a tackler because my head was down. When I looked up, I had blockers right in front of me so I figured they would make their blocks and it would be a touchdown."
On the potential for a 1,000-yard season: "I don't really have the full opportunity to play running back alone. I have two other guys that I'm more than willing to share the backfield with. So I haven't set any personal goals, but winning and making sure my backfield do what it's supposed to do game in and game out."
Watching former UM players on TV in the NFL "gives me a good feeling," he said. "Knowing Lamar Miller came out last year even though we didn't have a good season as we expect or should have, he came out and he got drafted and he's doing well with the Dolphins."
Johnson got a bloody nose in the game on a fourth-down play. It happened when he went for a cut block and a defender got a hold of his facemask. "It lifted my helmet up and it hit my nose." He wasn't mad.
On his bruising running style: "Is it surprising? I'm not sure. I think it is because some people just don't expect me to be that kind of back. They expect me to try to run around you and make you miss.
But if it's fourth-and-one and we have to get that yard, you have to get that yard by any means."
Read more about Johnson in tomorrow's newspaper that you can buy at gas stations.
5:59 p.m. EDT, September 4, 2012
CORAL GABLES — As if there wasn't enough buzz surrounding Randy "Duke" Johnson already ...
The Miami true freshman running back was named ACC rookie of the week Tuesday after running for 135 yards on seven carries including two touchdowns at Boston College.
The hype machine red-lined sometime Saturday night.
By Monday morning, we got a chance to talk to the center of attention for only the second time since practices opened. He's an impressive kid who has a sense of humility.
Here are a few notes from the interview.
He was mentally and physically exhausted after the BC game. He slept all the way back from Boston.
Ex-Cane Devin Hester got in touch with Johnson's mother after the game. He offered tips for kickoff returns. "Look for the crease," was the relayed message.
Having the Eagles kick to the up man in the second half was cool with Johnson because it leads to automatic field position. He prefers it, actually.
Despite the hype, Johnson said he's not "into the scene and the spotlight."
He likes having the rotation with Mike James and Eduardo Clements. It's not about getting every carry at this point for Johnson.
Linebacker was his first position on the football field. Running back came a year later.
All the talk of LeBron James tweeting about Johnson was a bigger deal to his sisterr than to him. He appreciated the shout out, though.
On the 54-yard, tackle-breaking touchdown he scored in the second quarter: "When I was stumbling, that was the only time in my mind where I figured someone could tackle me. I wasn't looking or I wasn't aware of a tackler because my head was down. When I looked up, I had blockers right in front of me so I figured they would make their blocks and it would be a touchdown."
On the potential for a 1,000-yard season: "I don't really have the full opportunity to play running back alone. I have two other guys that I'm more than willing to share the backfield with. So I haven't set any personal goals, but winning and making sure my backfield do what it's supposed to do game in and game out."
Watching former UM players on TV in the NFL "gives me a good feeling," he said. "Knowing Lamar Miller came out last year even though we didn't have a good season as we expect or should have, he came out and he got drafted and he's doing well with the Dolphins."
Johnson got a bloody nose in the game on a fourth-down play. It happened when he went for a cut block and a defender got a hold of his facemask. "It lifted my helmet up and it hit my nose." He wasn't mad.
On his bruising running style: "Is it surprising? I'm not sure. I think it is because some people just don't expect me to be that kind of back. They expect me to try to run around you and make you miss.
But if it's fourth-and-one and we have to get that yard, you have to get that yard by any means."
Read more about Johnson in tomorrow's newspaper that you can buy at gas stations.
