-
-
-
-
-
- CBB Front Page
- Scores
- Teams
-
Conferences
- Players
- Stats
- Standings
- Rankings
- Schedules
- Women's Hoops
-
-
-
-
- Soccer Front Page
-
Leagues
- MLS
- England
- Champions
UEFA Cup- English Champ
Germany- Italy
Spain- France
Netherlands- Scotland
Belgium- Mexico
Copa Lib- Copa Sud
Copa Oro- Copa America
World Cup- FIFA U-20
SI.com college football writer Stewart Mandel shares his commentary, analysis and random tidbits on the latest developments around the country.7/23/2006 06:47:00 PM Quality Time with Calvin Johnson
In his first two seasons at Georgia Tech, Calvin Johnson has 102 catches for 1,725 yards and 13 touchdowns.Grant Halverson/Getty Images
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Blog is on location Sunday and Monday at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa for ACC Media Days, a two-day golf retreat disguised as work. Unfortunately, I don’t golf, so I guess I’ll blog instead.
Every league does its preseason media junket differently, but I’m particularly partial to the ACC’s because of its highly conducive set-up. There are no mammoth press conferences. Instead, two players from each team (and on Monday, the head coach from each team) sit at tables for two 90-minute sessions (six teams each), providing a more intimate environment for interviews. At one point on Sunday, Florida State running back Lorenzo Booker and linebacker Buster Davis -- quite possibly the most talkative college football player in history -- wound up in a heated debate over which player’s home state produces the best football players, California (Booker) or Florida (Davis). “We’ve got more Heisman winners,” proclaimed Booker. “Ah, that thing’s biased,” replied Davis. “Biased?” laughed Booker. “OK, well how about more Hall of Famers?” “Ah, that thing’s biased too,” said Davis.
Though the big names are often swarmed at first, if you’re willing to wait it out, you usually wind up in a more manageable situation. Such was the case Sunday for me and a couple other reporters with Georgia Tech’s star receiver Calvin Johnson. The 6-foot-4 junior has a knack for acrobatic catches -- check out the ridiculous touchdown grab against N.C. State in this highlight video -- and has appeared on several preseason All-America teams, along with either USC’s Dwayne Jarrett or Notre Dame’s Jeff Samardzija. Johnson is fairly shy and has avoided answering the inevitable and repeated question of whether he’s the best receiver in the country. But that doesn’t mean he’s devoid of that T.O./Keyshawn-type brashness you typically see in elite receivers, either.
When asked who has been his toughest defender thus far, Johnson replies, “Me.” No one else comes close? “Nah,” he says with a chuckle. So is there any defender who can stop you, Calvin? He ponders for a second before responding, “Maybe if you told the guy I was running a go-route, and he stood about 40 yards downfield, then maybe he could stop me.”
At least one guy did stop Johnson last season: Utah’s preseason All-America cornerback Eric Weddle. The Utes held Johnson to only two catches for 19 yards in their 38-10 Emerald Bowl upset of the Yellow Jackets. Asked about that game, Johnson grimaces. “Man, it was a nightmare. The field was in terrible condition. We brought the wrong cleats. I couldn’t run a route without slipping.”
For all his accomplishments his first two seasons -- he has 102 catches for 1,725 yards and 13 touchdowns -- Johnson hasn’t garnered nearly as much national attention as Jarrett or Samardzija, mainly because they play for USC and Notre Dame, respectively, while Johnson plays for Georgia Tech. That could change in a hurry, however, if Johnson has a big game in the Jackets’ nationally televised season opener against, of all people, Samardzija and the Irish. Johnson has been watching Notre Dame tape all offseason, including, of course, its Fiesta Bowl game against Ohio State in which the Buckeyes repeatedly burned the Irish on long passing plays.
“That’s got to make you foam at the mouth watching that,” I said to him. Johnson chuckled. “Yeah, a little bit.”posted by Stewart Mandel | View comments |Comments:
Johnson is going to light up Notre Dame like a torch. I think I could even get 10 catches against them.Stewart - Thanks again for the great stories on the upcoming college football season. Keep up the good work and if you're ever in Louisville, stop by and we'll grab some Bar-B-Q.
Blog On!Jarret is gonna light up the PAC 10 as my Trojans will go ALL THE WAY...but I've seen this Calvin Johnson kid and if he had a QB he would be unstoppable .
FIGHT ON!
Eloy L. USCGeorgia Tech (including Johnson)has no chance against Notre Dame. Charlie Weis has had so long to prepare the team...he is not going to let us down. Go Irish!Stew, Johnson is unbelievable. It just goes to show you how bad of a program tech is right now. Even with one of the premier players in the game, a guy that has real potential to be special at the next level and actually CHANGES games himself, they are a mediocre team at best.Stewart, even virginia tech stopped Calvin dead cold in its game. And Calvin is as good as the QB who gets him the ball. If the Georgia Tech QB gets pressurized all the times, I doubt if Calvin would be an impact playerMarcus Hamilton held him to 41 yards last year, but that must of been caused by Johnson's cleats because apparently no one can stop him and Al Groh is one of the worst coaches in the NCAA.http://www.nflhs.com/News/Features/2005Roster/Default.asp
Yes, Booker is right, Cali does have "more" Heisman winners, HOFers, and NFL players than Florida.
But, Buster should have pointed out that California is over twice the size of Florida population-wise (35MM v. 17MM), so Cali should have twice as many NFL stars (but only have 199 to Florida's 179).Johnson's extremely good, definitely top-5 wideouts in the country good, but he can still get hung up and slowed down by a corner that can anticipate him. UVA's Marcus Hamilton--good player, not an all-worlder by any stretch--has kept him to minimal success the last two years. Some of that may have to do with the fact that Reggie Ball gives away his passing routes way too often, of course.Calvin Johnson is hands down the best reciever in college football. 2nd would be dwayne jarret. 3rd sidney rice out off South Carolina and 4th Jeff S. outta Notre DameWhile Johnson is good, he may not be the great receiver he thinks he is. Look at his last two games of last season, vs. Georgia, 2 catches 14 yards, vs. Utah 2 catches 19 yards. Maybe someone has figured out how to cover him.Yeah, that catch against NC State was pretty good, but come on, the Miami one where the ball was NOWHERE near him, that is sick. I watched that game because I like Miami and that was the 2nd coolest college catch I've ever seen behind the Tyrone Prothro catch.November 12th, 2005
Charlottesville, VA
UVa's Marcus Hamilton held Johnson to 4 catches for 41 yards (long of 13), with two passes defended, and an interception.
Marcus 1, Calvin 0As a Georgia Tech fan, it regularly pains me and my fellow fans to see a talent like Calvin's to go to waste with a QB like Reggie Ball throwing to him. However, Reggie does tend to play relatively well in high stake games (Auburn '03 and '05, Miami '05). Notre Dame better bring their 'A' game on defense, because Johnson will smoke them for 120 and 3 if they don't.You know who else stopped Johnson? Demarrio Minter and Georgia. 2 catches, 13 yards for him. As long as Reggie Ball is throwing to Johnson, he isn't going to reach his potential.Being a UGA fan, this almost pains me to say it. The only way to stop Calvin Johnson is to tackle him about five yards off the line of scrimmage, have Reggie Ball as his quarterback, or Chan Gailey calling plays.Great mini-feature on Johnson and the ACC media days...Thanks for not only continuing your excellent work but adding blogging to your extensive journalistic efforts...Stewart - I would however like to point out that Calvin was shut down in his last two games last year. UGA limited him to two catches for 14 yards during the win in Athens. One of his catches was for a TD, but you would expect more from an All-World receiver playing his school’s biggest rival.
So, to recap, Calvin caught four passes for 33 yards and one TD his last two games of the year. Perhaps there are a few teams that can stop him.The only thing holding C. Johnson back is because he has a QB who is as consistant as the Chris Reitsma.Calvin Johnson isnt even the best reciever in the ACC... TIGERS baby.Being a Tech fan, it pains me to say that I agree with a Dog fan, but p. beaux is correct, Reggie and Chan are the two best ways to diminish Johnson's talents.travis LaTendresse must have been wearing the right cleats in the emerald bowl he 16 recepts for 214 yds and 4 td's while johnson was slipping all over the place what a piss poor exusejust keep throwing the ball to calvin, he'll catch anything close to him.Although Calvin Johnson certainly has talent, there is no way he'll "light up" ND with that mediocre and inconsistent chucker Reggie Ball at QB. (Recall that OSU had Troy Smith throwing to Ginn AND Holmes.) Go Irish!Calvin Johnson is a fine athlete. Let's not forget that he's human.
Sting 'em Jackets!Is anyone remembering that Tech defense? That even if Tech scores touchdowns, they still have to stop Notre Dame's offense. I don't think Tech has any weapons to consistently shut down both the run and pass game.Perhaps if ABC took the ever-present circle graphic off of Calvin, he'd have had better success concentrating on making some catches against Georgia.
For a guy with supposed all-world talent, he sure does disappear when playing against top-notch cornerbacks.The Book
Stewart Mandel's first book, Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls: Tackling the Chaos and Controversy that Reign Over College Football, is available now. Click here to order your discounted copy.CommentsAll user comments must be approved by the moderator before being published. Due to time constraints, comments will only be published for the first several hours following a new post.More MandelRecent Posts
Copyright © 2008 Time Inc.A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.Terms under which this service is provided to you.Read our privacy guidelines.
