Player Profile: Alabama S Rashad Johnson

Pros: Although there are many questions about Johnson’s size, strength, and speed, no one can question his instincts or knowledge of the game. The former walk-on running back switched to the defensive side of the ball before the 2007 season and became a team leader and one of the nation’s top defensive playmakers. In Johnson’s last two seasons, he racked up 183 tackles, 19 break-ups, and 11 interceptions. He was unbelievable against LSU in 2008, picking off three passes, including the game clincher in overtime. For two years he was the team’s leader on defense, directing players where to line up and often making big time plays. The two most impressive areas of his game are his ability not to allow the opposing team to get behind him and his ability to play center field. He does a great job of going sideline to sideline when the ball is in the air. Johnson is at his best when he is able to sit back, read the quarterback and watch the play develop.

Cons: At 5’11’’ and just over 195 pounds, many question if Johnson has the size and strength to start at the NFL Level. He is very thinly built and must add some weight to his upper body to help make up for his lack of height and pure speed. Even though he had over 90 tackles in two straight years, Johnson wasn’t always a reliable tackler in the open field or at the line of scrimmage. He tends to leave his feet and dive instead of breaking down. He also struggles to take on blockers, bigger backs and tight ends—he is not the intimidating presence over the middle NFL teams look for from safeties. He is not great in one-on-one match-ups with quicker receivers, either. While he is a leader on the field, teams will look into his character due to his arrest in 2008 for disorderly conduct.

Scout’s Take: It is questionable to say Johnson will be selected on the first day, despite a less than stellar safety class. He definitely has the instincts and intangibles to play at the NFL level, but teams will question his strength and toughness against the run. He understands the position and does a great job of being the last line of defense. He is a natural playmaker and that should translate to the NFL if he is put in the right situation. He would fit best with a team that already has a run stuffing safety, so Johnson can play the deep free safety spot he excelled at in college. He could land as high as the mid-second round, but more than likely will hear his name called sometime in the third or fourth round.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

Senior Bowl: Four 'Bama Players Added

The Senior Bowl has announced that four players from Alabama will headline this year’s top all-star game. Suiting up in Mobile in January will be Tide QB John Wilson Parker, along with FS Rashad Johnson, C Antoine Caldwell and TE Travis McCall.

Senior leaders Caldwell and Johnson were both selected as First Team All-SEC performers. Johnson is second on the team with 73 tackles, five of which were tackles for a loss, while leading the Tide with his five interceptions. On the other side of the ball, Wilson completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 1,909 yards and nine touchdowns (five interceptions). McCall, known more for his blocking skills, caught seven passes for 52 yards.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media

ALABAMA'S JOHNSON IS BRONKO NAGURSKI PLAYER OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (FWAA) - Alabama free safety Rashad Johnson has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Nov. 8.

Johnson, a 6-0, 186-pound senior from Sulligent, Ala., tied a Crimson Tide record with three interceptions in Alabama's 27-21 overtime victory at LSU. He returned one of the interceptions 54 yards for a touchdown and his third interception helped seal the win in overtime. Johnson also recorded four tackles, including a half sack.

Johnson is already on the 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 7 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. Five finalists for the Nagurski Trophy will be announced next week.

Each week during the 2008 season the FWAA All-America Committee has selected a national defensive player of the week from nominations made by the 11 Division I Bowl Subdivision Conferences and major independents. This is the final week that a player of the week will be selected this season.

Last season, LSU tackle Glenn Dorsey won the coveted Bronko Nagurski Trophy during the 13th season the FWAA has named a national defensive player of the year.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,000 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is www.touchdownclub.com.