David Johnson (American football)
Encyclopedia
David Johnson is an American former college football
quarterback
. He played for the Golden Hurricane
at the University of Tulsa
, where he was the starting
quarterback for the 2008 season
, after several years as a backup. Johnson finished his senior season as the second-most efficient passer in the nation, behind only Heisman Trophy
-winner Sam Bradford
of Oklahoma
. Johnson himself was mentioned as a Heisman contender by several sources throughout that season.
. He attended Southridge High School in Beaverton, Oregon
, where he played football
as a quarterback
. During his senior year in 2003, he completed 110 of 181 pass
attempts for 1,640 yards and 15 touchdown
s. He also rushed
for 375 yards and four touchdowns. As a college prospect, he was overshadowed by Erik Ainge
of nearby Glencoe High School, who eventually played as a starting
quarterback at Tennessee
. As such, Johnson was not recruited by any Division I schools, and so he began a campaign to promote himself as a prospect. The only school that showed an interest was the University of Tulsa
. He was contacted by their recruiting coordinator, Matt Wells, who eventually offered Johnson a scholarship.
ed his freshman year in . He then spent his first three years of eligibility as Tulsa's back-up behind Paul Smith
, with whom he roomed for two years. For his final remaining season of eligibility, in 2008, Johnson had to compete with anticipated recruit and Bakersfield
junior college
transfer for the starting position.
In 2008
, he was named Tulsa's starting quarterback, and he led the Golden Hurricane to an 11–3 record. After his performance against New Mexico
, in which he completed 24 of 39 passes for 469 yards and six touchdowns, he was named a Conference USA
Co-Offensive Player of the Week. It was the first time that a C-USA quarterback had ever thrown for six touchdowns in two games in the same season. Tulsa's three losses in 2008 came in a close contest against Arkansas
, a blowout
against Houston
, and a close but error-filled Conference USA Championship Game
against East Carolina
. In the 2009 GMAC Bowl
, Johnson engineered a rout, 45–13, against Ball State
, which had finished the regular season with an undefeated 12–0 record.
In that season, Johnson recorded 4,059 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions (five of which were in the C-USA title game), and finished as the second-most efficient quarterback in the nation, behind only the Heisman Trophy
winner, Sam Bradford
. Johnson was voted an All-Conference USA honorable mention player, and the Sporting News named him the Conference USA Offensive MVP
. Johnson was also named a semifinalist for the Draddy Award and the Davey O'Brien Award
. During the season, The New York Times
, The News & Observer
, and CBS Sports
had named Johnson as a Heisman Trophy
contender.
Former Tulsa starter Paul Smith was one of seven quarterbacks in NCAA
history to surpass the 5,000 passing yards benchmark. Johnson said of his predecessor, "I was always learning from him. I didn't feel any pressure. He's the one who's been on my side this whole season, just telling me to go out and break all his [records]." In contrast with Smith's mobile style of play, Johnson is a traditional pocket passer. Tulsa head coach Todd Graham
said of Johnson, "We'd like to have a guy who can run, but we've adapted to Dave's style with more drop-back passes instead of naked[ bootlegs
] ." Johnson himself said that "Our expectation is score every time we have the ball."
affiliate, The NFL Draft Scout, ranked Johnson 16th among 123 rated quarterbacks available for the 2009 NFL Draft
and projected him as an undrafted free agent. As expected, Johnson was not selected by an NFL team, but he was invited to participate in the Green Bay Packers
mini-camp on April 30, 2009 alongside former Utah
quarterback Brian Johnson
. David Johnson said, "All I've ever wanted was an opportunity, and they gave me an opportunity to try out." Both quarterbacks, however, reportedly threw erratically under duress during the mini-camp. David Johnson was also invited to participate in the Kansas City Chiefs
camp the following week.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He played for the Golden Hurricane
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football
The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh....
at the University of Tulsa
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
, where he was the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback for the 2008 season
2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team
The 2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team represented the University of Tulsa in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team's head coach was Todd Graham, in his second year at Tulsa. They played home games at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma and competed in the...
, after several years as a backup. Johnson finished his senior season as the second-most efficient passer in the nation, behind only Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
-winner Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob "Sam" Bradford is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and played college football at Oklahoma. In 2008, as a redshirt sophomore, Bradford became the second sophomore to win a...
of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. Johnson himself was mentioned as a Heisman contender by several sources throughout that season.
Early life
David Johnson was born on June 28, 1986 in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He attended Southridge High School in Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
, where he played football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. During his senior year in 2003, he completed 110 of 181 pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
attempts for 1,640 yards and 15 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. He also rushed
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
for 375 yards and four touchdowns. As a college prospect, he was overshadowed by Erik Ainge
Erik Ainge
Erik Douglas Ainge is a retired American football quarterback formerly of the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
of nearby Glencoe High School, who eventually played as a starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback at Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
. As such, Johnson was not recruited by any Division I schools, and so he began a campaign to promote himself as a prospect. The only school that showed an interest was the University of Tulsa
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
. He was contacted by their recruiting coordinator, Matt Wells, who eventually offered Johnson a scholarship.
College career
Johnson redshirtRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
ed his freshman year in . He then spent his first three years of eligibility as Tulsa's back-up behind Paul Smith
Paul Smith (quarterback)
Paul Smith is an American professional gridiron football quarterback. He was released before training camp by the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. He played college football at Tulsa.-High school career:...
, with whom he roomed for two years. For his final remaining season of eligibility, in 2008, Johnson had to compete with anticipated recruit and Bakersfield
Bakersfield College
Bakersfield College is a public community college located in Bakersfield, California, USA. Bakersfield College has an official Twitter account at @bcrenegades and an official...
junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
transfer for the starting position.
In 2008
2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team
The 2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team represented the University of Tulsa in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team's head coach was Todd Graham, in his second year at Tulsa. They played home games at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma and competed in the...
, he was named Tulsa's starting quarterback, and he led the Golden Hurricane to an 11–3 record. After his performance against New Mexico
2008 New Mexico Lobos football team
The 2008 New Mexico Lobos football team represented the University of New Mexico in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. New Mexico competed as a member of the Mountain West Conference , and played their home games...
, in which he completed 24 of 39 passes for 469 yards and six touchdowns, he was named a Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Co-Offensive Player of the Week. It was the first time that a C-USA quarterback had ever thrown for six touchdowns in two games in the same season. Tulsa's three losses in 2008 came in a close contest against Arkansas
2008 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 2008 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the 2008 football season. The Razorbacks played five home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas and one home game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas...
, a blowout
Blowout
-Science and technology:*Blowout , a sudden release of oil and gas from a well*Blowout , a sandy depression caused by the removal of sediment by wind*Blowout grass is a grass that can be found on sand dunes...
against Houston
2008 Houston Cougars football team
The 2008 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH, represented the University of Houston in the college football 2008-2009 season. It was the 63rd year of season play for Houston...
, and a close but error-filled Conference USA Championship Game
Conference USA Football Championship
The Conference USA Football Championship Game is an annual postseason college football game played to determine the champion of Conference USA. From 1996–2004, the champion of Conference USA was determined by regular season record...
against East Carolina
2008 East Carolina Pirates football team
The 2008 East Carolina Pirates football team represented East Carolina University in the college football season of 2008-09. and plays their home games in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium...
. In the 2009 GMAC Bowl
2009 GMAC Bowl
The 2009 GMAC Bowl was the tenth anniversary edition of the American college football bowl game, and part of the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season the contest was played on January 6, 2009 at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama and featured the Tulsa Golden Hurricane playing the Ball...
, Johnson engineered a rout, 45–13, against Ball State
2008 Ball State Cardinals football team
The 2008 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference during the 2008–2009 college football season. Brady Hoke, in his sixth season at Ball State, was the head coach until December 15, when he resigned to become the head coach at San Diego State...
, which had finished the regular season with an undefeated 12–0 record.
In that season, Johnson recorded 4,059 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions (five of which were in the C-USA title game), and finished as the second-most efficient quarterback in the nation, behind only the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner, Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob "Sam" Bradford is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and played college football at Oklahoma. In 2008, as a redshirt sophomore, Bradford became the second sophomore to win a...
. Johnson was voted an All-Conference USA honorable mention player, and the Sporting News named him the Conference USA Offensive MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. Johnson was also named a semifinalist for the Draddy Award and the Davey O'Brien Award
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
. During the season, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The News & Observer
The News & Observer
The News & Observer is the regional daily newspaper of the Research Triangle area of the U.S. State of North Carolina. The N&O, as it is popularly called, is based in Raleigh and also covers Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill. The paper also has substantial readership in most of the state east of...
, and CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
had named Johnson as a Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
contender.
Former Tulsa starter Paul Smith was one of seven quarterbacks in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
history to surpass the 5,000 passing yards benchmark. Johnson said of his predecessor, "I was always learning from him. I didn't feel any pressure. He's the one who's been on my side this whole season, just telling me to go out and break all his [records]." In contrast with Smith's mobile style of play, Johnson is a traditional pocket passer. Tulsa head coach Todd Graham
Todd Graham
Todd Graham is the head football coach of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was previously the head coach at the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma.-Playing career:...
said of Johnson, "We'd like to have a guy who can run, but we've adapted to Dave's style with more drop-back passes instead of naked
Bootleg play
In American football, a bootleg play is a play in which the quarterback runs with the ball in the direction of either sideline behind the line of scrimmage...
College statistics
| Tulsa | Passing | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Rating | Cmp | Att | % | Yds | Lng | TD | Int | |
| 2005 | 5 | 119.81 | 28 | 41 | 68.3 | 236 | 40 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 5 | 195.86 | 9 | 14 | 64.3 | 180 | 59 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 108.80 | 4 | 8 | 50.0 | 56 | 36 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 14 | 178.69 | 258 | 400 | 64.5 | 4,059 | 97 | 46 | 18 | |
| Totals | 32 | 186.395 | 321 | 441 | 72.8 | 4,531 | 97 | 48 | 19 | |
Professional career
CBS SportsCBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
affiliate, The NFL Draft Scout, ranked Johnson 16th among 123 rated quarterbacks available for the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
and projected him as an undrafted free agent. As expected, Johnson was not selected by an NFL team, but he was invited to participate in the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
mini-camp on April 30, 2009 alongside former Utah
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
quarterback Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson (quarterback)
Brian Delance Johnson is an American football quarterbacks coach for the University of Utah. He played college football at Utah and was drafted by the New York Sentinels in the UFL Premiere Season Draft in 2009....
. David Johnson said, "All I've ever wanted was an opportunity, and they gave me an opportunity to try out." Both quarterbacks, however, reportedly threw erratically under duress during the mini-camp. David Johnson was also invited to participate in the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
camp the following week.
External links
- Patience Pays Off for Tulsa QB; Senior David Johnson has waited for the opportunity to start, Albuquerque JournalAlbuquerque Journal-History:Its earliest predecessor, the Albuquerque Daily Journal, was first published on October 14, 1880. The newspaper is owned by the Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business headed by president/publisher T.H. Lang; it is operated by the Albuquerque Publishing Company...
, September 18, 2008. - Overlooked at Southridge, QB Johnson shines at Tulsa, The OregonianThe OregonianThe Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
, October 30, 2008. - New QB takes charge, Tulsa WorldTulsa WorldTulsa World is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma, and is the second-most widely circulated newspaper in the state, after The Oklahoman. It was founded in 1905 and remains an independent newspaper,...
, August 31, 2008. - QB question mark for Tulsa, The Commercial AppealThe Commercial AppealThe Commercial Appeal is the predominant daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, a major North American media company. Scripps also owned the former afternoon paper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar, which it folded in...
, August 12, 2008. - Athlete Spotlight: David Johnson, The CollegianUniversity of Tulsa CollegianThe Collegian is the official student newspaper at the University of Tulsa. It is a weekly issue in tabloid format.The Collegian is an independently operated, edited, and written by the students apart from the administration, which has occasionally led to conflict with the administration when it...
, September 16, 2008. - David Johnson and Tulsa are fun to watch, ESPN, October 22, 2008.