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BG transfer finds his voice
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
Senior defensive tackle Andrew Johnson arrived at Youngstown State on the second day of fall camp in August after transferring from Bowling Green and spent the season trying to stand out on the field and fit in off it.
“I just tried to lay back and do as much as I could,” he said after Monday’s spring practice. “Now I feel I can be more of a vocal leader and push the guys around me.”
Johnson (6-3, 280) was one of the few bright spots on defense last fall, appearing in 10 of the 11 games with eight starts. His numbers weren’t eye-popping — 24 tackles, two for a loss — but he was a solid, steady presence despite battling a high ankle sprain for much of the season.
“After the Penn State and Butler games I was hurt and didn’t feel 100 percent,” he said. “That’s no excuse.
“I would say it [his season] was mediocre, honestly. I think I can do much better.”
The same is true of the entire defensive line, which has performed well this spring.
Senior defensive end Daniel Stewart, who played sparingly last fall after transferring from El Camino Community College, has drawn raves from coaches and players so far, while senior DE Obinna Ekweremuba continues to turn potential into production.
“I think right now we’re moving around pretty good,” YSU coach Eric Wolford said of the defensive line. “We’re athletic, we’re able to get penetration and that’s why we’ve been so disruptive this spring.”
For all of YSU’s defensive struggles last fall, the unit was OK against the run.
The problems came against the pass, where a lack of a pass rush (no one had more than two sacks) and a suspect secondary were the main reasons for the Penguins’ 3-8 record.
As a defensive tackle, Johnson knows he’s not going to pile up huge numbers. But if he’s doing his job, the guys around him will.
“I measure improvement by always playing hard and getting more penetration,” he said. “Just being a disruptive force out there. That’s all we try to be.
“We want to open things up for the linebackers and the DBs, to make their job as easy as possible.”