Must Read Article about TJ!

[BadBull]

College Football

Receiver’s persistence pays off

Cape grad makes sure coach at USF notices

By Craig Handel

chandel@news-press.com

Originally posted on August 28, 2007

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TAMPA  Taurus Johnson is getting a reputation as a teacher’s pet.

This summer, Johnson spent hours with University of South Florida passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Mike Canales.

“I hung out with him every day,†Johnson said.

Maybe it’s something Canales said.

“There’s a few people in this room who have the opportunity to play on Sundays and he has the potential,†Canales said.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Johnson, a Cape Coral High School graduate, is coming off a sophomore season in which he had 37 catches for 494 yards and two touchdowns. He also had three TDs rushing while gaining 51 yards on five carries.

“I’m ready to go,†he said. “I’ve been working hard the entire summer. Each year, I’m trying to get better and better.â€Â

Since Canales was hired in early April, Johnson has been around him almost every day because of the respect he carries. Canales was the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets in 2003. Under his coaching, Santana Moss had 74 catches for 1,105 yards and 10 TDs. He also worked with San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers while he was at North Carolina State.

“He knows the game real well,†Johnson said.

“Everything he’s told me, I’ve taken in and used it as knowledge. I believe he can get me there, to the next level.â€Â

Canales said he’s been teaching Johnson all aspects of being a football player and that his student is absorbing it.

“Guys tease him because he’s more like my son  he’s in my room all the time,†Canales said with a smile. “He’s always with me.

“I try to get him to understand that when I’m teaching him something new, how it’s going to help him get better; and he’s always asking because it’s important for him to know.â€Â

Johnson is learning all three receiver positions, not just his own, because he realizes that the more he knows the more he’ll be on the field and the more valuable he’ll become. He also has been putting in a lot of time as a kick-returner.

“NFL coaches ask for two things,†Johnson said. “ ‘What position or positions do you play?’ and ‘Do you play special teams?’ â€Â

Coach and player have bonded so well that Canales has a nickname for Johnson: “Dynamite.’’ It came after Johnson backed teammates during spring ball.

“I got upset in board drills in the spring,†Johnson said. “A couple of the defensive backs were roughing up our receivers. So I tried to help my receivers and I blew up on a DB. Coach said, ‘I’ll have to start calling you “Dynamite.’’ I was like, ‘What?’ ’’

Canales added: “He’s so explosive, his personality is. We have to harness that enthusiasm, channel it and show it on the field.â€Â

Johnson’s coach isn’t the only person who gets a kick out of him.

“Taurus is a trip,†said Matt Grothe, USF’s starting quarterback. “He’s one of my best friends on the team. We have a close relationship. Sometimes, people think we’re arguing with each other.â€Â

Grothe has noticed something else. “He’s gotten bigger, stronger, faster,†he said of Johnson. “He’s put on a lot of weight. I told him, ‘You look a lot bigger than last year.’â€Â

When Canales mentioned those three letters  NFL  Johnson lit up and hasn’t stopped working since.

“My goal is to play on Sundays,†Johnson said. “It would be a dream to play in the NFL.â€Â

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