Tide frosh ready for larger role
By Gentry Estes DAILY Sports Writer [EMAIL PROTECTED] · 340-2461
TUSCALOOSA — It was a rainy day in August when Alabama's football team first learned what tailback Aaron Johns could become.
After shaking a wrist injury and bemoaning his own performance to that point, true freshman Johns made the run of the day in the Crimson Tide's third preseason scrimmage. Dashing through the a crowded left side of the line, Johns juked, cut back, cut back again and made a handful of defenders miss before he somehow wound up 33 yards downfield the end zone.
There was silence in the indoor practice field. Then and there, it was decided Johns would be Alabama's fourth-string running back, which meant he'd play his rookie year just in case injuries struck Alabama's backfield, which they now have.
"I thought early we'd better get him ready," said Alabama running backs coach Sparky Woods, who made the decision not to redshirt Johns. "It would have been nice to have another back, but I think that's kind of what (NCAA) probation does to you. It makes you thin. We don't have many backs."
So Johns prepared this week to see time during Saturday's 2:30 p.m. meeting with No. 24 Southern Miss. With starting tailback Ray Hudson out for the season with a knee injury suffered last weekend at Kentucky, Johns moves up to third on Alabama's depth chart despite being less than a year out of a sterling prep career at Thomasville High.
If past is prologue, Johns will get about 25 percent of the tailback time in Alabama's three-man rotation behind Ken Darby (50) and Tim Castille (25).
It's something the young Johns said he didn't expect, but is ready for.
"I always wanted to play, but I was satisfied with just watching Ray and learning all I could," Johns said.
As a senior at Thomasville, Johns rushed for 2,050 yards and 33 touchdowns and was named by the state's media as the Class 4A running back of the year. Growing up an Alabama fan, Johns got the call he wanted and signed with the Crimson Tide.
This year, he has seen garbage time in big wins over Utah State, Western Carolina and Kentucky, running for 115 yards on 26 attempts.
In practice, despite struggles with the playbook and pass protection, Johns has impressed Alabama's coaches enough to pencil him into the plan for Saturday.
"He's a tough individual," offensive coordinator Dave Rader said. "He seems to be an individual that says, 'Give me the rock and I'll show you what I'll do.' He doesn't seem to be intimidated by whatever surroundings."
Johns said: "I'm a whole lot more comfortable. I really didn't know the plays that well. (...) I think they're probably more comfortable with Tim and K.D., but if they want me in there a lot, I'll be ready for it."
The coaches' confidence comes from Johns' knack for holding onto the ball. Plus, he's got the kind of open-field mobility the rest of Alabama's running back corps simply doesn't have. At 5-foot-10, 188-pounds John is an elusive target. He's fast. He's quick. He's hard to get an angle on.
"Open-field speed, making somebody miss," said Johns with a smile.
It's easy to spot when you see it, and Johns' ability hasn't changed from high school to now. Just ask senior cornerback Anthony Madison, who was a senior at Thomasville when he first noticed Johns' ability as an eighth-grader with the varsity.
"He was one of those guys you knew right away was going to be a special player," Madison said.
So when Johns was racing through defenses in Thomasville, Madison would return back to Tuscaloosa to tell him teammates.
"Anthony would tell me all these ludicrous stories and they actually turned out to be true," safety Roman Harper said. "All these yards somebody had run for at halftime, all this stuff."
Though the Crimson Tide knows enough about Johns already, there is something that has yet to be seen.
Is he ready for this kind of role?
"We're going to find out," Alabama head coach Mike Shula said. "We're at that point now."
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/sports/041015/tide.shtml
-- ROLL TIDE! Rick
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