Off to the races
Freshman yielding big returns for Razorbacks
Derek Oxford
Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: Sports
As a running back at Texarkana High School, Johnson ran for 4,700 yards and 56 touchdowns while winning back-to-back state championships under former Razorback assistant Bill Keopple.
In his senior year, he rushed for 1,529 yards and 20 scores, while winning the 6A State Championship game MVP, which he also won as a junior.
Johnson's relatively small size doesn't keep him from being an effective return man and running back. When he's called upon in the Petrino offense, he puts up numbers, and that's all Petrino wants him to do along with the other talented players in the Hog backfield.
"I think the more you can distribute the ball, the more guys you get involved in it, the better we are going to be offensively, and the harder it gets to be able to defend," Petrino said.
Jarius Wright, like Johnson, is a member of an inexperienced but talented Razorback freshman class that has the potential to make big plays and put points on the scoreboard.
"We thought it would be possible for us to have an impact, it's why we came here," Wright said. "We're getting our chance to shine in this offense and it's been very good for us."
Now that the Razorbacks have a bye week, players get to rest up and heal any nagging injuries that have been plaguing them over the past few games.
Johnson, like all of Arkansas' running backs, needs the rest with Arkansas sitting at 4-6 and needing to win both of its remaining games to be bowl-eligible.
"It's a good time to get refreshed," Petrino said. "Get them [the players] away from the coaches for a while and the coaches get away from the players for awhile and get back and win a game."
But with a motor running all the time, it's going to be hard to slow the freshman down anytime soon.
In his senior year, he rushed for 1,529 yards and 20 scores, while winning the 6A State Championship game MVP, which he also won as a junior.
Johnson's relatively small size doesn't keep him from being an effective return man and running back. When he's called upon in the Petrino offense, he puts up numbers, and that's all Petrino wants him to do along with the other talented players in the Hog backfield.
"I think the more you can distribute the ball, the more guys you get involved in it, the better we are going to be offensively, and the harder it gets to be able to defend," Petrino said.
Jarius Wright, like Johnson, is a member of an inexperienced but talented Razorback freshman class that has the potential to make big plays and put points on the scoreboard.
"We thought it would be possible for us to have an impact, it's why we came here," Wright said. "We're getting our chance to shine in this offense and it's been very good for us."
Now that the Razorbacks have a bye week, players get to rest up and heal any nagging injuries that have been plaguing them over the past few games.
Johnson, like all of Arkansas' running backs, needs the rest with Arkansas sitting at 4-6 and needing to win both of its remaining games to be bowl-eligible.
"It's a good time to get refreshed," Petrino said. "Get them [the players] away from the coaches for a while and the coaches get away from the players for awhile and get back and win a game."
But with a motor running all the time, it's going to be hard to slow the freshman down anytime soon.
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