New York Giants: Will Johnson Adds New Dimension to Offense
New York Giants tight end/fullback Will Johnson could very well be the team’s most underrated free-agent acquisition of 2015.
What do you get when you take a player who has a background as a receiver and running back, who ran a little track, and who is self-described cross-fit junkie who thrives on competition?
You get New York Giants fullback/tight end Will Johnson, whose skill set is about as diverse as the colors of the paintings this man of multiple interests enjoys creating in his spare time.
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The 6’2″, 240-pound Johnson, one of the first free-agent acquisitions made by the Giants on the offensive side of the ball this year, might just be their most underrated.
“He’s a versatile guy,” said head coach Ben McAdoo. “He can play special teams, too, for us. He can line up in a variety of spots. We’re getting him used to playing in a receiver stance, probably a little more than he is used to, but he’s a guy that offers some nice versatility. (He) plays with a calm mind and has a lot of football in him.”
Having played the first four years of his career with Pittsburgh, Johnson was instrumental in helping the Steelers rush for over 100 yards per game over the last two seasons.
His contributions didn’t stop there. The versatile Johnson has incorporated other football skills he acquired dating back to his childhood growing up in Dayton, Ohio to record eight career carries, four of which came last season for 14 yards and a touchdown, and 31 receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns, with two of his career catches going for 20-plus yards.
With such versatility to offer, the 27-year-old joined the Giants offense on a modest two-year, $2.3 million contact this April to help enhance a passing offense that, last year, finished seventh and a rushing offense that finished 18th.
True Big Blue
With very few exceptions, the Giants of today are still very much like the Giants of the Bill Parcells era when, save for a few superstars who were the toast of the town, the majority of the players defined that blue-collar, lunch pail mentality.
That blue-collar mentality is at the very core of Johnson’s fabric.
At West Virginia where he began his career as a receiver before switching to running back as a sophomore and then tight end for his final two seasons, Johnson recorded 25 receptions for 249 yards and four touchdowns.
With a dream to play in the NFL, Johnson’s production wasn’t good enough to earn him an invitation to the combine after the 2010 season.
He would go on to spend the next year continuing to stay in shape, hoping that opportunity might come knocking.
His hard work and persistence paid off. The following year, Johnson participated in the Mountaineers’ 2012 pro day where he recorded 30 reps on the 225-pound bench press, the most of any prospect that day, and a 4.49 seconds in his 40-yard-dash.
Those numbers as well as the rest of his workout were good enough to catch the eyes of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert, who signed Johnson to a free-agent contract.
That year, Johnson continued to work the only way he knew how–relentlessly. He went on to make the team in what would become a four-year career in which he missed only one game.
In his rookie season, Johnson recorded 15 receptions for 137 yards, an impressive 9.1 yards per catch which was good enough to land him on Pro Football Focus’ 2012 mid-season all-rookie team.
Although Johnson has yet to top the numbers he set as a rookie, he contributed to the Steelers in other ways.
In addition to his multiple roles on offense, he played on special teams and, according to Jeff Hartman of SB Nation’s Behind the Steel Curtain, as the team’s primary short yardage back during Le’Veon Bell’s two-game suspension.
New Beginnings
In April 2016, Johnson signed with the Giants, a franchise that, like the Steelers, is one of the league’s oldest and most storied, and which is one that promotes family values across its organizational landscape.
“That was important to me,” Johnson said of being able to go to a team where they look at their layers as more than just a name and a number.
“It’s important to building a winning culture. It’s important for the players and everyone in the organization that everyone is involved and to be treated with respect.”
Because the cultures of the Steelers and the Giants are so similar, Johnson’s transition has gone smoothly so far thanks to his willingness to check his ego at the front door, and to come to work each day.
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“Coming from Pitt, that was our mentality,” said Johnson, who will welcome his first child, a son, with wife Jessica around January 1.
“Everyone knew their role, knew that they had to play that role if we wanted to win. So whatever the Giants need me to do—I’m here and I’m ready.”