Johnson dazzles NFL scouts at Pro Day

Samuel Johnson knows his son better than any NFL scout or draft analyst.

The former U.S. Marine, who received a purple heart after stepping on a land mine in Vietnam, instilled discipline in his son Michael Johnson, the Georgia Tech defensive end.

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Johnny Crawford/jcrawford@ajc.com

Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson dazzled the crowd of more than 40 NFL executives at the Jackets’ Pro Day.

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“He always wanted to be a marine. He wanted to be a marine like dad,” the elder Johnson said Monday at Georgia Tech’s Pro Day.

The corps will not sign this recruit. He’s set to play in the NFL and could be selected as high as late in the first or early second round of April’s draft.

Johnson started playing football at age 10. In high school, the elder Johnson knew his son would play in college. But the sport was still up in the air. Johnson was a decent basketball player and turned down an offer from Auburn.

“I can still put it up a little bit,” Johnson said. “I averaged 17 or 18 points. I’d drop 30 [points] on them every now and then, grab 15 or 16 rebounds. Get three or four dunks. We had fun out there.”

The elder Johnson, while firm, didn’t have to discipline his son often.

“If you would lay something out before Michael, he would do it,” the father said. “We never had a problem with Michael. He has always been very disciplined. He always would strive to be perfect. Second place was never good enough for Michael.”

In true marine fashion, the father had a direct point for his son and the grinding NFL evaluation process.

“Stay focus and have fun,” Johnson said.

That’s what made it hard for those close to Johnson to understand how NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock questioned his play at Georgia Tech and label him an inconsistent player.

At Tech, the Yellow Jackets asked Johnson to do a lot, according to defensive line coach Giff Smith. Johnson had to rush the passer, play the run and sometimes cover the tight end or running backs in pass coverage.

NFL teams are split on whether Johnson is a defensive end or an outside linebacker in a 3-4 alignment. One team said he could play strongside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme.

“I think Mike will be a better pro than he was a college football player,” his father said. “The game fits him better. His natural athleticism is more geared toward the pro game. He had to do a lot of things on the defensive side of the ball at Georgia Tech that he won’t have to do in pro ball.”

Johnson dazzled the crowd of more than 40 NFL executives and personnel men Monday, including Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, head coach Mike Smith and Carolina head coach John Fox. Johnson even stayed around to run some pass routes as a tight end for quarterbacks Calvin Booker and Taylor Bennett.

Johnson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds, with one team — the Detroit Lions — clocking him at 4.49. That was substantially faster than the 4.66 he ran at the NFL scouting combine in February.

“There is no surprise that Michael Johnson is a heck of an athlete, a heck of a physical specimen,” Dimitroff said. “Things will work out very well for him well in the National Football League, not to mention a number of other players on the Georgia Tech football team.”

Johnson, 6-foot-7, 266-pounds, went to dinner with Miami Dolphins defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers on Sunday at the Fox Sports Grill. Several coaches from the New York Jets took turns speaking with Johnson Monday. He advised not to read too much into the dinner or the conversations.

“I’ll be happy with whomever takes me and they are going to be happy for taking me,” Johnson said. “Wherever I go … I want to win. I’ve never won a championship and that’s my main goal.”

He’s clearly past Mayock’s bashing.

“This wasn’t the first time that someone said something bad about me,” Johnson said. “It won’t be the last time. That’s his opinion. He’s got the right to it. I don’t have anything against him.”