Kevin Johnson carries ‘chip on my shoulder’ from all his injuries
Kevin Johnson was once a first-round draft pick, No. 16 overall in 2015 by the Houston Texans. After a promising rookie campaign where Johnson started 10 games and played extensively in all 16, the injury bug bit the slender cornerback.
For three straight years, that injury bug never stopped biting Johnson. He played in just 19 games over the next three seasons and struggled when he was healthy enough to be on the field. He left Houston with an uncertain future and an angry fanbase kicking sand at him.
After a healthy 2019 in Buffalo, the first time he’s played in all 16 games since 2015, he bet on himself and signed a one-year deal with the Browns.
After stating he liked “the new culture coming in, the new coaching staff”, Johnson said “I believe in myself as a player” as the reason for taking the one-year contract risk despite his injury history.
Ah yes, the injuries. He is well aware of his stigma.
“I had a lot of injuries early in my career,” Johnson stated before talking about how he’s just trying to let things play out and “do what I can to be the best player for the Cleveland Browns that I can.”
Back to those injuries. Two broken feet. A torn ACL. A nasty concussion. Another torn knee ligament. A finger injury.
“It definitely shaped me. I feel like I have a chip on my shoulder,” he said before Monday’s first full-pad practice in a Zoom session with the media. “I’m still hungry and I still believe in myself.”
He showed off his upbeat attitude by concluding the answer,
“It motivates me every day to continue chasing the dream I had every day when I was a kid.”
Johnson has been getting the first-team reps at slot corner, though he did add that he’s also taking reps on the outside. So far Johnson has been one of the early stars of 2020 Browns training camp.
