'THE LITTLE TRAIN': Rider's Johnson packs big punch in small package

Kenji Johnson had some knowledge about the name on the back of his jersey Friday night.

“They told me that he holds a lot of records and is one of the best running backs to come through Rider, but I don’t know too much about him,” Johnson admitted.

Heading into the final Rider-Wichita Falls High rivalry game, Raider coach Marc Bindel had a grand idea.

Bindel, with some assistance, came up with the 100 greatest players in the history of Rider football. He then had the last names of those players printed onto nameplates for the current Raiders to wear on the back of their jerseys during Friday’s game.

The name on the back of Johnson’s No. 0 jersey was Deerinwater. It was only appropriate that Johnson proceeded to headline the Raiders’ ground attack in a 41-13 victory against Old High, rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

Lloyd “Bub” Deerinwater isn’t just one of the best to ever play at Rider. He’s arguably the best.

In a poll of nine current and former Wichita Falls sports media personalities, Deerinwater was voted first on a list ranking the Top 25 Rider athletes of all time. Deerinwater was the program’s first All-American in 1965 and remains the program’s all-time leading rusher with 4,651 yards and 50 touchdowns.

Deerinwater’s No. 43 is the only one to have been retired at Rider. His jersey hangs in the hallway leading to the Rider football locker room.

More: Ranking the Top 25 Rider athletes of all time

“That’s amazing,” Johnson said after being told more about Deerinwater’s achievements. “It’s an honor to have his name on my jersey.”

Physically, Johnson isn’t going to draw many comparisons to Deerinwater, who was listed as a 6-foot, 215-pound quarterback in Rider’s single-wing offense, carrying the ball 784 times in his career. He was nicknamed the “Big Train” by former TRN Sports editor Ted Leach.

Johnson is 5-8 after hitting a decent growth spurt during the offseason. He’s got a compact build, but still looks more like a scatback than a bruising runner. But Johnson showed a knack for running between the tackles against Old High and consistently broke free from the grasps of several Coyotes.

“I’m a downhill runner,” Johnson said. “I can juke a little bit, but most of the time, I just want to get yards. I’m not afraid of contact.”

His running style earned Johnson his own nickname from the announcers on the WFISD YouTube channel livestream in honor of Deerinwater.

The Little Train.

“I kind of like it,” Johnson laughed. “I’m not the biggest, but that’s never held me back.”

One thing Johnson and Deerinwater do share in common is what happens after they score a touchdown.

Deerinwater often served as Rider’s point-after-touchdown kicker and even kicked both extra points after scoring two touchdowns in the 1966 Oil Bowl.

Johnson’s primary role with the Raiders last season was as their place kicker — a job he’s continuing in 2023.

“(After a long touchdown run) that can be tough,” said Johnson, who is also an accomplished soccer player for Rider. “I’ll be pretty winded, lining up to kick the extra point. But I put it aside and focus on what I’ve got to do.”

“I’m really just looking for the first hole that opens,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a great offensive line, so I wait for those guys to do their job, then when I see a hole, I get through it and try to score.”

Johnson isn’t the only running back featured in Rider’s offense. He shares carries with seniors Tyrone Morgan and Elijah Jackson, but both of those players also have key roles on defense. All three offer a different running style, with Morgan being the team’s top speed option and Jackson a bigger downhill runner.

Johnson displayed the patience in setting up his blockers that should make him very productive for Rider’s inside-zone scheme.

More: After a fitting sendoff to a great rivalry, what's next for Rider and Old High?

On Friday, Johnson scored two touchdowns in the final game of the Rider-Old High rivalry. And he believes he’ll be putting the ball in the end zone, and through the uprights, on many more occasions this season.

“I just want to do whatever I can to help the team,” Johnson said, “whether that’s running or kicking.”

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Rider running back Kenji Johnson shines at running back and kicker