A year wiser, Johnson set to shine for ISU

A shining light during an awfully dark 2008 Iowa State football season was the play of freshman Leonard Johnson.

Johnson quickly proved he was one of the team's most talented defenders and played early and often at cornerback. He finished as the team's fifth-leading tackler (47) and was involved in more than a half-dozen take-aways.

Imagine what Johnson could do if he was fully prepared.

“Last year, he'll tell you he really didn't know what he was doing,” said ISU secondary coach Chris Ash. “He can be really good. He's a kid who probably has NFL ability but has to learn how to play the game.”

Johnson is on his way to doing that.

He's studying game film instead of watching it like there's a bucket of popcorn in his lap.

Aggression and frustration at times got the best of Johnson. No more. The 15-yard late-hit penalties - the one 6 yards deep in the end zone after a UNLV touchdown was the most egregious - are a thing of the past, Ash said.

“With those personal fouls, what benefit did the team get from them? What benefit did he get from them?” Ash said. “He has to understand those are selfish acts. He has not done anything like that in training camp. He's controlled his emotions.”

Johnson is not letting his standout freshman season inflate his ego. Not only was he a playmaker on defense, the 5-11, 189-pounder was among the nation's best kickoff returners at 26.4 yards per runback.

To his credit, Johnson is hungry to improve and show his rookie year was no fluke.

“I'd like to remember what I did but I want to accomplish more than that,” he said. “I'm not even halfway to what I could be. I've got so much room to improve.”

Johnson appeared a logical candidate to transfer when Gene Chizik left to become the coach at Auburn. It was easy to connect the dots and forecast that move, said Johnson, who shares Clearwater, Fla., with Chizik as his hometown.

“(Leaving ISU) crossed my mind, but the people in Iowa treat me so good,” he said. “They are legit people, from the fans to the people you bump into on an everyday basis. Why leave? I'm Iowa State all the way.”

Johnson needs to play beyond his years to help get the Cyclones' defense in order.

Opponents averaged 276.7 yards passing in 2008, ranking 116th out of 119 FBS schools. At times it seemed even worse than that.

Quarterbacks completed 67.4 percent of their passes for a whopping 31 touchdowns.

Head coach Paul Rhoads - a defensive guy his entire coaching career - knows his defensive backs can't continue like that.

“Some of the yardage and scoring we gave up last year, they've got to play much improved if we are going to have a better football team,” Rhoads said.

Around Johnson will be free safety James Smith, junior college transfer safety David Sims, senior cornerback Kennard Banks.

Junior Devin McDowell and sophomore Ter'ran Benton - often opposite Johnson at the other cornerback spot last year - are getting the most reps in a five defensive back alignment.

Rhoads and defensive coordinator Wally Burnham have said more often than not that the defense will be playing with an extra defensive back instead of three linebackers.

Getting players with speed and pass coverage ability on the field will be important.

“We'll utilize a lot of nickel,” Rhoads said.

Iowa State defensive backs at a glance

Iowa State defensive backs at a glance

Starters: Leonard Johnson, so., 5-10, 189 (47 tackles, 2 INTs in 2008); Kennard Banks, sr., 5-9, 191; David Sims, jr., 5-9, 208 (JC transfer); James Smith, sr., 5-8, 191 (Team-high 85 tackles in '08).

In the Mix: Devin McDowell, jr., 5-9, 181; Ter'ran Benton, so., 6-0, 197; Allen Bell, sr., 6-0, 192; Michael O'Connell, jr., 5-11, 211; Zac Sandvig, jr., 5-10, 194.

In the know: This is a group that gave up huge yardage a year ago with undersized and inexperienced players. With the exception of junior college safety David Sims, it's the same group, a year older and hopefully much improved. Newcomers could see time this year either at the nickel position or filling in at other spots with pass-happy teams like Kansas, Missouri and Baylor on the schedule.

Bowling if ... They can cut back on the yards and passes completed - both among the worst in FBS last year - and make more plays on the ball. Defensive backs accounted for just four interceptions, two by Leonard Johnson. Sims is a nice addition and will be big in helping support the run, but eliminating the big pass play and being more aware in pass coverage is what will help the Cyclones win games.

- Eric Petersen