Johnson reps UNI in final showcase before Draft

WATERLOO - As he was headed out onto the field for player positional drills at Northern Iowa's Pro Day on Tuesday, David Johnson peeled off a sweat shirt to reveal a workout shirt with a large UNI logo on the front.

That may not seem like a big deal, given he just spent four years on the field racking up 4,687 rushing yards, 49 rushing touchdowns 6,753 all-purpose yards and 64 total touchdowns while wearing that logo on his jersey and helmet.

As the future NFL Draft pick ran routes, caught passes and did other drills, his now-former head coach Mark Farley said with a wide smile, 'Isn't that cool?” It was clear what it meant to Farley to see Johnson represent UNI instead of a brand or company, as he rightfully could, with NFL Network cameras and scouts from 24 NFL teams watching closely.

For Johnson, it was a statement - simple, but strong.

'UNI has been so great to me throughout the years. They're why I'm to this point,” Johnson said. 'I could've went to any other college, but I'm definitely glad I ended up going here.

'I became a better player here. I just had to showcase I still believe in them and they're still my college and they're the reason I got here. I wanted to represent UNI as much as I can.”

Pride got thrown around a lot when talking to and about Johnson at Cedar Valley Sportsplex in Waterloo for the Pro Day, most often by Farley.

The t-shirt was a gesture Farley said is indicative of the person Johnson has been and remains to be.

'What makes you feel proud and makes you feel good about David Johnson is he's an ambassador to our school. He shows up today with the UNI logo on his chest and that's who he is every day of the week,” Farley said. 'Some people are starting to notice that, but he does that because that's what he's done for the last five years here. He's proud of where he came from and he's worked for everything he's earned.”

Johnson's Pro Day was light in its workload, for obvious reasons.

At the NFL Combine, Johnson was top five among running backs in the five major categories, and finished ahead of highly-touted running back prospects Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) and Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska) in the 40-yard dash and bench press.

He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds (fourth among running backs), lifted 225 pounds 25 times (tied for fourth), had a 41.5-inch vertical (second to Abdullah, who hit 42.5 inches), had a 10-foot-7-inch broad jump (second to Abdullah at 10-foot-10) and did the 3-cone drill in 6.82 seconds (second to Abdullah at 6.79 seconds).

There simply wasn't a lot left to prove, and that was a big relief for UNI's all-time rushing leader.

'I felt like I did a great job at the combine to where I didn't have to worry about doing it here. It made me a little bit at ease,” Johnson said. 'I didn't have to worry as much about redoing everything technique-wise; training for it, I didn't have to worry about doing all the training for the 40 and everything.”

Where Johnson stacks up among his fellow running backs in this class is becoming clearer the more scouts and coaches get a look at all the players available.

Scouts were tight-lipped on Tuesday, but one gave a big smile and hearty, positive laugh when asked about Johnson after he was done with his 20-yard shuttle. The assistants and scouts who have sat with Farley have said similar things - he's a third to fifth-round guy who's garnering a lot of interest leaguewide.

From their end, it remains to be seen how legitimate all the numbers and records are.

'It was always a question of the level he played against. But I think they're finding out now that this level is high, and when you put him up against seniors - the stars, if you will (at the Senior Bowl) - in the all-star games, he did very well in them,” Farley said. 'What they've been telling me - and even throughout the season as they've come in and talked to me when you sit down for a little while - is he's a third-down back because he's so big and physical.

'He can catch the ball out of the backfield; he's a special-teams player. And those are the guys that are hard to find in the NFL. If you can be the workhorse for them as well, it's just an added component.”

Being an every-down guy is Johnson's dream and said 'I feel like I have the potential to do that.”

His getting that chance won't be confirmed until well after he's in a camp somewhere across the league. Regardless, as a light but meaningful Pro Day came to an end, he reflected on his steadfast belief in himself as a running back when he was being recruited. Other schools - Iowa, in particular - wanted him to change positions, but he held firm.

Now that he's about to be drafted as a running back, the 'I told you so,” couldn't feel sweeter.

'Yeah, it definitely is (a validation of sticking with running back),” Johnson said. 'I always played running back growing up, and some colleges did try to change me, but I felt like that was my position and my fit. I'm glad I was able to showcase that I do fit as a running back.”

The NFL Draft begins April 30 and runs through May 2.

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com