44INAROW
09-02-2010, 08:29 AM
Good Luck Ronnie (Gobbler84) :) We're proud of you!
Cuero's Johnson ready for first start at Baylor
Kaeron Johnson (49) played tight end and defensive end at Cuero and will make his first start at fullback for Baylor when the Bears play Sam Houston State on Saturday in Waco.
Kaeron Johnson Cuero High School: All-state as tight end and defensive end as a junior and senior. Won bronze medal at state track and field meet in the discus as a senior as the Gobblers won the Class 3A ...
Kaeron Johnson Cuero High School: All-state as tight end and defensive end as a junior and senior. Won bronze medal at state track and field meet in the discus as a senior as the Gobblers won the Class 3A state championship.
Baylor: Redshirt season in 2008. Played in 11 games on the defensive line and at fullback in 2009 to earn first collegiate letter.
Kaeron Johnson was 4 years old the last time Baylor went to a bowl game.
Johnson wasn't at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio when Baylor dropped a 10-3 decision to Washington State, but he is already making plans for the Bears' next postseason appearance.
"Our goal right now is to go to a bowl," Johnson said. "It will happen this year."
Johnson has a chance to help the Bears end over 15 years of frustration.
The redshirt sophomore will make his first start for Baylor when it opens the season Saturday against Sam Houston State at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco.
"I'm pretty excited about it," Johnson said. "Not many people get to start in the Big 12."
Johnson's road to becoming a starter at Baylor began in Cuero where he was an all-state tight end and defensive tackle.
The journey has included some bumps and roadblocks, but he's persevered and seems well prepared for whatever comes his way.
"It was kind of hard at first being on my own," Johnson said. "But I've been here three years now. I see bright things ahead of me."
Johnson will start his first college game less than a month after the death of his father which came shortly after the Bears began practicing for the upcoming season.
"That was hard," Johnson said. "But I was in a good place when it happened. I had the full team behind me."
Many of Johnson's teammates were ahead of him after he redshirted during the 2008 season and attempted to earn playing time on the defensive line last season.
He played sparingly before voluntarily moving to fullback.
"Last year I saw that I had a lot of guys in front of me on the defensive line so I went to coach (Chris) Achuff to see if they needed me somewhere else," Johnson said. "I know playing fullback or H-back seems different, but it kind of felt natural to me. I've been a tight end, but I played fullback in seventh and eighth grade."
Johnson's first extensive action at fullback came in the Bears' 20-13 season-ending loss to Texas Tech.
He was in the game for 24 snaps and made steady progress during the spring and offseason.
Johnson weighs 285 pounds, down from the 295 he played at last season, but is still quick enough on his feet to make his blocks or run pass routes.
"He has soft hands, light feet, and we like having a big guy like him in the slot," said Baylor head coach Art Briles. "We expect him to be a very prominent member of our football team and a real contributor."
Baylor has two formations where Johnson lines up in the backfield and he'll occasionally carry the ball.
But mostly he'll be split out or line up in the slot and will be used as a receiver or a blocker.
"A lot of it is running out and kicking out on an end," Johnson said. "Either way you've got to have the mentality of a maniac."
Briles has been impressed with Johnson's mentality on and off the field. He's majoring in business and is on track to graduate after completing his junior year of eligibility.
"Coach Briles is one of those kind of guys who always has something to say to bring you up," Johnson said. "With me coming from Cuero, he's always saying I'm going to be in the league for a couple of years before going back to Cuero and getting on a ranch."
Johnson would welcome a chance to play in the NFL and he knows getting to a bowl game will give him another opportunity to be seen by the scouts.
"I've seen what John Conner has done with the Jets," Johnson said of the tight end from Kentucky who has been featured on the HBO series "Hard Knocks." "Nobody really knew who he was but he went in his rookie year so you never really know what can happen."
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2010/sep/01/mf_onsports_090210_109569/?sports
Cuero's Johnson ready for first start at Baylor
Kaeron Johnson (49) played tight end and defensive end at Cuero and will make his first start at fullback for Baylor when the Bears play Sam Houston State on Saturday in Waco.
Kaeron Johnson Cuero High School: All-state as tight end and defensive end as a junior and senior. Won bronze medal at state track and field meet in the discus as a senior as the Gobblers won the Class 3A ...
Kaeron Johnson Cuero High School: All-state as tight end and defensive end as a junior and senior. Won bronze medal at state track and field meet in the discus as a senior as the Gobblers won the Class 3A state championship.
Baylor: Redshirt season in 2008. Played in 11 games on the defensive line and at fullback in 2009 to earn first collegiate letter.
Kaeron Johnson was 4 years old the last time Baylor went to a bowl game.
Johnson wasn't at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio when Baylor dropped a 10-3 decision to Washington State, but he is already making plans for the Bears' next postseason appearance.
"Our goal right now is to go to a bowl," Johnson said. "It will happen this year."
Johnson has a chance to help the Bears end over 15 years of frustration.
The redshirt sophomore will make his first start for Baylor when it opens the season Saturday against Sam Houston State at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco.
"I'm pretty excited about it," Johnson said. "Not many people get to start in the Big 12."
Johnson's road to becoming a starter at Baylor began in Cuero where he was an all-state tight end and defensive tackle.
The journey has included some bumps and roadblocks, but he's persevered and seems well prepared for whatever comes his way.
"It was kind of hard at first being on my own," Johnson said. "But I've been here three years now. I see bright things ahead of me."
Johnson will start his first college game less than a month after the death of his father which came shortly after the Bears began practicing for the upcoming season.
"That was hard," Johnson said. "But I was in a good place when it happened. I had the full team behind me."
Many of Johnson's teammates were ahead of him after he redshirted during the 2008 season and attempted to earn playing time on the defensive line last season.
He played sparingly before voluntarily moving to fullback.
"Last year I saw that I had a lot of guys in front of me on the defensive line so I went to coach (Chris) Achuff to see if they needed me somewhere else," Johnson said. "I know playing fullback or H-back seems different, but it kind of felt natural to me. I've been a tight end, but I played fullback in seventh and eighth grade."
Johnson's first extensive action at fullback came in the Bears' 20-13 season-ending loss to Texas Tech.
He was in the game for 24 snaps and made steady progress during the spring and offseason.
Johnson weighs 285 pounds, down from the 295 he played at last season, but is still quick enough on his feet to make his blocks or run pass routes.
"He has soft hands, light feet, and we like having a big guy like him in the slot," said Baylor head coach Art Briles. "We expect him to be a very prominent member of our football team and a real contributor."
Baylor has two formations where Johnson lines up in the backfield and he'll occasionally carry the ball.
But mostly he'll be split out or line up in the slot and will be used as a receiver or a blocker.
"A lot of it is running out and kicking out on an end," Johnson said. "Either way you've got to have the mentality of a maniac."
Briles has been impressed with Johnson's mentality on and off the field. He's majoring in business and is on track to graduate after completing his junior year of eligibility.
"Coach Briles is one of those kind of guys who always has something to say to bring you up," Johnson said. "With me coming from Cuero, he's always saying I'm going to be in the league for a couple of years before going back to Cuero and getting on a ranch."
Johnson would welcome a chance to play in the NFL and he knows getting to a bowl game will give him another opportunity to be seen by the scouts.
"I've seen what John Conner has done with the Jets," Johnson said of the tight end from Kentucky who has been featured on the HBO series "Hard Knocks." "Nobody really knew who he was but he went in his rookie year so you never really know what can happen."
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2010/sep/01/mf_onsports_090210_109569/?sports