THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 27, 1996 TAG: 9609270742
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 127 lines
Southern Cal coach John Robinson calls Keyshawn Johnson one of the greatest football players he has been around, forecasts great success for him with the New York Jets and adds that everything about Johnson is so ``fabulous'' that ``he will be the mayor of Los Angeles in 2020.''
God knows, Johnson already feels comfortable giving a speech.
At a team meeting following a 13-6 loss to the Giants last week that dropped the Jets to 0-4, Johnson stood and told his teammates what was on his mind. It is highly unusual for a rookie to be so bold so soon in his career, which naturally put it right up Johnson's alley.
``My message to the players was simple: `Time to start playing,' '' Johnson said. ``Time to want to win, not sit around and come in and collect a check every single day. Win some games and come with it, come with some attitude.
``It doesn't really matter (that he's a rookie). I'm trying to win football games, not sit around and go 0-16 or anything like that. I give my 110 percent every single down, every single play. It's time to step up, not sit back doing nothing. That ain't gettin' it. That ain't cuttin' it. Leadership, that's where it's at.''
Jets coach Rich Kotite agrees with his No. 1 draft pick, the first wide receiver accorded that honor since Irvin Fryar went to New England in 1984.
``He's a prepared young man. He works very hard, does extra reps,'' Kotite says. ``He's an animated player, a team player, a complete player. He's frustrated. We're all real frustrated with the lack of productivity. He comes from a program that's done a lot of winning; we still have a long ways to go. But he funnels all of his feelings into his work ethic.''
Johnson has had a respectable start to his pro career. His 12 receptions are 20th in the AFC and more than any receiver on this week's opponent, the Washington Redskins. The Jets have nine ``big'' passing plays this season - plays that gained 20 or more yards. Johnson has two, including a 50-yarder in the season-opener against Denver. He is tied for the team lead in touchdowns with two.
But for Johnson, who is second in USC history in receptions and yards despite playing just two seasons, it's not nearly enough. He wants to be a bigger part of the Jets' offense, and the sad part about the Jets is that they're trying.
Last week, Johnson was thrown seven passes. He caught one, dropped one, and couldn't reach five others.
``I had someone ask me, `Why didn't Keyshawn get the ball?' '' Kotite said. ``Well, I had three passes sail over my head from where I was standing. This offense still hasn't gotten in sync.''
Johnson admits the Jets are still finding out about each other, that free-agent quarterback Neil O'Donnell is adjusting to his new surroundings and vice-versa. But he's also keenly aware that the Jets ignored him for the first quarter-and-a-half against the Giants.
``That doesn't help,'' Johnson said. ``The offense is about what I expected. My point is that I'm ready to play. I'm ready to get the football, so put me in a position to make plays. Don't limit my skills. At least look my way, call my number. I've never seen anything like it; I've never witnessed anything like this. In my worst dreams, I really didn't imagine anything like this.''
Give Johnson credit: he doesn't dwell on the past. Shortly after Sunday's loss to the Giants, Johnson told reporters his mind already was on the Redskins. On a conference call with Washington writers Wednesday, Johnson quickly tired of rehashing the first four games and the Jets' reported sorry attitude.
``That's so old and burned out and over with,'' he said. ``Let's move forward to the Washington game.''
Johnson said he told his teammates that they should look at Sunday night against the Redskins as a turning point in the season, an opportunity to make a stand, salvage what had been thought lost.
``I hope we can turn around this season,'' he said. ``It's a possibility. We just have to find out who the playmakers are. I think we've got plenty, we just have to find out who they are. There's a lot of guys capable of making plays. Serious plays.
``There's no Superman out there. That's a guy who can win Super Bowls himself. It takes 11; it takes the whole 60-man roster. I'm not looking to own the town. I'm just looking to help this football team win. What comes out of it, comes out of it.''
Spoken like a true politician. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Keyshawn Johnson: ``I give my 110 percent every single down, every
single play. It's time to step up, not sit back doing nothing.''
THE OPPOSING VIEW
GRAPHIC
REDSKINS vs. JETS
When: Sunday, 8 p.m.
Where: RFK Stadium
TV: TNT
Radio: WTAR, AM 790
Favorite: Redskins by 8 1/2
Last week: Washington (3-1) beat the St. Louis Rams 17-10; New
York (0-4) lost to the Giants 13-6.
Series stat: Washington leads 4-1. The last game between the two
teams was one of the worst in NFL history. The Jets won 3-0 in 1993,
the only points coming on a 45-yard field goal on the first series
of downs. Washington never drove deeper than the New York 30,
missing a 48-yard field goal. The Redskins had 79 yards passing, 50
on one play. The Jets missed another field goal when the ball was
snapped before the holder was looking and it whizzed by his head. It
was the lowest-scoring Redskins game in 52 years.
Redskins news flash: RB Terry Allen leads the NFC in rushing with
418 yards on 90 carries and is second in the league to Denver's
Terrell Davis. He leads the NFC in scoring with five touchdowns. ...
The Redskins lead the league in scoring defense, averaging just 10 a
game. It's been 19 years since they started a season allowing 40
points or less the first four weeks. ... WR Henry Ellard was shut
out last week for the first time in 23 games. ... Washington, Green
Bay and Miami lead the league in turnover ratio at plus-8.
Jets news flash: Wayne Chrebet continues to lead the team with 21
catches for 204 yards. That's good for third in the AFC. Ten of his
catches have come on third down and all have resulted in a first
down. ... Kyle Clifton has now played in 192 games, fourth-most in
Jets history after K Pat Leahy, G Randy Rasmussen and T Winston
Hill. Clifton hasn't missed a game since junior-high school. ... The
Jets are minus-3 in turnover ratio. ... West Virginia's Adrian
Murrell leads Jets rushers with 211 yards on 52 carries. ... The
Jets have four receivers ranked among the AFC's top-20, including
rookie No. 1 pick Keyshawn Johnson, who's 20th with 13 catches for
176 yards.
That's odd: Jets K Nick Lowery scored New York's only points last
week with field goals of 46 and 39 yards. He needs six more field
goals to break Jan Stenerud's NFL-record of 373. But, at the rate
he's going with the Jets, it could take much longer than expected.
Until last Sunday, he had attempted just one other field goal this
season. And he hadn't made one since Week 13 of last season.
- JIM DUCIBELLA by CNB