OHIO Football
Bobcat lineman looks for fresh start
By Michael Weisman, Senior Sports Writer
June 15, 2007 | 3:55 p.m.
Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and 318 pounds with his brown, curly hair and bulging arm muscles, senior Paul Johnson is hard to miss. However, Johnson’s demeanor is much more mild-tempered than his appearance would suggest. The Bobcats left guard is a happy-go-lucky guy, who is just trying to return to his normal ways.
“I’m better than I’ve ever been,” Johnson said. “This spring has helped me a lot. [Offensive line] coach [Keven] Lightner worked on the little things I was making mistakes with last year.”
On April 23, 2006, Johnson was involved in an altercation at The Pub, 39 N. Court St., which resulted in an assault charge being filed on May 8, 2006, in Athens Municipal Court. Johnson pled not guilty but was convicted on Sept. 21, 2006, and was sentenced to two years probation, no contact with Pub employees, 10 days in prison and anger management classes. Alcohol was not a factor in the assault.
Johnson’s attorney, Melissa Luna of the Center for Student Legal Services, was unavailable for comment without Johnson’s permission.
“He thought he was in the right for what he did. He fought it for as long as he could and he didn’t see it going anywhere. It was kind of getting bogged down so he finally just gave in and did what was required of him,” Lightner said. “If I would have been in that spot [at The Pub], I would have done the same thing.”
The Pub manager and assault victim Chris Kraus did not respond to e-mails. Kraus had to be treated for injuries to his head and elbow at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital following the altercation.
Once convicted, Johnson was suspended from the football team indefinitely. He started the first four games of the season but missed the final eight regular season games and the Mid-American Conference Championship game.
While the Bobcats were rattling off seven straight wins (after a loss to Bowling Green) without Johnson, the Vienna, W.Va. native was taking care of his court orders. Johnson took his anger management classes and served his time in prison from Nov. 27, 2006, until Dec. 7, 2006. While in prison, Ohio played Central Michigan in the championship game.
“It was about the team, never about me,” Johnson said of missing the games. “I was just hoping we kept winning and got to a bowl game.”
Once Johnson completed the court requirements, he was reinstated on the team and allowed to participate in the GMAC Bowl Jan. 7. Lightner said it was Johnson’s choice whether or not to rejoin the team, but the team supported him all the way.
“Paul really likes it here. He has a lot of friends on the team,” the offensive line coach said. “He did great in school, did everything we asked of him, and when it was time to get him back, everybody welcomed him back with open arms, including me.”
Johnson said his absence wasn’t a huge factor and credited good backups and running back Kalvin McRae with helping to fill his void.
“The team was excited [to have me back],” the lineman said. “The offensive line was ready to get back to what we should have been doing.”
Johnson started at left guard against Southern Miss in the bowl game but was not back to his usual form. Lightner said Johnson was a little rusty and heavy when he returned, around 330 pounds, so he spent the offseason getting down to an ideal weight of 315 pounds.
“I came back a little heavy this winter from the time off,” Johnson said. “[Coach Frank] Solich got with the offensive linemen and told us to lose a few pounds.”
Johnson proceeded to hit the weight room hard, as he says he always does, and did aerobics at the Ping Center to shed the unwanted pounds.
“Spring and [last] football season seem like just so far away. Seems like everything’s in the past,” Johnson said of the incident. “We’re ready to move on as a team and me individually. It’s great to get back to practice with the guys, getting our flow together.”
The altercation at The Pub was not Johnson’s first run-in with the law, however. In September 2003, as a freshman, Johnson was found guilty of disorderly conduct and had to pay a $95 fine.
“He understands he’s under a microscope in a small town, especially at 315 pounds,” Lightner said. He’s got a big future and is more focused now, Lightner added, saying Johnson plans to get his degree and is an NFL caliber player.
Lightner didn’t feel the incident would hurt Johnson’s NFL chances, even with a new stricter NFL player conduct policy. He’s a good student, a fun-loving kid, who’s physical on the field, but quiet off it, as his line coach described him.
“He knows he’s got NFL type potential and he doesn’t want anything to get in the way of that.”
Johnson said he’s wiped the incident at The Pub clean and doesn’t talk about it anymore. With the case closed, Johnson has turned his attention back to football and spring practice.
“We’re working on concentrating 24/7, knowing your assignment, getting our hands where they need to be, and our footwork – the little things,” he said. “We’re trying to win, coming off the ball together, and getting Kalvin in the endzone.”
Lightner said Johnson had a great spring practice and graded out the highest of all offensive linemen.
“Paul is one of our strongest players and toughest kids. It took something out of us [when he was suspended],” Lightner said. “He’s a physical presence and picks everybody’s attitude up, so it’s good to have him back. He’s looking for a huge year this year.”
<strong>Ohio football’s player behavior policy</strong>
In addition to Johnson, many other Bobcats were arrested and charged with crimes during the season last year. With all the troubled Bobcats, Ohio has been forced to create a stricter behavior policy.
Our policy will be stricter than most, Lightner said. We talk to the kids and tell them to take care of each other.
The Bobcats also brought in speakers to talk to the team about their behavior issues. Lightner said the seniors are policing each other and taking charge of the team.
If Johnson can be one of those seniors, then he would have completed a 180 from the problem to the solution. That could be just enough to take the Bobcats to the next level.