The Tennessee record books are alertly on standby, while the national accolades have rolled in with predictable regularity.
But still, there are two items which have eluded senior linebacker A.J. Johnson in his decorated Knoxville tenure.
A winning campaign and a postseason bowl berth.
And with just one year’s worth of sand remaining in his Volunteer football hourglass, it’s no surprise Johnson has cranked up the intensity — even more so than usual.
“He always has the work ethic, but I see a sense of urgency in him,” second-year UT head coach Butch Jones said at SEC Media Days. “He’s learning how to lead … now he’s holding others accountable for their actions. So you can see that growth and that maturation process in terms of leadership really come through with A.J.”
A three-year starter, who in January made the ‘toughest decision ever’ to return for his senior year, Johnson enters his final campaign with a bevy of national recognition after being named to the watch lists for the Bednarik, Butkus, Lombardi and Bronko Nagurski awards — all of which recognize either the most talented linebacker or defensive player in college football.
However, for the first time in his Knoxville career, Johnson won’t have to adjust to an unfamiliar regime as defensive coordinator John Jancek, along with the entire coaching staff, returns for year two.
“It’s nice,” said Johnson, who played under ex-UT defensive coordinators Justin Wilcox and Sal Sunseri in his first two years, respectively. “I’ve changed defenses each year I’ve been here, but this is the first time being under the same defense for a second year. It’s going to help us as a team.
“It’s easier for a player to just roll into a season without having to worry about something new. They’ve already got the plays down pat and can help out other guys way younger.”
And those fresh faces are certainly abundant for UT this season, particularly within the linebacker corps, as underclassmen Dillon Bates, Colton Jumper and Jalen Reeves-Maybin are all potential candidates to consistently do battle alongside the highly decorated senior.
But specifically it’s Reeves-Maybin who has snagged Johnson’s attention and affection entering 2014. Following a freshman campaign spent primarily as a special teams star and part-time safety, the Clarksville, Tennessee, native permanently flipped to linebacker and will start there on Sunday versus Utah State.
“I’m always joking with him, calling him my son,” Johnson said. “We’re building a bond, and that’s what it is — you’ve got two linebackers who are close and playing with each other. It’s going to help. And you’re going to be able to feed off each other.
“They’ve changed the competitive landscape a lot. And that’s the main thing with football — when you have a whole bunch of competition, that’s going to push everybody to get better and go a little harder.”
Similar to his underclassman counterparts, Johnson too held an integral role in the UT defense as a first-year linebacker. In former head coach Derek Dooley’s second season at the helm, the 6-foot-2, 242-pound senior started 10 of the Vols’ 12 games, racking up 80 total takedowns and 4.5 tackles for loss amidst a dismal 5-7 season in 2011.
Still, for the player who Jones says ‘never has bad practices’ and tremendous ‘on-field credibility,’ Johnson claims his growth over the last three years has been immeasurable, even with the early exposure in one of — if not the most — treacherous football conferences in the nation.
“But from now and then, I know more so the whole defense,” Johnson said. “I know where the offense is trying to attack. I don’t have to sit there and think about what the play is. I can think about what the offense is running or what scheme sets they have coming toward us.”?
Assistant sports editor Dargan Southard traveled to Hoover, Ala., this summer for SEC Media Days. He can be followed on Twitter at @dsouth16.
