Johnson drafted by Arizona
Dorian Johnson’s football journey began at the age of five, and he has dreamed of making it to the NFL for as long as he can remember.
That dream became a reality Saturday afternoon as the 2013 Belle Vernon High School graduate became the first former Leopards player to be taken in the NFL draft since Bill Contz was selected in the sixth round of the 1983 draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Johnson, an offensive guard at Pitt, was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the eighth pick of the fourth round and was the 115th pick of the draft.
“It still hasn’t hit me yet,” he said. “I had butterflies, and when I saw my name on the screen, I knew it was real.”
Johnson was with family members at his grandmother’s house, and he was tipped off by his agent before he was actually picked by the Cardinals.
“The Cardinals told my agent that they were taking me, so I knew an hour-and-a-half or two hours before the pick,” he said. “It was exciting, and when the phone finally rang, it got silent.
“There were 15 or 20 family members there and everyone got excited and started high-fiving, but I sat there for about five minutes because I wanted to take it all in.”
Johnson was expected to go in the second or third rounds but slipped to the fourth, likely because some NFL teams were concerned about a liver condition.
“It hasn’t affected me in my playing whatsoever,” Johnson said during a conference call with reporters in Arizona. “But I guess a lot of teams saw it as a red flag and thought it would prohibit the way I was going to play.
“I guess it raised a lot of concerns. I’m completely healthy … absolutely not worried about it at all.”
Rated as the fourth-best guard entering the draft and as one of the top 100 players overall by ESPN, Johnson was surprised he slipped to the third day of the draft.
“I was expecting to go a lot earlier,” Johnson said. “I’m just truly grateful to have this opportunity to play for the Cardinals, and everything happens for a reason.”
Johnson talked Saturday night about one relative who was not at the draft party, his grandfather, Leon Johnson, was his role model growing up and paternal figure but died when Johnson was a freshman at Belle Vernon.
“If he was here, he would be proud of me for making it and I know he is looking down with pride,” Johnson said. “And if it wasn’t for him, I would not be here.”
Johnson said he once quit playing when he was little because coaches were yelling at him.
“He made me go back and talk to them,” Johnson said of his grandfather. “If he didn’t make me go back, I would not be in this position.”
Despite falling into the fourth round, social media blew up about Johnson and the opportunity he has with Arizona.
After the pick, Kevin Weidl of ESPN posted the following on Johnson:
“Johnson is a tough and reliable guard who plays well on his feet with quality balance. He has adequate inline power as a run-blocker who moves his feet well to sustain blocks.
“He has shown good flexibility and quick feet in pass protection. Johnson has a chance to add immediate depth to an NFL team and could quickly develop into a starter.”
Adam Caplan of ESPN tweeted immediately after Johnson was selected that the Cardinals “got a great value with Dorian Johnson in the 4th, who could come in and start at (right guard from) day one.”
Johnson, a four-year starter at Belle Vernon who started his last 42 games at Pitt and earned All-American honors. He is the third Pitt player drafted by Arizona since 2004, joining Larry Fitzgerald (2004) LaRod Stephens-Howling (2009).
Johnson said that he spoke with one of the Arizona coaches about their plans for him in the coming weeks. The Cardinals’ minicamp begins May 12.