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BWI Magazine Preview: "Never Satisfied"

The most memorable moment from Penn State’s Big Ten opener at Iowa last September? It’s a no-brainer, right? With the Hawkeyes clinging to a four-point lead and a deafening Kinnick Stadium crowd eagerly awaiting its chance to swarm the field, Juwan Johnson caught a 7-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game to give the Nittany Lions a 21-19 come-from-behind victory. Moments don’t get much more memorable than that.

But when Johnson thinks about that game, his mind goes back to a play that most people have probably long forgotten. Early in the third quarter, with Penn State facing third-and-goal at the Iowa 3-yard line, Trace McSorley lobbed a pass into the far right corner of the end zone. It was a smart call for an offense that boasted a 6-foot-4 receiver. But while the pass was high, it wasn’t high enough. Cornerback Josh Jackson timed his leap perfectly and tapped the ball away before Johnson could get a hand on it.

Forced to settle for a field goal on a drive that had reached the 1-yard line, the Lions ended up boosting the spirits of an upset-minded Iowa team that seemed to draw strength from every missed Penn State opportunity. Even now, with six months having passed and the game firmly enshrined as a “W” in the record books, Johnson looks back on it with regret. “That could have been seven points for us,” he said. “I had to show resiliency from that, to bounce back from that play.”

In a roundabout way, Johnson’s failure to come away with the football in that instance, and his unwillingness to let go of the memory, help explain why he’s become one of the Big Ten’s rising stars. The lanky wideout is a perfectionist with a tendency to dwell on the glitches and hiccups in his game rather than the spectacular plays that show up on SportsCenter. Moments such as the Lions’ red zone whiff against Iowa don’t leave him discouraged. They fuel his drive to improve.

“Ultimately, everybody always sees the good,” he said, “so I try to look for what people don’t see. Looking at the bad and trying to improve on that is something that I’ve always harped on.”

Johnson is determined to improve upon his breakout redshirt sophomore season.
Johnson is determined to improve upon his breakout redshirt sophomore season.
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In keeping with that humble approach, Johnson describes his redshirt sophomore season as a series of “ups and downs,” adding that he “obviously left some plays out there. There were some things I can improve on.”

That may indeed be how it looks to him. But from an outsider’s perspective, there were a whole lot of ups and not too many downs. The Glassboro, N.J., native was tied with Saquon Barkley for second on the team with 54 catches, and his 701 receiving yards ranked second behind only DaeSean Hamilton’s 857.

Johnson was especially effective at the end of the season. In Penn State’s last four games, he totaled 22 catches for 312 yards. Reflected in those totals was a stellar Fiesta Bowl in which he gained 66 yards on six catches, with five of those catches producing first downs.

That’s exactly the sort of productivity that Penn State’s coaches anticipated when they signed the four-star prospect out of Glassboro High in 2015. In fact, James Franklin has said that Johnson’s performance as a sophomore only hinted at what he could accomplish in the future.

“I think he’s just going to continue to get better. You’re really starting to see him play with his size right now. You’re talking about a wideout who’s 6-4, 230 pounds,” Franklin said toward the end of last season. “He can run, and now he’s breaking tackles and making one-handed catches. His catch radius is unbelievable. He’s a guy you can depend on. He’s another great teammate. … I couldn’t be more excited about Juwan and his future, and that’s in every way possible. We knew he had a great off-season. We were expecting him to have a big year, and I think we’re going to go back and go through the cut-ups when the season is over and realize that he probably had a better year than everybody realizes.”

One thing the coaches will definitely notice is that most of Johnson’s catches – 38 to be exact – produced first downs. That amounts to 70 percent, and it’s perhaps the most remarkable stat in his portfolio.

Johnson said he doesn’t pay special attention to the sticks, but he does have the size and strength to overpower would-be tacklers once he’s secured the ball. Penn State strength and conditioning coach Dwight Galt recently called him “a trained killer... one of our top, top guys.” And if that weren’t enough, Johnson’s determined attitude makes him even harder to bring down.

“I try to fight for every yard,” he said. “I don’t want to go down on the first tackle or the second tackle. I try to fight through it. Also [it’s important to] be cognizant of the ball and not fumble it. I’m trying to fight for every yard and get the yards that we need.”

Johnson and the rest of Penn State’s wideouts will be working with a new receivers coach this year in David Corley. The veteran wideout admits he was caught off-guard by Josh Gattis’s departure for Alabama, especially since it occurred in late January, well after the wave of postseason coaching upheaval had settled down.

Corley, who worked with Army’s wideouts last year, has promised a tough-love approach. Said Johnson, “He’s going to be on us, but he’s going to be the coach that we need him to be. He expects great things. He wants us to be competitive. But he doesn’t want to degrade you or anything. Gattis did a great job with us, with our techniques. Coach Corley won’t have to teach as much because we got that great foundation from Coach Gattis. I thank Coach Gattis and wish him all the best at Alabama, but I feel like Coach Corley is going to do a great job with us.”

Another influence on Johnson’s career is his older brother George, a Rutgers grad and nine-year NFL veteran who played the 2017 season with the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints. The Johnson brothers talk just about every week, and while their conversations are rarely about football – “It’s more just catching up: How you doing? How’s the family?” Juwan said – George’s career has provided inspiration as Juwan looks to put himself in position to play professionally.

“Ever since we were little, that’s been his and my dream – going into the NFL and performing and even playing against each other one day,” Juwan said.

To enhance that possibility, Johnson is focused on making the most of his redshirt junior season. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten choice last year, and with McSorley slinging passes and a veteran offensive line providing the protection, he appears well-positioned to build on the success he enjoyed as a sophomore.

But he’s not focused solely on his own productivity. A big part of his ongoing self-improvement project is to sharpen his leadership skills and use them to bring out the best in his fellow wideouts. The Nittany Lions are in a transitional period this spring. They’ve got three veteran returnees in Johnson, DeAndre Thompkins and Brandon Polk, but they also expect to rely heavily on a number of players who have yet to suit up in a game, such as redshirt freshmen K.J. Hamler, Mac Hippenhammer and Cameron Sullivan-Brown, and potentially even a true freshman or two, a group headlined by five-star New Jersey recruit Justin Shorter. Johnson understands that those young players are going to need someone to lean on, and he’s eager to share what he knows.

“It’s kind of what’s expected from our group,” he said. “I feel like I can step into that role and do what the team needs me to do, myself and DeAndre.”

If all goes well, he’ll be able to create a few more memories like his night in Iowa City. Except for the broken-up pass in the end zone, the game was one big highlight for Johnson, as he caught seven passes for 92 yards, including the walk-off touchdown. But looking back, he sees it mostly as a stepping stone.

“I felt like it was the game that got me started,” he said. “It gave me even more confidence with my game. Building off that performance elevated my game [and encouraged] me to top my performance and top my expectations.”

*****

Amani Oruwariye is on the cover of the latest Blue White Illustrated magazine.
Amani Oruwariye is on the cover of the latest Blue White Illustrated magazine.

Blue White Illustrated has put the finishing touches on our latest issue of our magazine. Let's take a look at all of the stories and features, here:

THE RUNDOWN:

RECRUITING - As always, BWI recruiting analysts Ryan Snyder and Tim Owen have your Penn State football recruiting fix! In this issue, we look ahead to the Class of 2019 and what that might entail for a Penn State program shorter on scholarships than some might expect. Check out the complete breakdown of a position-by-position look at where the scholarships might distribute themselves, and to whom. Up Close and Personal stories this month are: Jake Pinegar and Jahan Dotson.

PHIL'S CORNER - Blue White Illustrated publisher Phil Grosz takes an in-depth look at the position battles that will define Penn State's 2018 spring practice session. Along with his projected spring depth chart, these are the story lines that will be big by the time the Nittany Lions enter their summer offseason work.

SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW: BWI editor Matt Herb kicks off our spring football preview with an analysis of Penn State's offensive line and its transformation through recent seasons into one with plenty of veterans for the year ahead. In a second feature, he also takes a look at the top five questions that the program must answer if it hopes to repeat its recent success, starting this spring.

AMANI ORUWARIYE: Tim Owen tackles one of the more intriguing positional prospects for the Nittany Lions this spring as the secondary looks to replace its experienced starters from last season, each of whom is likely headed to the NFL in the coming months. Playing last season as a key reserve, Amani Oruwariye is ready to step into a premiere role with the Nittany Lions this year.

"BUILT TO LAST" - BWI web site editor Nate Bauer investigates the mindset that helped lift the Nittany Lion football program to this point, coming off back-to-back years of New Years Six success, and what it will take to keep that trajectory trending upward. Learning the insight of some of the key contributors to that ascent, could maintaining success be even harder than reaching it in the first place?

LOU PRATO - Remembering "Mr. Penn State," BWI special contributor Lou Prato reflects on the life and impact of Ridge Riley through the ascent of the Penn State football program.

TONY CARR - BWI hoops writer Nate Bauer chronicles the rise of Tony Carr through the point guard's star sophomore campaign, and how he managed to transform himself into one of the Big Ten's best players.

These stories, plus men's basketball, men's ice hockey, and wrestling, are all part of our bursting magazine. You won't want to miss this in-depth issue!

These are just a few of the many stories and features that come with every edition of Blue White Illustrated's magazine! Be sure to order your subscription, here:

CLICK HERE FOR ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS - 11 issues, $56!

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