Johnson out to prove height doesnt matter

One look at Linganore's junior cornerback Michael Johnson and he'll immediately cull up images of Spudd Webb or Nate Robinson – guys who are generously listed in the media guide at 5-foot-9. But just like those two NBA stars, Johnson's game defies his diminutive stature.

"My height might be a disadvantage, but I make up for it because I'm strong," Johnson said. "I also have a 36-inch vertical and I'm getting faster."

Don't believe him? Neither did the opponents who tried to pick on him. But every time they lined up their top receivers across from Johnson, the offense ultimately had a quiet night.

In the playoffs last year, Linganore was matched up against Arundel's Billy Cosh, one of the best quarterbacks in Maryland. Cosh had an array of solid wide receivers at his disposal, but every time he attacked Johnson's side of the field, the 5-foot-9 guy made the play. On one key drive, Cosh went for the end zone, but Johnson read the quarterback's eyes, stepped in front of the receiver and made a momentum-changing interception on the goal line.

"We played wide receivers from all over – guys going to Syracuse, Ohio State, Maryland," said Linganore coach Rick Connor. "They made some catches, but they didn't get a whole lot of yards after the catch. He made good tackles and he eliminated any big plays."

Johnson was a key cog in a defense that allowed just six touchdowns the entire season. Connor moved him all over the defensive backfield, putting him in a position to be a playmaker. He responded with 38 tackles, three interceptions, eight pass break-ups and three forced fumbles.

Zone coverage? Johnson often sat on his own island with little help from the safety or a nickel back. Man-to-man? Johnson used his physicality to jam big receivers and his quickness and agility to hang with faster wide outs. Run support? Johnson used his speed -- he runs a 4.5 40-yard dash – to track down the back. And once he got a hold of them, they went down.

Johnson takes pride in his weight room work, where he can bench 285 pounds, squat 410 and has a 275 hang clean. He can't match up with receivers height-wise, so he compensates by beating up their bodies.

"He's got great hands, great hips and a lot of ball skills," Connor said. "But he also has incredible strength. For a cornerback in high school, his strength numbers are outstanding."

Johnson knows he must grab every little advantage he's given, and that's why he's constantly studying receivers.

"I put a lot of work in off the field as well as on," he said. "I really listen to my coaches so I can become the best player I can."

If the receiver is big and strong, Johnson will back off slightly, but if he's lithe, Johnson might try to jam him.

On the first play of the game, he watches the way a receiver walks up to the line of scrimmage. If he's lackadaisical, Johnson knows he can demoralize him. If he's energetic, Johnson sits back and gets ready to run. And if the receiver takes a peek back at his quarterback, Johnson knows the ball is coming his way. That's when the fun starts.

But while Johnson has succeeded in the Monocacy Valley Athletic Conference, the receivers are even bigger and faster at the next level. That's part of the reason why he will most likely end up in the football subdivision and not in a big-name Division 1 program. In order to change that, he must refine his game and be a standout at the upcoming combines.

"He needs to continue working on developing his defensive back skills," Connor said. "And you can always work on making yourself faster and stronger."

Johnson hasn't received much interest from schools yet, but he will have a chance to prove himself at the 7-on-7 Shootout at Rutgers this week and at the Nike Combine in March.

"I feel I'm definitively under the radar," Johnson said. "But if I perform the way I know I can at Rutgers and at the Nike Combine, I will start to get some looks."