Chiefs Babb: Chiefs running back Johnson is once again a happy camper

**Tribal Warfare** · 07-31-2009, 11:22 PM

Chiefs running back Johnson is once again a happy camper
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

RIVER FALLS, Wis. | Chiefs training camp has started, and that means running back Larry Johnson is optimistic and happy again. The possibilities are exciting to him, and he sees the new season as a fresh start.

He says he has changed. That there is a new LJ lining up in the backfield this season.

The thing is, he said a similar thing at this time last year. He declared that the 2007 season, when he missed half the Chiefs’ games because of a broken foot, was behind him. He was looking ahead, and he saw nothing but good things on the horizon.

Then he had some legal problems last year, a benching and suspension, and the Chiefs ran an offense that made it clear that Johnson was an afterthought. He was angry again. He wanted to be traded or released. Then he went on the radio and said that Kansas City hasn’t felt like home in a long time.

Then …

“A lot of things are different,” Johnson said Thursday after the team arrived at training camp. “A lot of things are going to be a lot different this year, the way I run it, the way I go about a lot of things.”

Last year, it was the Chiefs’ decision to emphasize youth that made Johnson smile. This year, Johnson said, it’s that first-year coach Todd Haley and general manager Scott Pioli seem more interested in winning than the previous group.

Last year, Johnson liked that former coach Herm Edwards was willing to overlook the previous season and that LJ was becoming known more for his mood swings than impressive runs. Now, he likes that Haley and Pioli don’t seem to care about what happened in the past, as long as the future is successful.

“That’s the way they’ve treated me so far,” Johnson said Thursday. “I haven’t had any problems with them.”

Last year, he talked about getting back to the kind of performances that made him one of the NFL’s elite rushers. Now, he’s going further back in time.

“You may see 2002 LJ,” he said, referring to the year he was a Heisman Trophy finalist at Penn State.

It’s all a convincing display, and it was last year, too. So forgive Haley if he needs more evidence that the “new” LJ won’t end up looking like the same old LJ.

“I don’t know if the actual talk is important,” Haley said. “That’s more important to all the fans out there, but I know myself, as a coach, I go by what I see.

“That’s what I’m interested in. Not really what they’re saying, more what they’re doing.”

So Haley is going to wait and see what happens when Johnson faces some adversity. When the Chiefs aren’t winning, or Johnson isn’t getting the number of carries he thinks is appropriate. It’s early, but Haley said Johnson has been a model citizen — so far.

“I have not had an issue with Larry Johnson and what he’s done,” Haley said.

But he isn’t ready to announce Johnson as the likely starter, a careful approach that Haley is taking with all positions. He’s reserving judgment and starting jobs until he sees something, rather than just hearing it.

That’s why some of the Chiefs’ running backs spent the offseason fine-tuning their workout habits and preparing to be the starter, just in case. Jamaal Charles said he heard about the offseason drama surrounding Johnson, and the second-year rusher from Texas was ready to assume the team’s every-down load.

“I thought about that a lot,” he said. “I’m ready more than I was last year. I’m ready to take that on. I want it a lot. I want to be the man.”

Johnson said he wants to be the man, too, which is why he backed off wanting to be let go and adjusted his attitude during the last several months. Instead of telling reporters about how unhappy he was, he kept quiet.

“I didn’t have too much to say,” he said.

He said he was invigorated after meeting Haley and Pioli, who made it clear to Johnson that the old way wouldn’t fly, and neither would the idea that winning a handful of games is an acceptable or simply unlucky fate. Johnson liked hearing that.

“Those guys coming in,” Johnson said, “the dedication to winning and not the dedication to things that happen off the field and things like that, concerning ourselves with things that don’t concern winning.

“It was about (being comfortable), as far as where we want to go as far as the Super Bowl and making things happen to put ourselves in position to win more than just two games last year. Obviously, Todd and Pioli coming in here, their dedication to winning more than two games made me happy.”

Mizzou_8541 · 08-01-2009, 02:17 AM

Uh, ok...

Pioli Zombie · 08-01-2009, 06:22 AM

My thing is....know what I'm sayin? Yo yo yo.
Posted via Mobile Device

milkman · 08-01-2009, 06:29 AM

Bottom line.

LJ is a happy camper as long as he's getting paid, and since he now actually has to earn his pay, he's going to be a happy camper.

**BossChief** · 08-01-2009, 06:57 AM

I like LJ, but damn!

Something is dead wrong about a player that is the highest paid in franchise history having to go to the media and say he wants to be here.

word to ya mutha

sippin on gin n juice

**Skip Towne** · 08-01-2009, 07:04 AM

What made LJ special was that he was big and fast. He is no longer fast. There are a lot of big guys.

milkman · 08-01-2009, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip Towne

What made LJ special was that he was big and fast. He is no longer fast. There are a lot of big guys.

I disagree to some extent.

What made LJ special was that he punished defenders when he got into the second level.

Now, however, he's pussified and avoids the contact by either stepping out of bounds or simply going down easily.

TEX · 08-01-2009, 07:23 AM

**** L J. He showed his true colors. I can't believe he's still on the team and Gonzo isn't. I understand - but am not happy about it.

**BossChief** · 08-01-2009, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEX

**** L J. He showed his true colors. I can't believe he's still on the team and JARED ALLEN isn't. I understand - but am not happy about it.

fixed it for ya

LaChapelle · 08-01-2009, 08:26 AM

LJ doesn't need to pout. He's got plenty of Chiefs fans to do that for him.

jlscorpio · 08-01-2009, 08:33 AM

print em???

Crashride · 08-01-2009, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

I disagree to some extent.

What made LJ special was that he punished defenders when he got into the second level.

Now, however, he's pussified and avoids the contact by either stepping out of bounds or simply going down easily.

Ill add to this becasue I agree, what helped get him to the secondary to "run them over" was the O line at that time. Eliminate that line and you get an upset LJ. Instead of trying to run over a puny corner or saftey, hes trying to run over two linebackers.

sportsman1 · 08-01-2009, 09:11 AM

This is the way it should be. I am not going to gush over him b/c he is happy. Once he gets on the field, and shows that he is the old LJ I will be satisfied. I still will never gush over him like I did Priest, and Marcus. Just not my preferred style of RB.

**Bwana** · 08-01-2009, 09:25 AM

Well isn't that nice, old Lar is Happy! The reason Larry is happy is the fact he has a fat contract with the Chiefs. There is no way anyone else out there is going to pay him the kind of jack he is getting in his contract with the Chiefs now. Larry finally connected the dots and figured out that he better at least put on a happy face, so he could remain on the team and not take a giant hit in the wallet. Time will tell if the new and improved Larry is for real, but from what I have seen in the past, pardon me for having my doubts.

JuicesFlowing · 08-01-2009, 09:41 AM

I don't care if LJ is happy, I just want him HUNGRY, bull in a china shop ... It seems there is a lot of people on this board that want LJ to fail, which wouldn't help the team. What if he does have a great season this year? Why pout about it? Oh I get it, he had legal trouble. I guess I'm sick of the drama. Get over it. I'm not asking everyone to be complete homers, but at some point you have to pull for whatever is good for the team, and if it includes LJ, then fine. The past is the past. Give him a chance perhaps?

07-31-2009, 11:22 PM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $592813	Babb: Chiefs running back Johnson is once again a happy camper Chiefs running back Johnson is once again a happy camper By KENT BABB The Kansas City Star RIVER FALLS, Wis. \| Chiefs training camp has started, and that means running back Larry Johnson is optimistic and happy again. The possibilities are exciting to him, and he sees the new season as a fresh start. He says he has changed. That there is a new LJ lining up in the backfield this season. The thing is, he said a similar thing at this time last year. He declared that the 2007 season, when he missed half the Chiefs’ games because of a broken foot, was behind him. He was looking ahead, and he saw nothing but good things on the horizon. Then he had some legal problems last year, a benching and suspension, and the Chiefs ran an offense that made it clear that Johnson was an afterthought. He was angry again. He wanted to be traded or released. Then he went on the radio and said that Kansas City hasn’t felt like home in a long time. Then … “A lot of things are different,” Johnson said Thursday after the team arrived at training camp. “A lot of things are going to be a lot different this year, the way I run it, the way I go about a lot of things.” Last year, it was the Chiefs’ decision to emphasize youth that made Johnson smile. This year, Johnson said, it’s that first-year coach Todd Haley and general manager Scott Pioli seem more interested in winning than the previous group. Last year, Johnson liked that former coach Herm Edwards was willing to overlook the previous season and that LJ was becoming known more for his mood swings than impressive runs. Now, he likes that Haley and Pioli don’t seem to care about what happened in the past, as long as the future is successful. “That’s the way they’ve treated me so far,” Johnson said Thursday. “I haven’t had any problems with them.” Last year, he talked about getting back to the kind of performances that made him one of the NFL’s elite rushers. Now, he’s going further back in time. “You may see 2002 LJ,” he said, referring to the year he was a Heisman Trophy finalist at Penn State. It’s all a convincing display, and it was last year, too. So forgive Haley if he needs more evidence that the “new” LJ won’t end up looking like the same old LJ. “I don’t know if the actual talk is important,” Haley said. “That’s more important to all the fans out there, but I know myself, as a coach, I go by what I see. “That’s what I’m interested in. Not really what they’re saying, more what they’re doing.” So Haley is going to wait and see what happens when Johnson faces some adversity. When the Chiefs aren’t winning, or Johnson isn’t getting the number of carries he thinks is appropriate. It’s early, but Haley said Johnson has been a model citizen — so far. “I have not had an issue with Larry Johnson and what he’s done,” Haley said. But he isn’t ready to announce Johnson as the likely starter, a careful approach that Haley is taking with all positions. He’s reserving judgment and starting jobs until he sees something, rather than just hearing it. That’s why some of the Chiefs’ running backs spent the offseason fine-tuning their workout habits and preparing to be the starter, just in case. Jamaal Charles said he heard about the offseason drama surrounding Johnson, and the second-year rusher from Texas was ready to assume the team’s every-down load. “I thought about that a lot,” he said. “I’m ready more than I was last year. I’m ready to take that on. I want it a lot. I want to be the man.” Johnson said he wants to be the man, too, which is why he backed off wanting to be let go and adjusted his attitude during the last several months. Instead of telling reporters about how unhappy he was, he kept quiet. “I didn’t have too much to say,” he said. He said he was invigorated after meeting Haley and Pioli, who made it clear to Johnson that the old way wouldn’t fly, and neither would the idea that winning a handful of games is an acceptable or simply unlucky fate. Johnson liked hearing that. “Those guys coming in,” Johnson said, “the dedication to winning and not the dedication to things that happen off the field and things like that, concerning ourselves with things that don’t concern winning. “It was about (being comfortable), as far as where we want to go as far as the Super Bowl and making things happen to put ourselves in position to win more than just two games last year. Obviously, Todd and Pioli coming in here, their dedication to winning more than two games made me happy.”
Posts: 42,161

08-01-2009, 02:17 AM	#2
Mizzou_8541 Starter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kansas City, MO Casino cash: $2297473	Uh, ok...
Posts: 533

08-01-2009, 06:22 AM	#3
Pioli Zombie Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: olathe,kansas Casino cash: $10004900	My thing is....know what I'm sayin? Yo yo yo. Posted via Mobile Device
Posts: 11,077

08-01-2009, 06:29 AM	#4
milkman Dumbass! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Leading the Marty bashing Casino cash: $10029395	Bottom line. LJ is a happy camper as long as he's getting paid, and since he now actually has to earn his pay, he's going to be a happy camper. __________________
Posts: 70,769

08-01-2009, 06:57 AM	#5
BossChief SuperBowl or bust Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: BF Iowa Casino cash: $1574088	I like LJ, but damn! Something is dead wrong about a player that is the highest paid in franchise history having to go to the media and say he wants to be here. word to ya mutha sippin on gin n juice __________________ Dreams do come true... http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...postcount=1407
Posts: 47,174

08-01-2009, 07:04 AM	#6
Skip Towne Supporter Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: T-Town Casino cash: $10004900	What made LJ special was that he was big and fast. He is no longer fast. There are a lot of big guys.
Posts: 69,689

08-01-2009, 07:23 AM	#8
TEX Out Gunning CP's Fandom Police Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Laguna Beach, CA Casino cash: $2043127	** L J. He showed his true colors. I can't believe he's still on the team and Gonzo isn't. I understand - but am not happy about it. __________________ "The CHIEFS, HAVE THEIR DYNASTY!"**
Posts: 34,767

08-01-2009, 08:26 AM	#10
LaChapelle Banned Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $10004900	LJ doesn't need to pout. He's got plenty of Chiefs fans to do that for him.
Posts: 8,588

08-01-2009, 08:33 AM	#11
jlscorpio Veteran Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Rapid City, SD Casino cash: $10004900	print em??? __________________ For those who believe, no explanation is necessary; for those who don't believe, no explanation will do.
Posts: 1,089

08-01-2009, 09:11 AM	#13
sportsman1 Nomadical Transient in Chief Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Fort Worth, TX Casino cash: $10005215	This is the way it should be. I am not going to gush over him b/c he is happy. Once he gets on the field, and shows that he is the old LJ I will be satisfied. I still will never gush over him like I did Priest, and Marcus. Just not my preferred style of RB.
Posts: 1,456

08-01-2009, 09:25 AM	#14
Bwana It's Five O'Clock Somewhere Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Billings, Montana Casino cash: $2139233647	Well isn't that nice, old Lar is Happy! The reason Larry is happy is the fact he has a fat contract with the Chiefs. There is no way anyone else out there is going to pay him the kind of jack he is getting in his contract with the Chiefs now. Larry finally connected the dots and figured out that he better at least put on a happy face, so he could remain on the team and not take a giant hit in the wallet. Time will tell if the new and improved Larry is for real, but from what I have seen in the past, pardon me for having my doubts. __________________ Adventure is dangerous....but monotony can kill you.
Posts: 69,788

08-01-2009, 09:41 AM	#15
JuicesFlowing Losing with passion. Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oblivion Casino cash: $10004925	I don't care if LJ is happy, I just want him HUNGRY, bull in a china shop ... It seems there is a lot of people on this board that want LJ to fail, which wouldn't help the team. What if he does have a great season this year? Why pout about it? Oh I get it, he had legal trouble. I guess I'm sick of the drama. Get over it. I'm not asking everyone to be complete homers, but at some point you have to pull for whatever is good for the team, and if it includes LJ, then fine. The past is the past. Give him a chance perhaps?
Posts: 4,399