Wow! Walter Johnson was extremely FAST!! I know its a highlight reel, but I'm just stunned by his speed. He disrupted a lot of pitchout plays, and was faster than most RB's and QB's. Johnson may have been the fastest DE/LB we've ever had play a LA Tech.
BTW, I'm super excited about Jaylon Ferguson. I waited all last season to see him have a breakout game, and it just didn't happen. But Ferguson has now had two GREAT back-to-back performances against LSU & UNT. I think we're going to see him play at this higher level going forward. Ferguson is FUN TO WATCH!! Ferguson is worth the price of admission, by himself.
One play that wasn't on this highlight video was the GW play he made vs. USL. Tech led 24-17 with less than a minute to play and we were backed up at our 1 yd line, having to punt. It looked like USL was going all out for a block, but they peeled back at the snap and set up a return...dang! TD. Now 24-23 and USL goes for the win, a 2-pt conversion.
Walter Johnson was our right DE, so USL called a play that rolled their QB to the right, away from him. Didn't matter. Our secondary did a great job of coverage so their QB decided to run for it, and it was there. Our defense parted like the Red Sea to our left and he had clear lane to the EZ. Except there was a bullet train coming from behind him...the ole No. 61 Express! Johnson ran him down from behind preserving our 24-23 victory.
I have been hollering for a "speed rusher" in the image of Johnson or Eric Shaw, and by gosh! we got us one.
That's not to say we haven't had some other very good ones, like Bates, but I am talking about GREAT ones! Ferguson measures up.
I played a fair amount of basketball with Walter while he was at Tech. Walter had only one move on the basketball court, it was pump fake and drive right. Couldn't go left to save his life. But I remember guarding him and damn if he didn't get by most times even though I knew where he was going. I took my brother to one football game late in the year and as the opposing team's punt group trotted out on the field I told him Walter was going to block the punt. He was like how can you know someone is going to block a punt? But I could see that the tackle on his side was slow and sure enough Walter blocked the punt. Best first step off the ball I ever saw.
The real key will be when teams start putting 2-3 guys on him every play how the guys that are free make the opposing team pay. That is the quickest way to get 1 v. 1 back for Jaylon and I don't think anyone left on our schedule has someone that can handle him by themselves for the whole game. Hopefully he plays at that higher level for the rest of the year, and by doing so elevates the play of the rest of the line and linebackers.
If they put 2 or 3 on Jaylon that should leave at least one man open and if we blitz the QB should have no hope.