Browns RB Johnson aiming to become unstoppable like his favorite superhero

BEREA, Ohio The Flash had always been Duke Johnson’s superhero of choice until he latched onto the Incredible Hulk late in high school.

Now Johnson, a rookie running back drafted in the third round, has his locker at Browns headquarters decorated with a large Hulk action figure. He also has used the character as his Twitter avatar in the past.

So why does the Hulk appeal to Johnson?

“The way he can do things and not be stopped regardless of who’s in front of him,” said Johnson, adding the muscle-bound green giant serves as “a reminder to myself of what I can be.”

The Browns would love Johnson to perform like a superhuman Sunday when they visit the New York Jets for the regular-season opener.

Johnson returned to practice Wednesday for the first time in nearly two weeks after being medically cleared from a concussion Tuesday. He was listed as a limited participant in practice on the injury report.

Not only does Johnson expect to face the Jets, he doesn’t expect to miss a beat.

“Rust? I’m 21,” Johnson said. “I don’t think I have rust yet. I’m too young for that.”

The 5-9, 210-pound Johnson suffered a concussion in the third preseason game Aug. 29 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He left the action after absorbing a vicious hit from cornerback Mike Jenkins while trying to catch a pass with 13:36 left in the second quarter.

Johnson said he had never suffered a concussion before.

“I think everyone was worried in my family as a whole,” he said. “But once I talked to them and calmed them down, it was fine after that.”

Johnson made his preseason debut against the Buccaneers because he missed most of training camp and the first two exhibition games with a left hamstring injury.

Still, Johnson has faith he can thrive in the prominent role the Browns have planned for him. They hope to use him as a runner, a receiver out of the backfield who moonlights at wideout and a kickoff returner.

Johnson said there’s “no such thing” as the Browns expecting too much from him during his first NFL season.

He doesn’t think he needs time to catch up because of the injuries he suffered this summer.

“I think I can step right in,” Johnson said. “I’ve prepared myself. My teammates and coach also prepared me, even though I was not there. I was able to prepare for the game mentally and take some reps after practice and get in more conditioning.”

Browns coach Mike Pettine, though, sounded as if the team might scale back on its plans for Johnson in Week 1 because he missed so much time.

“I think if he had gone out there and taken every rep, we’d be a lot more confident about putting him out there for extended snaps,” Pettine said. “But I can’t lie and say that doesn’t factor into it some. But if he’s cleared to go and puts a solid couple of days together here, there’s no reason to think that he’s not going to play a significant role in the game.”

Johnson and projected starter Isaiah Crowell are the only running backs on the active roster.

“We have the potential to be a major 1-2 punch,” Johnson said.

Jets coach Todd Bowles agreed.

“I like Crowell. He really comes downhill,” Bowles said. “I liked Duke coming out of college. He can do a little bit of everything. He can run the ball. He can catch the ball. He can block. They’re both tough players.”

But after trading running back Terrance West, a third-round pick in last year’s draft, this past weekend to the Tennessee Titans, the Browns will likely add another back to the active roster before Sunday.

“If we make transactions later in the week, that’s potentially one to get a third back here or up 1/8to the 53-man roster3/8,” Pettine said.

Former Denver Broncos running back Montee Ball is among the free-agent options. The Browns also have an in-house candidate who’s a strong possibility. They could promote veteran running back Shaun Draughn from the practice squad to the active roster.

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