Johnson Working for Grand Finish

It really seems like a dream life, something Hollywood cooked up, a corny story from simpler times.

A youngster grows into a golden-armed leader of a storied college football team. On the field, he is often brilliant, always poised and polished, befitting a coach’s son. Off the field, he is bright, engaging, quick to smile and takes compliments with an aw-shucks style.

On each stage, there is great accomplishment and perhaps even greater promise to fulfill in the days to come.

This, hugely simplified, is Rob Johnson’s life to date.

He once said, “Have you ever seen the movie ‘The Natural?’ I want to be just like Roy Hobbs . . . I always wanted to be the best at something. . . . I don’t want to be mediocre.”

But there is more to be explored in unearthing The Real Rob Johnson story.

Johnson has never beaten Notre Dame, UCLA or even Fresno State. In his senior season as USC’s quarterback, he says there are mistakes to be corrected, wrongs to be righted.

Past failures offer motivation in a season in which there would appear to be little left to prove.

After all, Johnson’s name is frequently mentioned as a Heisman Trophy candidate. Washington Coach Jim Lambright believes Johnson is clearly the best quarterback in the Pacific 10 Conference. NFL draftniks say Johnson could be a first-round pick.

He already holds nine USC passing records and needs 2,253 yards to pass Rodney Peete to become the school’s all-time passing leader. It could be easy. Johnson passed for a school-record 3,630 yards last year.

Recently, he sat in a room crowded with reporters, patiently fielding questions about the Heisman, the draft and school records. But his mind wandered to South Bend, Ind., and a crisp fall afternoon, to the Coliseum and a sunny Southern California day, to Anaheim Stadium and utter humiliation amid a pelting rain.

It’s not hard to imagine a sour taste building in his mouth, a burning sensation in the pit of his stomach. USC is only 14-13-1 with Johnson at quarterback. He is 0-2 against UCLA, 0-2 against Notre Dame and 0-1 against Fresno State.

This is Johnson’s final season to reverse fortunes at USC, to prove he’s more than just a good passer.

He wasn’t raised to fail. His father, Bob Johnson, had seen to it that his sons, Bret and Rob, were winners. Losing was for other guys.

Bob Johnson built a highly successful high school program at El Toro, coaching the Chargers to consecutive Southern Section championships in 1986-87. Eldest son Bret quarterbacked the title teams, then moved smartly to UCLA after graduation.

Rob was expected to follow in Bret’s footsteps. He did, but with a twist. Rob played wide receiver as a junior in 1989, catching passes from Steve Stenstrom, a future Stanford quarterback. El Toro lost to Paramount in the championship game that season.

As a senior, his first playing quarterback, Rob showed a raw talent his older brother never did. But even with all that ability, El Toro couldn’t win a section or league title. Capistrano Valley, a rival in the competitive South Coast League, defeated Paramount for the section championship. Mission Viejo won the league title.

With Bret on the outs with the UCLA coaching staff over alleged broken promises concerning playing time, Rob settled on USC.

After one season, he was a starter and a rising star, a powerful offensive force on a team that desperately needed one. By last season, it seemed he had become one of the nation’s best.

And now?

The Heisman-hyping machinery is hard at work at USC. Johnson is pictured on the cover of the media guide. Inside, Johnson’s stats are compared to 1993 Heisman winner Charlie Ward. (Johnson: 3,630 yards, 29 touchdowns. Ward: 3,318 yards, 27 touchdowns). His picture is on posters and schedules.

Is there anyone better?

Stenstrom, Notre Dame’s Ron Powlus, North Carolina’s Jason Stanicek and Georgia’s Eric Zeier are among the other top names.

Can Johnson win the Heisman?

Michigan running back Tyrone Wheatley is considered the odds-on favorite with UCLA receiver J.J. Stokes not far behind.

Will Johnson be a first-round pick?

“Rob is very good in (USC’s) system,” Pro Football Weekly draft analyst Joel Buchsbaum said. “He throws the short ball well and has good timing and makes super decisions under pressure. But he doesn’t have a great arm and he’s not a very good runner.

“Don’t get me wrong, he’ll go much higher in the draft than Stenstrom. He has more size than Stenstrom, and the question comes down to whether (Johnson) has the arm strength.”

The Heisman. It still boggles the mind around Bob and Debbie Johnson’s home.

“It’s funny,” Bob Johnson said. “We talk about it every once and a while. Jeez, it’s only been about a month or so and already he’s been on the cover of three or four national magazines. But we haven’t spent too much time dwelling on it. We feel very lucky to have had two boys like we’ve had--healthy and all. To have one excel and to be recognized like that is a great honor.”

Rob Johnson practically cringed when the Heisman was mentioned at the Pac-10’s annual media day. The only subject that seemed to make him more uncomfortable was the draft, and why he didn’t opt for it after his junior season.

In the end, there were three very good reasons Johnson decided to return to USC. First, the Trojans’ lost to UCLA and missed a chance at the Rose Bowl. Second, Fresno State quarterback Trent Dilfer. Third, Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler.

Johnson wants another crack at UCLA, and Notre Dame, too. Sadly, Fresno State isn’t on the Trojans’ 1994 schedule. Dilfer and Shuler were projected first-round picks, and Johnson didn’t figure three quarterbacks would be selected in the opening round. He would wait.

When someone mentioned Notre Dame and the Trojans’ 11-game losing streak to the Fighting Irish and later the three-game losing streak to UCLA, Johnson began to boil.

“It’s getting old,” he said of the Notre Dame streak. “It didn’t worry me before because I hadn’t lost to them. I’d like to put an end to it.”

From a national standpoint, it’s an on-going embarrassment, he said. “I think beating Notre Dame is bigger.”

From a local standpoint, it’s also time to end the losing streak to UCLA, he said.

Last season, Johnson had USC two yards away from a victory against UCLA. Down, 17-0, at halftime, Johnson rallied the Trojans to , 27-21. On third and goal, Johnson looked for tight end Tyler Cashman in the end zone. The pass never got there, plucked away by Bruin safety Marvin Goodwin.

“I just didn’t see the guy,” Johnson said. “It was difficult because I felt like I let down a lot of people. We’re on the two-yard line and we’re taking it to the Rose Bowl. You just have to get over (losing). It was tough, but after I watched the play on film I realized there wasn’t much I could have done differently.”

Certainly, the loss to UCLA had a different feeling from USC’s 24-7 defeat to Fresno State in the 1992 Freedom Bowl. At least the Trojans had gone out kicking and screaming against UCLA. Against Fresno, it seemed they just wanted out.

This is not to say it was all Johnson’s fault, although he seemed to disappear in the second half against a Fresno defense that was ranked one of the nation’s worst that year.

Days later, Coach Larry Smith was canned and John Robinson was quickly hired to inject order into the chaos that enveloped the once-proud program. Mission accomplished.

“He brought back the tradition,” Johnson said. “It’s a big deal. His arrogance, his way, his presence. It’s just a different attitude.”

In its second Freedom Bowl appearance, USC defeated Utah, 28-21.

The future--Johnson’s senior season begins against Washington on Saturday at the Coliseum--looks better.

In preparation for a difficult year, what with all those defenders trying to knock a Heisman candidate’s block off, Johnson whipped himself into the best shape of his life. He ran endlessly this summer and bulked up with weight lifting, hoping to avoid injury and fatigue.

By August, he was up to 230 pounds, hoping to spend the season at 222 rather than 218 as in the past.

“Weight helps you stay healthy,” Johnson said. “I tried to work on my quickness, so I can drop back (to pass) quicker. Each year throwing the ball seems more and more comfortable.”

It’s hard to fathom, but Johnson has played quarterback only four seasons heading into this one. If there are limits to his game, maybe they can be overcome with experience. The problem is that he’s running out of time.

“He has a lot of things to prove, to teammates,” Bob Johnson said. “There are goals he wants to reach, especially team-wise. The kids form a nice bond and he feels a real part of that. College only comes around once. Even though he’s projected to be the first quarterback taken by the pros, who knows if that will take place?”

So Rob Johnson is determined to seize the moment, make his mark while he can and perhaps avenge past defeats.

Rob Johnson

USC

Hgt.: 6-4; Wgt.: 220; Year: Sr.

College career statistics: 490 of 770 (63.6%) for 5,973 yards with 43 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in 28 games.

Honors: Hyped as a Heisman Trophy candidate. He was first-team All-Pacific 10 as a junior and made Pac-10 All-Academic teams as sophomore and junior.

USC’s record with Johnson at quarterback: 14-13-1

High-school highlights: As a senior at El Toro, he was named All-American by Super Prep magazine, Southern Section Division II co-MVP and Times’ Orange County Back of the year.

College records: Set Pac-10 record for lowest percentage of passes intercepted (1.23%) last season. Holds single-season school records for passing yardage (3,630), touchdowns (29), most completions (308), most attempts (449), highest completion percentage (68.6%). Also holds school record for passing yards in a game (392).

Miscellaneous: This summer, he briefly worked on a construction crew that repaired earthquake damage to the Coliseum. . . . Communications major with a 2.89 grade-point average. . . . Brother Bret played quarterback at UCLA, Michigan State and in the CFL. . . . Played only one season at quarterback in high school, catching passes from Steve Stenstrom, now at Stanford, as a junior.

The Series

Sunday: Three quarterbacks who played high school football in Orange County will be starters in the Pac-10 this season; two more will be key backups. A look at the area’s quarterback-rich tradition.

Monday: Steve Stenstrom, El Toro and Stanford.

Today: Rob Johnson, El Toro and USC.

Wednesday: Danny O’Neil, Mater Dei and Oregon.

Thursday: Tim Carey, Los Alamitos and Stanford; and Pat Barnes, Trabuco Hills and Cal.