Bucs

In Brad Bucs fans trust

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By GARY SHELTON, Times Sports Columnist

© St. Petersburg Times
published January 14, 2003

BRADVILLE -- Finally, this is his town.

Finally, these are his people.

Brad Johnson has won them over, all the non-believers, all the stubborn skeptics who wanted a bit more flash, a bit more flair from their quarterback. Somewhere between the blood on his forehead and the ache in his back, somewhere between the sight of this team without him and the vision of him running back onto the field, the distance has been removed.

Finally, at a time it most needs someone to believe in, Tampa Bay seems ready to believe in Brad.

That's what this week is about, right? About faith? About finding a reason to believe this Bucs-Eagles game, unlike all those before it, will be different.

After all this time of dissecting his shortcomings, it turns out this is Johnson's biggest skill. He steps into a huddle, and he allows his teammates to believe. Watch him closely, and maybe he will do the same for you.

For so long, Tampa Bay held Johnson at arm's length. He was not the hometown hero, and he was not the new face. He did not run like Vick, and he did not throw like Favre. He was safe. He was cautious. He was (shudder) dependable. He did not sizzle.

[Times photo: James Borchuck] Quarterback Brad Johnson won over the fans by leading the Bucs past the 49ers and into the NFC Championship Game.

There are quarterbacks who make you fall in love at first sight, and there are quarterbacks who take time to grow on you. Johnson has been an acquired taste around here. It has taken us time to recognize his fire, his toughness, his precision.

Over the past few weeks, we've figured it out. Against the 49ers, we decided for sure.

Yep, this guy can play a little bit.

"I think he's won this town," safety John Lynch said. "He's a winner, and I think the people of this town are finally starting to realize that. He has a way of making this team believe."

All you need to say about Johnson, and about what he means to this team, can be summed up on two emotions. How did you feel Sunday when you saw him lying on the turf of Raymond James? And how did you feel a few moments later when he came charging back onto the field?

"It was a Willis Reed moment," coach Jon Gruden said. "It juiced the crowd up. It juiced our team up. It juiced me up."

The truth of it is that it seemed to take some time for Gruden to fully appreciate Johnson. Gruden had been used to a more mobile quarterback, and coming into the job he, too, seemed to notice the limited physical skills of Johnson.

"He's not the flashiest guy in the league," Gruden said. "He's not the fastest guy, and he doesn't have the best arm. During the course of a game, he'll make seven or eight plays that the rest of us consider ugly to watch.

"But when it's over, he will have made six or seven plays that allow you to win. Great quarterback plays, plays that might not necessarily end up on SportsCenter or on the front page, but plays you need to win."

Wide receiver Keenan McCardell puts it this way: "Everyone wants one of those guys they see in the highlights on ESPN. Brad's never on ESPN. But Brad's still playing, and those other guys are at home.

"Playing quarterback is about more than highlight plays. It's about making the correct decision, throwing to the right guy at the right time. It's about throwing the ball away sometimes to avoid a sack. It's about squeezing the air out of the ball to give a receiver a little more time to get open. All Brad does is win."

More and more, Tampa Bay has caught on. Consider the Bucs' past 10 games. With Johnson, they're averaging more than 27 points. Without him? Barely more than 11. Asked the difference between the Bucs with Brad and without him, defensive tackle Warren Sapp put it this way: "It's like the difference between the Bucs and the Bengals."

So how does Johnson offset those gifts he does not possess? With guile. With accuracy. With competitiveness. With comprehension. Most of all, with toughness. You can't crush him, and you can't kill him.

A conversation with Johnson these days starts this way:

So, Brad, how's the forehead?

"Fine. Six stitches, but it's fine."

And how's the back?

"Fine."

And how are the ribs?

"Fine."

And the thumb?

"Oh, that was wrong. There was never anything wrong with the thumb."

Get the picture? Johnson is the reason Bucs trainers earn so much overtime. He's a 6-4 mass of contusions and lacerations. If there were truth in advertising, his picture in the media guide would be an X-ray.

For instance, he may have to practice without his helmet Wednesday because of swelling around his stitches. But he'll play. Heck, you get the feeling he'd play Sunday if doctors said he couldn't wear a helmet then, either.

The way Johnson looks at it, the games are too precious to let pass. He didn't play much at Florida State, and the beginning of his professional career hinted he would be a backup for a long time.

"I survived," he said, summing up his career. "Now, I'm ready to thrive."

If you're wondering, yes, Johnson noticed the cheers on Sunday. Oh, he'll tell you he doesn't play for the cheers, but everyone wants to be loved, don't they? Everyone wants to be appreciated.

"I'd like to be known as a guy who makes plays," he said. "I think this team believes that. I think the fans are just catching on to that.

"I think they know my name now."

Know his name? These days, they know more than that. They know his worth.

They are his now. They have seen him rise from the turf enough times to applaud him now. He is their quarterback.

If he can win Sunday, who knows?

Maybe he can be their mayor.

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