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Dunn: Johnson a professional

Running back praises new Bucs quarterback, says Shaun King didn't make enough plays.

By ROGER MILLS

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 30, 2001

Bucs running back Warrick Dunn traditionally is guarded with his words, but on a nationally syndicated radio show Thursday he described the signing of Brad Johnson as the arrival of the "professional" approach to quarterbacking the Bucs lacked at times last season.

During an hourlong interview on the Jim Rome Show, which aired locally on WDAE-AM 620, Dunn praised Johnson, took a few shots at last season's starter, Shaun King, and said Johnson's arrival should prove beneficial to receiver Keyshawn Johnson.

"(Keyshawn's) going to be a whole lot better this year with Brad because he's got a veteran (quarterback)," Dunn said. "(Now) he's got a guy who knows how to be a professional.

"From what I see offensively, what we needed the last two years was a consistent quarterback. Someone who could come in week in and week out and play good football. If Shaun could have been consistent in some games or just been on a steady pace, we would have won a lot of games. But, he wasn't, and coach (Tony) Dungy and the Bucs thought it was time to go after a quarterback."

In the 1999 season, King took the starting reins late and led the Bucs to five wins in seven games, including an appearance in the NFC Championship Game.

But in his second season, King was inconsistent. He passed for 2,769 yards, 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

In Los Angeles for the taping of an episode of Arli$$, Dunn said he wasn't sure if King's poor conditioning caused his inconsistency.

"I can't say yes or no," said Dunn, who rushed for a career-high 1,133 yards last season. "He's a young quarterback, so he doesn't really know what to do and how to do things.

"He should have made some plays. As a quarterback, you have to make plays to help save a team. It can't always be the running backs, receivers and linemen. It can't be the defense. We lived off the defense for years. Now we have a quarterback that's capable of doing it week in and week out. ... That is what we need."

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