Bucs mouthin' off: Keyshawn Johnson

After last season's high expectations fell considerably short, you would think being the Super Bowl favorite would gag two of the league's loudest and most outspoken players. Think again. Warren Sapp and Keyshawn Johnson already have started their yapping ... and don't expect them to stop any time soon.

By RICK STROUD

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 22, 2001

TAMPA -- Turns out, you ain't heard nothing yet.

This season, you will finally learn how high the volume knob will go on Keyshawn Johnson.

And there will be no tuning him out.

"I will not allow what happened in 2000 to happen in 2001," Johnson promised. "I've got to be the guy I was before I got to Tampa.

"I'm going to have a lot of fun this year. This is my sixth year and I want to win a Super Bowl. I'm not worried about being a f--ing disruption. Nice guys get you sent home. Get me some thugs. Get me some guys who are hungry and want to play."

Oh, the Bucs receiver took the mouthpiece out a few times last season. Johnson had three news conferences just in the week leading up to his grudge game against his former team, the Jets (comparing himself to a star and ex-teammate Wayne Chrebet to a flashlight). At the dinner table of Shaun King, he chewed the ear off the Bucs quarterback before the Vikings game, when he had a season-high six catches for 121 yards and one touchdown.

He even resorted to sign language, flipping off a CNN/SI camera crew one day at practice.

But when the topic turned to offensive coordinator Les Steckel, Johnson was a ventriloquist, allowing defensive tackle Warren Sapp to speak for him.

This season, be warned. The mute button is broken. The bite marks on his tongue have healed. That's because Johnson will have a lot to say about how far the Bucs can go this season.

"I'm not playing games with any offensive coordinators or any offenses in 2001," Johnson said. "Put me in position to fail. Let me be the one to drop the balls or run the wrong routes and allow me to screw it up. If I screw it up, let me screw it up. But don't screw it up and blame the next person.

"That's the problem in sports. There's too many gurus. Being a guru gets you fired."

There are two reasons why Johnson believes he can't be silenced on or off the field this season: quarterback Brad Johnson and offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen.

"I wasn't here, but I don't think they believed Trent Dilfer was a guy they could take any chances with. At times, they felt that way about Shaun because of his inexperience," Johnson said. "I don't think they feel that way about Brad Johnson."

Keyshawn is even more relieved by the hiring of Christensen, the Bucs affable quarterback coach who replaces Steckel, who was fired after one season.

"I wanted to grab Les Steckel by his throat after the Philadelphia (playoff) game," Johnson said. "But God and faith told me it would be handled some other way. I didn't say, "fire him.' I didn't have to. Like Warren Sapp said, it was as elementary as his game plans."

Despite catching two passes or less in four games last season, Johnson came close to posting his career receiving averages. He led the team with 71 catches for 874 yards and eight touchdowns.

But seven touchdowns came in five games, leading Johnson to ask, "What the hell happened in the other 11?"

This season, Johnson said he won't sit back and watch the Bucs run a draw play on third and goal from the 6-yard line, the way Steckel did in the playoff loss at Philadelphia.

"I wouldn't let it get to third and 6. I'd expect them to put it in my hands the first two downs," Johnson said. "It should be slant, fade or skinny post. It should be something to score a touchdown. We shouldn't be standing around to play for three points.

"I won't sit back and watch us not take any shots in the end zone. Those new guys understand that. With the new changes with the offensive coordinator and quarterback, I've gotten re-energized."

Johnson believes that Christensen will make him a focal point of the offense, the way he was in the critical 41-13 win over the Vikings to snap a four-game losing streak.

In that game, Johnson and King attacked the Vikings weakest link, cornerback Robert Tate, who had squawked about the fumble he had forced against Johnson earlier in the season.

"This guy thought he was something after the Monday night game," Johnson said. "I told Shaun we needed to expose him. We needed to pull his drawers down and expose him to the world. Make (coach) Dennis Green get him off the field."

According to Johnson, all he needs is to touch the ball a handful of times per game to be effective.

"When you help me help you, I can do something," Johnson said. "I'm not the greatest receiver in the world, nor have I claimed to be. I can only do so much. Just let me touch it five times in a game. Let me touch it five times in a game for 16 games and those five touches are going to be productive. Not five ball thrown at me, but five touches. Put it in my hands five times. I can't do anything with one touch.

"Last year, I tried to go along with the flow," Johnson said. "They thought they already had a team that was capable of going to the Super Bowl. They said they didn't need anyone changing the chemistry. Rather than voice my opinion, I waited to see if what they did worked for me personally. It didn't work for me."

But Johnson is talking loud, sounding proud again.

"If I'm you, I'm going to pick me. Double digit touchdowns. I'd put your house on it."

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