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With an injured shoulder, Keyshawn Johnson leads on the winning play.
By SHARON GINN
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 8, 2001
TAMPA -- Minutes before he could make the block that helped Mike Alstott get to the end zone for the winning touchdown Sunday, Keyshawn Johnson made another one just as big against an even more elusive opponent: pain.
Johnson's right shoulder was ground into the turf midway through the fourth quarter, and it hurt so badly he fell to his knees as he tried to leave the field.
Soon, though, it was just numb, and that was good enough for Johnson, who went back into the game two plays later. Four plays after that, he was helping escort Alstott into the end zone, throwing two blocks on the 39-yard run that gave the Bucs a 14-10 lead.
First he pushed away Green Bay safety LeRoy Butler, then he sped up to catch cornerback Mike McKenzie -- the legs, evidently, felt fine -- knocking him over so Alstott could scoot in for the score.
"Once I realized that Mike was ready to break out, I stayed with my guy, pushed him to the ground, and helped get the other guy," Johnson said. "Blocking is nothing but hustle. If you hustle to get your guy, you should be able to make the key block."
Johnson had learned that lesson before Sunday, but admits he didn't follow it during last week's loss to Minnesota, when Warrick Dunn was tackled short of the goal line just before halftime.
"Last week on Warrick's play, everyone complained about things we do in the red zone," Johnson said. "There were costly mistakes by the wide receivers last week. I promised myself and the coaching staff that I would not let that happen again, where you have an opportunity to score and you do half-a-- blocking. I just wanted to make sure that I held my part of the bargain."
For most of the game, there wasn't a lot else for Johnson to do. He led the Bucs with nine catches for 82 yards, but 53 of those came on three catches late in the game. The Packers were keeping all the Bucs from going too deep.
"The first play we tried to go deep to Jacquez (Green)," Johnson said. "They had him covered. They had me covered, they had Jacq covered, there was nothing that (quarterback) Brad (Johnson) could do."
Johnson's longest reception, a 22-yarder, came in the team record-setting 95-yard fourth quarter touchdown drive. The play kick-started the drive, getting the Bucs from their own 6 to the 28. It also was the play on which he was injured.
Then he helped close the drive out.
"Quezzie and (Johnson) made some great downfield blocks," Alstott said. "People think we don't notice that, but credit goes to them. They make it easier for us."
Meanwhile, Johnson's injury -- officially a shoulder contusion -- still bothered him after the game.
"I hurts," Johnson said. "It's going to hurt for a couple of days at least."
But he was smiling, making it clear the victory was a suitable anesthetic.