Running back Montrell Johnson Jr. is set to make his Gators debut on Saturday night against Utah. (Photo: UAA Communications)
Gators Q&A: Running Back Montrell Johnson Jr.
Thursday, September 1, 2022 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The newness around the Gators this season starts at the top with head coach Billy Napier.
Napier has spent the last nine months adjusting to his new team and the Gators to their new coach. The get-to-know-you transition was not as difficult for running back Montrell Johnson Jr. as most of his teammates.
Johnson is one of three players on the roster who played for Napier at Louisiana, joining offensive linemen O'Cyrus Torrence and Kamryn Waites as former Ragin' Cajuns.
A sophomore from De La Salle High School in New Orleans, Johnson and Napier got to know each other quickly at Louisiana. Johnson led the Ragin' Cajuns with 12 rushing touchdowns as a true freshman, including a 99-yard score against Arkansas State, making him only the 13th player in NCAA history to race that distance for a touchdown.
Johnson is part of a backfield mix that includes Nay'Quan Wright, Lorenzo Lingard and true freshman Trevor Etienne with the Gators. He shouldn't have to wait long for his first attempt on Saturday night when the Gators host No. 7 Utah in the season opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
For more on Johnson, here is a Q&A with No. 2 on the roster:
MONTRELL JOHNSON JR. Q&A
Q: Hotter in Florida or Louisiana?
A: I got Louisiana heat. It's a little more humid there. It's kind of the same way here, but it's a little better in Louisiana.
Q: What is Billy's philosophy on running the football?
A: Billy's going to run the football. He likes to run the football and do play-action as well. He will run the football a lot, and then do some play-action. I'm so bad at this! That's all I got.
Q: Can you expand on that and the philosophy of being physical to other teams?
Q: What do you think about Anthony Richardson's running ability?
A: He's a freak. Since I got here he took me in with open arms. We talk about a lot of stuff in the playbook, trying to get on the same page. He's a great guy.
Q: Most think of you as a between-the-tackles runner. Are you going to surprise people when you go outside?
A: I think I can do it all. I think I can run outside, make moves, be a bruiser at times. I think I'll surprise a lot of folks.
Q: What was the sales pitch to get you to come to Florida?
A: It wasn't really a sales pitch. It was like, 'you know how we run a program. You know what we do here, how we like to run the ball. If you want to come, come. If you don't, don't.'
Q: What is core of Coach Napier's culture?
A: Coach Napier has set the same values that he wants us to follow, like being disciplined, coming together and being tough and believing in what they've got going on here. We're slowly starting do that and get better as a team.
Q: Did offer to join him at Florida serve as validation for you?
A: I wouldn't say it validated me because I still got some doubters out there, so I still say I have something to prove. It gave me a point of like, 'I can do this thing. I can play on this level, I can compete against the high-level guys.'
Napier has spent the last nine months adjusting to his new team and the Gators to their new coach. The get-to-know-you transition was not as difficult for running back Montrell Johnson Jr. as most of his teammates.
Johnson is one of three players on the roster who played for Napier at Louisiana, joining offensive linemen O'Cyrus Torrence and Kamryn Waites as former Ragin' Cajuns.
A sophomore from De La Salle High School in New Orleans, Johnson and Napier got to know each other quickly at Louisiana. Johnson led the Ragin' Cajuns with 12 rushing touchdowns as a true freshman, including a 99-yard score against Arkansas State, making him only the 13th player in NCAA history to race that distance for a touchdown.
Johnson is part of a backfield mix that includes Nay'Quan Wright, Lorenzo Lingard and true freshman Trevor Etienne with the Gators. He shouldn't have to wait long for his first attempt on Saturday night when the Gators host No. 7 Utah in the season opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
For more on Johnson, here is a Q&A with No. 2 on the roster:
MONTRELL JOHNSON JR. Q&A
Q: Hotter in Florida or Louisiana?
A: I got Louisiana heat. It's a little more humid there. It's kind of the same way here, but it's a little better in Louisiana.
Q: What is Billy's philosophy on running the football?
A: Billy's going to run the football. He likes to run the football and do play-action as well. He will run the football a lot, and then do some play-action. I'm so bad at this! That's all I got.
Q: Can you expand on that and the philosophy of being physical to other teams?
A: Running the ball is our philosophy, so say that's not working, we're going to air it out and explore our options and stuff like that. Running the ball, we're going to do it regardless of whether the opponent likes it or not.
☎️ Crib Call!#cULture | #GeauxCajuns pic.twitter.com/zeB89enUdx
— Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns® Football (@RaginCajunsFB) October 22, 2021
Q: What do you think about Anthony Richardson's running ability?
A: He's a freak. Since I got here he took me in with open arms. We talk about a lot of stuff in the playbook, trying to get on the same page. He's a great guy.
Q: Most think of you as a between-the-tackles runner. Are you going to surprise people when you go outside?
A: I think I can do it all. I think I can run outside, make moves, be a bruiser at times. I think I'll surprise a lot of folks.
Q: What was the sales pitch to get you to come to Florida?
A: It wasn't really a sales pitch. It was like, 'you know how we run a program. You know what we do here, how we like to run the ball. If you want to come, come. If you don't, don't.'
Q: What is core of Coach Napier's culture?
A: Coach Napier has set the same values that he wants us to follow, like being disciplined, coming together and being tough and believing in what they've got going on here. We're slowly starting do that and get better as a team.
Q: Did offer to join him at Florida serve as validation for you?
A: I wouldn't say it validated me because I still got some doubters out there, so I still say I have something to prove. It gave me a point of like, 'I can do this thing. I can play on this level, I can compete against the high-level guys.'
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