CB Bruce Johnson had a very good afternoon. He did a good job of staying on top of Bodiford on a deep ball from Bomar. Bodiford has been on the short end of a lot of deep balls all camp long. Not sure if that means he's not fast enough or has just been on the wrong end of the draw on plenty of overthrown passes. He later had a ball go through his hands.

Johnson later defended a deep in and went over Bodiford's back (no penalty) to knock away a hook.

(nj.com)

Signings among undrafted Canes: Antonio Dixon (Redskins), Bruce Johnson (Giants), Dwayne Hendricks (Giants). Tryouts this weekend: Chris Rutledge (Dolphins), Chris Zellner (Bucs), Anthony Reddick (Bears), Kayne Farquharson (Saints).


(miamiherald.com)

Don't expect Bruce Johnson to feel guilty because he won't perpetuate what has come to be known among NFL Draft junkies as ''the streak'' -- 14 consecutive years of at least one University of Miami football player selected in the first round.

That burden cannot rest on one player, Johnson explained, especially when that player is the only Hurricane likely to be drafted this weekend.

''I can't help that we don't have any first-rounders,'' said Johnson, 22, who is the same age as his jersey number. He protested softly, and earnestly. ``What do people want me to do? Not play football? I don't understand why everyone wants to talk about it.

``I know it's a streak people take pride in, but after a while, I get tired of hearing about it, to be honest. As much as you talk about it and cry and complain, it's not going to change. I'm doing my best. I know this program will come back.''

Johnson, a 5-9 ? 178-pound cornerback projected to be drafted anywhere from the fourth to seventh rounds -- and in a scenario he doesn't even contemplate, perhaps not at all -- is Miami's only hope to preserve an astounding tradition of NFL-worthy talent.

The last time the Hurricanes did not have a player taken in the draft was 1974, and before that, 1960.

Last year, safety Kenny Phillips saved the first-round streak by being taken 31st overall by the New York Giants. In 2007, safety Brandon Meriweather, linebacker Jon Beason and tight end Greg Olsen kept it going.

In 2006, Kelly Jennings, another cornerback and Johnson's uncle (the two played together when Johnson was a freshman) maintained it as the No. 31 pick by Seattle.

''I do remember the calls I got about how I saved the streak,'' Jennings said. ``But to be drafted in any round is a huge honor. I think Bruce is a great talent. He might not have had the year he wanted, but any team that gets him will be fortunate. He has great passion and a positive attitude that set him apart.

'Some guys say, `Woe is me.' Bruce pushes through adversity and overcomes it.''

Johnson has had a career marked by highlight reels and forgettable moments. At times, he was brilliant. At times, he struggled.

Johnson started 11 of 13 games last season, eight his junior year and a handful his first two years combined. In 2008, as part of Miami's seventh-ranked pass defense (by far the best UM team statistic), Johnson was the second-leading tackler among defensive backs with 29. He got his second career interception against Florida State and recovered a fumble toward the end of regulation at Virginia, where Miami won in overtime.

As a junior, he had a team-leading six pass breakups.

SMALL PACKAGE
He is small and known for his speed and catch-up acceleration, despite a slow time of 4.49 seconds at the combine in February in Indianapolis. He weighed 168 that day after a stomach ailment and said he couldn't keep anything down. He has since gained 11 pounds. Less than a week after Indianapolis, Johnson increased his speed to 4.40 at UM's pro timing day.

''He ran well, but not phenomenally,'' ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. ``He had a decent career, not a great career. But when you look at this kid, he has some skills. He could be a nickel-, dime-type of back in the league. He could be a fourth- or fifth-round pick, sixth-round pick, that could make a team.

''But, unfortunately, the streak comes to an end,'' Kiper added. ``And it shouldn't be surprising, considering the way Miami has played. Usually, your talent reflects your won-loss record. Miami is a slip downward, and now they're trying to bring it back up with the young players that [coach] Randy [Shannon] is recruiting.''

NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock described the Hurricanes as being ``off the map right now. I fully expect them to come back and be a lot more productive. Things are cyclical. USC is the place now that Miami used to be as far as star power on Pro Day.''

Mayock projects Johnson to be drafted ``mid to late on the second day. He's not real big, obviously. I think bottom line is that he's going to go late, if he goes at all.''

The size factor, or more accurately, lack of size, is something Johnson has heard for years. Jennings played at 175 pounds this season for the Seahawks, and was smaller than Johnson as a Hurricane.

''I laugh about that because it's the same thing I heard about myself,'' Jennings said. ``We're all men in the NFL. Regardless of size, if you use what God has blessed you with, you overcome.''

Last week, former UM first-rounders Santana Moss and Willis McGahee worked out near Johnson in the UM weight room. Both scoffed at the streak mania, and insisted it's not where you are picked, it's how you produce.

''I don't think it's disappointing,'' said Moss, who was drafted 16th overall by the Jets in 2001 and now plays for the Redskins. ``Everything comes to an end sooner or later, but the one thing this school can hold on to is that everyone we put in the NFL will be at least worthy of, or even better, than the round in which they were drafted.''
As a UM senior, Moss' height and weight were almost identical to Johnson's.

''Doing well has nothing to do with size,'' Moss said. ``Speed is everything in this game. I'd hate to be on the end of the stick Bruce is on because they always try to find something to bring you down. I went through the same thing. All you can do is show them. It ain't about how big or small you are, it's about putting up numbers and performing.''
McGahee, a Baltimore Ravens running back drafted 23rd overall by Buffalo in 2003, said ''all that matters'' is that Johnson gets drafted. ''He'll be successful,'' said McGahee, who nonetheless made it a point to show Johnson the tattoo on his bulging biceps that reads ``BOSS.''

''Bruce is a little cocky,'' an approving McGahee said. ``Kelly was all quiet, no talk. Bruce goes out there and puts down swagger on the field. You have to have confidence to be successful.''

Johnson -- gregarious, enthusiastic and polite to a fault -- is as candid and likable a Hurricane as you will find. He treats others with respect and answers questions thoughtfully, usually with a big smile.

SOME TOUGH TIMES
Early in his career, he was suspended for being late to study hall and a team meeting. He also was suspended for taking part in the brawl against Florida International in 2006. But he seems to have grown up dramatically the past couple years, and is on pace to graduate next month in sports administration.

''Yes, ma'am, I've matured,'' Johnson said. ``I started off with a little rocky start. Now I don't let little things escalate into big problems. I need that degree to fall back on, especially with the state the economy is in. I want to start what I finish, and I'll be very proud to get my degree.''

Johnson's mother, Cassandra Gerberich, is Jenning's older sister. Johnson moved in with his grandmother -- Jenning's mother, Ruby -- so he could attend Live Oak Suwannee High School. Suwannee is 23 miles from Johnson's hometown of Lake City, a place ''in the country,'' he said, ``with dirt roads, raccoons, possums, snakes and lots of open space.''

STARTING YOUNG
Johnson started playing flag football when he was 5, and he spent almost every night with a football tucked next to him while he slept.

''He would lie on his back and toss the football up in the air, even when he was watching television,'' said Gerberich, 43, a dental assistant. ``That was his baby.

'Kelly was the painfully quiet, humble one. Bruce was the free spirit, go-getter, showboater. They called him `the human highlight' in high school because he could make something out of nothing on kick returns. Kelly sits back and lets his work speak for itself. But they have the same heart, same motives and same morals. And they both have enough manners for 10 people.''

Johnson will spend draft weekend with a few close relatives at his uncle's home in Orlando, the place where Jennings heard his name called.

''The moment has come, and now it's time for him to step up and grab the dream,'' Johnson's mother said. ``His size doesn't matter. It's what he can do. Bruce is about to be somewhere a lot of guys would love to be.

``We'll say a prayer and have faith that God will put Bruce in the right place.''

Said Johnson, his eyes twinkling: ``Instead of talking about Deion [Sanders] all the time, maybe kids will talk about me one day.

``Shoot, I just want to be drafted and keep improving. Then, everything will work out for the best.''

(miamiherald.com)

This story appeared in the April 20 issue of ESPN The Magazine.

After finishing his final 40-yard dash attempt, Miami cornerback Bruce Johnson lets his momentum carry him to the far end of the Hurricanes' practice field. There, in the shadow of a parking garage, he glances back at the school's pro day setup. What he sees are the unmistakable signs of the end of an era. Aluminum bleachers, once bulging with 100 scouts reeking of rental-car living, are not even half full on this late-February afternoon. The large section roped off for agents contains only seven people, four of whom are university employees. In the nearly deserted area behind the end zone—which most years overflows with family, friends and students—a woman with her back to the field talks on her cell about her cousin's canine-allergy medication. The VIPs, once a who's who of NFL royalty, are limited to a pair of big-name former Canes: Panthers linebacker Jon Beason and Cardinals running back Edgerrin James, who wrapped Johnson in a hug before the day began and implored him to "represent the U."

As Miami's best pro prospect, Johnson, 22, does in fact perfectly embody the state of the Hurricanes, who have gone 12—13 since 2007. Undersized (5'9") and a step slow (40 time: 4.42), the soft-spoken Johnson is ranked as the draft's 25th-best corner by Scouts Inc. and will likely be a late-round pick. That means that for the first time since 1994, the program dubbed NFLU won't have a player taken in the first round, ending a streak that changed both college and pro football. The last year a Hurricane wasn't selected in one of the first three rounds? Try 1986. "I guess it's kind of a sad day," Johnson says after his workout.

In many ways, Miami is a victim of its own success—it became so good at producing NFL players that everyone stole the school's formula. Dennis Erickson, who took over for Jimmy Johnson, cranked up the pipeline while winning national titles in 1989 and 1991. The coach wooed players to his program by promising what they really wanted: a paved path to the pros. Unlike most college teams then, Miami became NFL-friendly, giving scouts ample access to game film, prospects and facilities.

That open attitude most noticeably manifested itself in a souped-up pro day that had the intensity of a bowl game and the star power of South Beach. While the Canes performed the same drills and underwent the same measurements as prospects elsewhere, they did them in front of stands packed with family, recruits and ex-players. The day was a can't-miss event rather than an obligatory exercise. Allured by the hoopla and wealth of talent, all 32 NFL teams sent their GM, their coach or often both, and a few dispatched up to seven scouts. "It was like a festival, a celebration," says Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt. "You knew there'd be so many good players you might discover someone you weren't even looking for."

The results are staggering. Over the past 14 years, Miami produced more first-round picks (33) than any other school, beginning with defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who went 12th overall to the Bucs in 1995. (Ohio State ranks second, with 25 over the same period.) The following year, picking 26th, the Ravens selected Ray Lewis. The pipeline reached its peak after the Hurricanes won the 2001 national championship. Over the next three drafts, 23 players from the title team were selected, including 11 in the first round. It was a group of players—featuring safety Ed Reed, wide receiver Andre Johnson and running back Clinton Portis—who set new standards for speed, attitude and pro-level preparedness. "You knew what you were going to get with a player from Miami," says Giants GM Jerry Reese. "Tough guys who played hard and loved football."

There are whispers in the scouting community, punctuated by Vince Young's breakdown in Tennessee, that players at many high-profile programs are coddled, soft and illprepared for the next level. That was never a concern with the Hurricanes, and it's one reason why no school had more players on NFL opening day rosters last year than NFLU (44). Under Miami's system—one that Reed has called The Crucible—hardened players from rough urban high schools are pushed to the limit, not just by coaches and teammates but by past generations of greats. In the main hallway inside the team's facility is a massive wood display that has the feel of an altar, honoring all the former Canes now playing in the NFL. Many of those alums, like Reed and Portis, work out at the school during the off-season and make a habit of staying in touch and mentoring the current Canes with tough love. Word is passed down that there are no promises or guaranteed roster spots at the U. Each week the best play—period.

Few players represent the self-perpetuating, competitive furnace better than Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey. As a Cane, if he ever felt practice lacked proper pop, he'd run downfield and cheap-shot a defensive back, sparking a brawl. Drafted 14th overall by the Giants in 2002, Shockey pushed himself hard in order to live up to predecessor Bubba Franks (taken 14th by the Packers in 2000), while setting a good example for Kellen Winslow (sixth by the Browns in 2004). "That's why we're NFLU," says Johnson. "If you don't make plays, they will sit you, forget you and move on to the next guy, just like in the NFL."

Of course, as Johnson has discovered, the scouting game is just as ruthless. As Miami waned, so did interest in its players. The burnout started when coach Butch Davis took his scouting smarts to the NFL after the 2000 season. Although successor Larry Coker led the team to title games in 2001 and 2002, he ultimately couldn't restock his ranks quickly enough to keep up with all those Canes going pro. By the time the team fell out of the national rankings four years later, several key components of its can't-miss recruiting formula were no more. The crumbling Orange Bowl no longer impressed prospects; the school instituted much tougher admissions standards; a focus on national recruiting cost the Canes their monopoly on talent-rich South Florida. Perhaps most critical of all, there's nothing unique about Miami's pro day or scout-friendliness now. It's the standard. "The playing field leveled," says Lions coach Jim Schwartz.

That's made Miami an optional stop, not a must-see, on the scouting calendar. Only a dozen or so teams showed up for this year's pro day, including reps from the Lions, Giants and Titans, all of whom have shown interest in Johnson. Even late in the draft, a prospect from NFLU is a worthy choice.

And Johnson, even at 167 pounds, represents what teams are looking for in a second-day pick. He plays with fluid hips that allow him to change direction and accelerate with power in the open field, where he craves contact. "That's the dog in me," he says. "That fight, that's the U right there."Sitting on a high-jump pad, Johnson slowly unties the fluorescent-green cleats he wore during his workout. As is the Miami tradition, he plans on passing the shoes to a younger teammate, maybe even one of the recruits in the Hurricanes' freshman or sophomore class, who are expected to restart the school's first-round streak in 2011 or sooner. Finally, it appears, third-year coach Randy Shannon is turning the program back around.

A linebacker on Miami's 1987 title team, Shannon has put together three straight top-10 recruiting hauls the Erickson way, by focusing on local talent. In fact, eight members of the 2008 class, widely considered the nation's best, played for prep power Northwestern High, located just a few miles from Miami's campus. "The future is bright," Miami AD Kirby Hocutt said in January.

In the meantime, it's up to Johnson to represent. As he stuffs the cleats into his bag, students walking past on their way to class recognize him and yell out, "Bruuuuuuuce!"

He waves back, but without looking up. Instead, his eyes remain fixated on the tongue of the neon cleats, labeled by the manufacturer with a 40 time—4.2—that he'll never come close to running. Not that it matters.

Teams already know what they're going to get.

(espn.com)

University of Miami cornerback Bruce Johnson has been scheduled for a private workout with the Miami Dolphins on Friday, according to a league source.

Johnson ran a 4.40 in the 40-yard dash at his campus Pro Day workout after clocking a 4.49 at the NFL Scouting Combine.

At his Pro Day, Johnson registered a 38 1/2 inch vertical leap and a 10-4 broad jump. He improved by four inches in the vertical leap from his combine performance.

Johnson, who’s listed at 5′10,” 170 pounds, was the only Miami player invited to the scouting combine.

“I was in my comfort zone,” Johnson told Cane Sport following his Pro Day. “I turned some heads. I felt I performed real well. I think I could raise my stock up since I did well in Indy and here.”

When asked if he thought he would be drafted between the fourth round and the sixth round, Johnson replied: “I felt like they had me predicted to go low, but if I could show my ability, I could raise my draft stock up.”

Johnson, who also ran track in college,  is a relative of Seattle Seahawks cornerback Kelly Jennings.

(profootballtalk.com)

CB Bruce Johnson was again more impressive in Miami than he was in Indy.  He measured in at 5-09.75 167.  He also posted some great 40 times of 4.42 and 4.45.  His VERT was 38.5, his BROAD was 10-4, his 20 yard shuttle was 4.03 and his three cone was 6.92.  He didn’t do the bench press.

(draftzoo.com)

Former UM cornerback Bruce Johnson is learning one is the loneliest number.

He is the only Hurricanes player in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. He's been met by surprised faces since arriving Saturday morning.

"I never thought I'd be the only one here," Johnson said. "I thought it would be a whole bunch of us. Everyone here is shocked that I'm the only one. A lot of people are like, `You're the only Miami guy here? They're used to a bunch of us being here."

Seniors Eric Moncur and Randy Phillips were granted extra years of eligibility and the Hurricanes had no underclassmen declare for the draft. Johnson received UM's only invite.

Still, Johnson is enjoying the experience. He compared the way players are shuttled around to a cattle farm. On Sunday, he had to awake at 4:30 a.m. for drug testing and spent all day interviewing with representatives from the 32 NFL teams.

"You feel kind of like a piece of meat," Johnson said. "But I'm here to hold it down (for Miami). I'm going to do my thing."

Tuesday is when most of the performance testing takes place. It will decide whether Johnson is a late-round pick or has to take the free agent route. If Johnson isn't selected, it will mark the first time a UM player wasn't drafted since 1974.

"I'm getting a lot of good feedback," Johnson said. "They haven't really talked about my draft status just yet. I'm getting a lot of good interviews with some teams. I've had a lot of positive interviews. Some teams are spending a little more time than others. It's just been real positive."

(sun-sentinel.com)

The NFL coaches were missing Friday at Greentree Field. But the dreams of the University of Miami football players working out in front of several scouts were no different from their famous predecessors.

''Either I'm going to play at the next level or I have to take up another trade,'' said linebacker Glenn Cook, one of 17 Hurricanes seniors from last season's team to take part in UM Timing Day, a day-long combine that for years had drawn every NFL head coach. ``This is an important step to the rest of our lives.''

For the past 14 years, NFL teams have drafted at least one UM player in the first round, a record streak. But this year, only cornerback Bruce Johnson is expected to be drafted, and even that is not a lock. So for the players grinding it out Friday in front of scouts from 17 of 32 NFL teams, this day might have been their only shot to turn heads.

''They always say that we're the best group in the country, and I think we held that up [Friday],'' said Cook, who noted he ran a 5.46 in the 40-yard dash. ``You always hear that one moment can change your [future] for the bad or the good. You do one thing and it may mess up the rest of your life or it may set you up for the best. It's something we should be used to, taking advantage of each moment.''

ADKINS SEIZES MOMENT
On Friday, linebacker Spencer Adkins took advantage of that moment, according to Cook and other players. Adkins played as a reserve in the middle and as a pass rusher in third-down situations, totaling 20 tackles and four sacks in 2008.

A muscular 5-11 and 230 pounds, Adkins said he was timed in the 40 in 4.43 seconds. His vertical leap was 36 inches. His shuttle-run time was 4.25 and he had 30 bench-press repetitions at 225 pounds.

''I obviously needed to show good things or my chances would be minimum,'' said Adkins, who is from Naples. ``I look throughout the league nowadays and there are a lot of dudes who didn't get drafted and are Pro Bowlers. That's the motivation I have.

'There were a couple questions about if I liked the inside or rushing off the edge. I told them, `It doesn't matter. Whatever you want me to do I'll be able to do.' I think [Friday] opened up a lot of eyes.''

ONE-SHOT DEAL
Adkins was asked if he felt it was fair that so much is put into one day's work.

''For somebody who is about to get paid a lot of money and has to do a lot of things in pressure situations, I think it is fair,'' he said.

For a couple of Canes, it must have felt extremely unfair.

Receiver Kayne Farquharson and offensive tackle Chris Rutledge sustained injuries doing drills -- Farquharson tweaked his knee during the broad jump and Rutledge injured his leg while running the 40. Both fought through the pain and completed their workouts.

Johnson, the only Cane invited to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, said he bettered his time in the 40 from 4.47 to 4.4, and increased his vertical jump from 34 to 38 ?inches. Johnson is projected to be drafted from the fourth round down.

''I wanted to show them that I could do it here and [in Indianapolis],'' Johnson said, ``that I could be consistent. I feel I performed real well.''

Safety Anthony Reddick, who turned down an opportunity to apply for a sixth-year medical redshirt after numerous knee surgeries, said his main concern was to prove his knees were fine.

''I'm satisfied,'' said Reddick, who said he was told by scouts he ran ''a really low 4.5'' in the 40. ``I wasn't nervous. Nothing to be nervous about. I've been doing this my whole life.''

(miamiherald.com)