There will always be someone, something, some detail that goes unnoticed.
In football, those who employ their talents in the most dangerous and hard-hitting facets of a 60-minute
football game often fit that description. Their jobs are overlooked until something goes askew, but their value is second to none.
Oregon senior Marvin Johnson proudly fits that mold.
In his fifth year with the team, Johnson’s reputation as a dependable special teams commodity
has grown exponentially.
“You have to really focus on those kind of roles for guys to appreciate what he does,” special teams coordinator Tom Osborne said. “… Marvin is one of our most valuable players on our entire team.”
Johnson has not always been an under-the-radar type of player. In high school, he was quite the
contrary.
During his senior season at Dominguez High School, Johnson led the Dons to the California
Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division III championship as one of the most dominant quarterbacks in the entire state.
During that season Johnson rushed for 1,016 yards and 18 touchdowns, while throwing for another 1,250 yards and 19 more scores with just two interceptions. He was named a finalist for state Player of the Year honors following that season.
Before his high school years, football was just a part of everyday life.
“Well, football was just something we did in my neighborhood,” Johnson said. “Everybody did it whether you wanted to or not, that was the whole thing. Like you wake up, you see everybody outside with the ball throwing it around. Playing throw and tackle, that’s what we called it.”
Johnson said his older brother initially brought him into the sport, and like a lot of the kids growing up in Compton, Calif., taking the hits from older kids in the neighborhood came with the territory.
“Just playing with them gave me an advantage, gave me a step on playing with everybody my size, my age,” Johnson said. “So I’d be out there playing with the big guys so that kind of helped me out, made me love the game more.”
As Johnson progressed as both a quarterback and defense back, college scouts began to take
notice. He received scholarship offers from Boise State, Colorado, Idaho and Mississippi State, before signing with Oregon.
At the time Johnson’s cousin, Jeremiah Johnson, was a freshman running back with the Ducks and he persuaded his younger cousin to pursue a collegiate career in Eugene. And without making an official visit, Johnson signed his letter of intent to play for Oregon.
Johnson said he liked the idea of staying on the West Coast knowing that his mom would be able to make the trip to some of his games, with at least one guaranteed game in Los Angeles each season.
Once he arrived on campus, Johnson spent the 2006 season as a redshirt, earning five scout team player of the week accolades. The following season Johnson made his impact known on special teams and made an appearance in the Ducks Sun Bowl win over South Florida.
In 2008, Johnson battled to overcome injuries throughout the year before finding his stride the following season.
That next fall, Johnson was given the Wilson Award for the most outstanding special teams player at the team’s postseason awards banquet. He tallied 29 tackles, while playing in all 13 games, including a season-high five stops against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
“I take pride every time I’m on the field,” Johnson said. “Being on the field is a blessing so I want to go ahead and give it my all every time I’m on it.”
As a senior, Johnson is revered for his work ethic and respected for his blue-collar mentality.
“He’s always been an impact player here on special teams and the different positions he’s played,” defensive backs coach John Neal said. “He’s fought through a ton of injuries; I think he’s had four surgeries, and just keeps coming back and getting the job done. He’s just one of the really great Ducks that we’ve had in this program.”
Those injuries aren’t something that Johnson has ever given a second thought to.
“Marvin will play with both legs hanging by the skin,” Osborne said. “And he has.”
That attitude is what Johnson hopes will guide him through to the next level once his career at Oregon ends. Johnson, a political science major, intends to train for the Pro Day in the spring and hopefully get a shot at the NFL.
The physical strength (he tied the program record for defensive backs with a 330-pound power clean his sophomore year) is undeniable; it’s just a matter of getting the right people to notice him.
Osborne saw that same NFL potential in former Oregon defensive back Willie Glasper, who blew out his knee midway through last season.
“Marvin, you know, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get an opportunity,” Osborne said. “He definitely has earned it. He definitely deserves it because he can do everything.”
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