KNOXVILLE – Ryan Johnson could swing a hammer before he could walk so it’s no surprise the Tennessee redshirt sophomore offensive lineman is considering entering the family business of building homes after his football career wraps up.
Johnson’s parents own a home building business in Brentwood, Tenn., so he grew up around construction projects.
He is on track to earn his civil engineering degree in less than three years and has plans to pursue a master’s degree.
“That’s where I was leaning towards when I went into civil engineering,” he said. “I can look at a building and see the foundation. I can see plans and see how it is drawn out and say that’s where the kitchen is. This is where your sink is going to be. We can put a table there. I can see it even when I’m looking at the studs. Even if there are no walls yet, I can still see the rooms and how they work. A lot of people can’t do that because they haven’t been around it. I’ve grown up around it. I’m used to it and I like it.”
He also plays guitar – electric and acoustic – and jokes that “A little AC/DC in the dorm rooms never hurt anybody.”
A member of the 2017 SEC Academic Honor Roll, Johnson has proven to be an all-around Volunteer, and football is where his versatility has really shined.
Johnson began last fall as a backup, but played in every game. He started the final four games of the season, switching between left and right guard and center, helping anchor a makeshift offensive line which sometimes featured walk-ons because of injuries.
This fall, Johnson is relying on his experience in construction and engineering to lay a steady foundation for the Vols on the offensive line.
More than anything else, Johnson loves the mental challenges playing football and offensive line bring his way.
“I love the thought process,” Johnson said. “It’s a chess game to me, it really is, it’s a game but I enjoy the strategy behind it because I’m a civil engineer, so that’s my thing, I want to analyze everything. I take my classroom skills from learning – when I’m looking at a building, analyzing a building, I take that to the football field and vice versa – the way that I study in school is the way that I study in football, if not study more in football than I do in school.
“Studying film, I watch it the same way as if I’m studying a math equation, and that may be scary to some people if they’re looking at a calculus problem, but that’s the same thing if somebody is looking at a football problem and doesn’t understand it, so it goes both ways. I really enjoy that learning process.”
Of course, the Brentwood, Tenn., native also enjoys the physical nature of the sport. He is looking forward to playing “smashmouth” football for the Vols this fall.
“As an offensive lineman, I enjoy getting first downs, getting touchdowns,” he said, “but I definitely love getting dirty… being aggressive, putting people on their backs. Whatever it takes to get the job done.”
Johnson has become a master of time management since football and civil engineering leave little free time. When classes start next week he will begin to juggle his studies and his sport once again, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
He has a plan and he follows it on the field and off. Sometimes that means giving up TV for a few days, or studying on the plane on the way back from a road trip.
“It’s really important to me to get this education but also focus on football,” Johnson said. “I think it’s been a great balance, and it’s been a lot of give and take. It’s hard, but it’s not something you can’t do.
“I enjoy it.”
Player Quotes
Junior Tight End Dominick Wood-Anderson
On deciding to come to Tennessee:
“It really came down to good people. It’s all about football. Football will take care of itself. I wanted to be around good people for my final two years.”
On playing for Brian Niedermeyer:
“He’s a great coach who pushes us as a unit to get better day in and day out, whether that be in the weight room, the classroom or on the field.”
On picking up the offense:
“It was a bit of an adjustment. Coming from a junior college, the playbook wasn’t as complicated. The terminology is pretty much the same, but there is a little bit more. You have to put in the extra time. It’s not just going to practice and working on it then. When you go back to your room, you have to study the playbook.”
On going to a competitive junior college to get better at his game:
“I’m from California but went to junior college in Arizona for a reason. The competition was a little better, and they put out about 20 plus guys a year. There are a lot of guys that you go against who I might see on this level.”
Junior Defensive Back Baylen Buchanan
On what his best position is:
“I really think that I can be talented in any position they put me in. I am confident in my abilities in any way they need me to play.”
On having a defensive minded coach:
“It does a lot. It actually does a lot for the whole team. Coach Pruitt is a very smart coach. He knows football. He is making everybody on the defense smarter. On the offensive standpoint, he is just giving the offense different looks and telling them what the defense will be looking for. He is making them (the offense) better as well. So having the defensive minded coach, it just makes it everybody more aggressive and physical.”
On having open starting positions:
“We are competing every day we go out there. There’s not really a focus on who is getting the starting position and who isn’t. Everybody is just worried about that they get better as a player. I feel like having that mindset and having teammates that push you, it is going to play out how it is supposed to.”
Redshirt Senior Running Back Madre London
On the coaching staff’s resumé and its effect on his decision to attend Tennessee:
“It wasn’t the main thing, the main thing was coming in here and making an impact. You know, trying to bond with the team, trying to get this thing rolling. That was the main thing. I wanted to make sure my last year was going to be how I wanted it to be. I want to have fun and enjoy it.”
On the difference between Tennessee and Michigan State:
“There’s not very much different. The only thing different is probably the offense. A different offense, different offensive style. There’s more guard pulling, and offensive tackle-type pulling at Michigan State. As far as here, it’s straight down-hill type running. That’s the only difference, but besides that, football is football.”
On being one of the older guys in the locker room and his relationship is with the other running backs:
“Our relationship is good, we all compete. That’s what we like to bring. We like to be the best group on the field, even if it’s on the practice field or during the games, we want to be the best group. We hold ourselves accountable for that, and Coach Weinke sets the tone for us every time we go out there on the field that we need to be the best and compete group. That’s what we’re trying to do, and right now I’m learning and they’re learning – it’s just a learning phase right now. But when the season starts, we should be good.”
On the summer process for a graduate transfer:
“It’s kind of tough. Being at Michigan State for four years, seeing those guys and being through the struggles and those types of things, it was kind of hard getting away from them. I missed them a lot, but coming into a new program, your new teammates have to feel you out to see what type of guy you are. But there’s no regrets, those are just the little things you have to go through as far as transferring to a new school.”
On the difficulty of being a leader for the younger players while also learning a new system:
“It’s not hard to just step out and communicate. That’s what being a leader is, you also have to contribute on the field and do things the right on the field. Communicating and making sure everybody’s on task, finishing our runs, our ball protection and stuff like that. It’s not hard to just say ‘speak up’.”
On the success of former running backs helping him make his decision to attend Tennessee:
“Tennessee is Tennessee. Great fan base, great school. We didn’t have (a very good) year the previous year, but where we are heading right now, it’s good. There’s a good vibe around here, who wouldn’t want to play at Tennessee?”
Redshirt Senior Linebacker Jonathan Kongbo
On making the switch to outside linebacker:
“Coach Pruitt just asked me about it, and he thought it better suited me and my type of body. I’ve always told him from the moment he got here that I was willing to do anything that he wanted me to do.”
On the reason for his renewed sense of confidence:
“The preparation. We went through a grueling summer program, spent a lot of time in the film room, and just kind of learned the ins and outs of the defense. As far as that, I feel like I’m very well equipped as compared to the past.”
On if he feels a sense of urgency personally this season being a senior:
“There’s no pressure. If you know you can ball, you can ball, so right now it’s just time to execute.”
On if he’s seen a change in attitude with this team:
“Yeah, just the culture is completely different. I keep telling my parents it doesn’t even feel like the same place just as far as the culture that’s been instilled here, it’s completely different.”
Redshirt Sophomore Offensive Lineman Ryan Johnson
On how the offensive line is coming together:
“The offensive line has been working hard all the way through the summer and through training camp. We’ve really come together as a unit and we’ve really bonded, and we’re really starting to become a tough and physical offensive line.”
On if he feels better suited at guard or center:
“Whatever position gets me on the field. Hey, if you want me to take some snaps, I’ll take some snaps, but something tells me Coach Pruitt wouldn’t want me taking snaps.”
On how important it is for the unit to start to build some continuity up front:
“I think we really have. We’ve really bonded as a unit – that’s on the field and off the field – we’re hanging out together off the field and that’s really important. The offensive line is really a different unit compared to all the other positions because we have to know how each other thinks and to do that you have to know everybody inside and out. You have to be able to know what they’re thinking right before that play, and I think we’ve done a really good job of that and we’ve really started to bond as a unit. Now we still got a long way to go. We still need to work and we still need to get tougher and we still need to get stronger. We’ve got things to learn but I think we’re really progressing.”
On how much he enjoys the mental part of the game:
“I love the thought process. It’s a chess game to me, it really is, it’s a game but I enjoy the strategy behind it because I’m a civil engineer, so that’s my thing, I want to analyze everything. I take my classroom skills from learning – when I’m looking at a building, analyzing a building, I take that to the football field and vice versa – the way that I study in school is the way that I study in football, if not study more in football than I do in school. Studying film, I watch it the same way as if I’m studying a math equation, and that may be scary to some people if they’re looking at a calculus problem, but that’s the same thing if somebody is looking at a football problem and doesn’t understand it, so it goes both ways. I really enjoy that learning process.”
-UT Athletics
