CJ Johnson, a transfer from FCS Merrimack, has been the Leathernecks’ most consistent defensive linemen to date, according to head coach Joe Davis. (Photo via Twitter/X)
By Dan Verdun
Western Illinois defensive lineman Cidney Johnson is known by his initials.
“I go by CJ. It’s my first and last name,” the Leatherneck defensive lineman explained to Prairie State Pigskin. “I’m just a junior (in name), so people tried to find a different name to call me.”
WIU head coach Joe Davis calls him “steady.”
“He doesn’t talk a lot, but is in the right spot. He’s just a trustworthy player,” Davis said. “(He’s) probably our most consistent lineman to date. We’ll be leaning on CJ a lot here moving forward.”
The Leathernecks (2-3) open their Ohio Valley Conference schedule with a 3 p.m. Saturday kickoff against Tennessee State (1-3) at Hanson Field.
Johnson said Davis sold him on coming to Macomb.
“He welcomed me with open arms and he introduced me to the program like I was already in it,” said Johnson, a transfer from FCS Merrimack. He has a year of remaining eligibility after this season.
Johnson was so impressed with WIU that he cancelled a scheduled visit to the University of Albany, where Davis served as offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021.
Meanwhile, Davis has been impressed with the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Johnson’s play.
“He’s a hard-hat, lunch-pail kind of guy,” Davis said. “He practices very, very hard.”
Johnson has provided a strong presence no matter where he is positioned in the WIU defensive line. The Baltimore native has 14 tackles, 3.5 for loss. He has two QB hurries, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Johnson credits first-year position coach Austin Taylor with his success.
“He does a good job at teaching us how to read our keys,” Johnson said. “It slows the game down and I see everything a lot faster. Coach Taylor helps our D-line make plays.”
Late start, vast improvement
Moreover, Johnson feels his best is still yet to come.
“My understanding of defense in general (has really improved),” he said. “I didn’t really understand things until probably my sophomore year of college because I didn’t start playing the game until my junior year of high school.”
Prior to that, he was a basketball player.
“My high school football coach saw me,” Johnson said. “He said, ‘Why don’t you come out for a week or two and see if you like it?’”
Johnson embraced football, playing both sides of the ball.
“That helped me a lot,” he said. “Not coming off the field is a lot on the body. It definitely helped with my cardio but also understanding what an offensive lineman is trying to do to me as a defensive lineman.”
Western’s improved defense under coordinator Landon Fox has Davis excited.
“Our improvement is very significant,” Davis said. “I’ve thought all along that we’ve had the chance to be one of the best defenses in the country just athletically. We’re very physical. We’re very fast.
“I believe we’ve got the right players in the right spots doing what they do best. That has shown up pretty consistently through our first five games.”
Western leads the OVC in total defense at 278 yards a game and has allowed only 12 touchdowns through five games.
Kickoff: 3 p.m.; TV: BTN; Radio: Q981fm.com
Key matchup to watch
WIU defense vs. Tennessee State QB Daylin Lee
Lee, a transfer from D-II Winston-Salem State, is the Tigers’ second-leading rusher while completing 52% of his passes.
“They like to run him a lot,” Johnson said. “Keeping him in pocket and getting him to the ground will be a big emphasis for us.”
What’s at stake
A win would shake off last Saturday’s heartbreaking 23-20 loss at North Alabama. More importantly, Western would start 1-0 in the OVC.
Quick hits
Western must set aside any lingering effects of the loss at North Alabama. The Leathernecks appeared to be on the verge of victory with the ball on the UNA 1-yard line with 12 seconds remaining. An errant snap doomed WIU. “You go through 25 years (of coaching), you think you’ve seen it all until you haven’t. Tough to move on, I’ll be honest with you,” Davis said during Tuesday’s OVC media address. He added that the team went through its Monday walk-through meeting and attempted “to put that one to rest. You just have to.” … Johnson said: “The coaches said they really loved our effort, but at the end of the day we’re in the business of wins and losses. We’re not into moral victories, especially Coach Fox.” … WIU has been in nine one-score outcome games in Davis’s three years as head coach. “We haven’t played good enough to win in those games,” Davis said. “We’re 3-6 in those one-score games. The biggest challenge for us is to buy into the process that we’ve set forth in terms of getting over the hump in those games.” … Though he missed his first field goal attempt of the season at North Alabama, kicker Ronan Culkin continues to shine. “(He’s) been very cool, calm and collected,” Davis said. “He’s been able to bang through some big field goals at some big moments and has done a really nice job on the kickoff team.”
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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