A key piece of Texas A&M's 2021 Orange Bowl championship team, linebacker Buddy Johnson is still in the NFL and now playing with his hometown Cowboys. The Dallas native joined TexAgs Live to look back on that memorable 2020 campaign, his pro journey and more.
Key notes from Buddy Johnson interview
- Playing for the Cowboys is a blessing, and I try to thank God for giving me the opportunity to play in the NFL to do what I love. I try to do it at a high level. Like you said, to play for the Cowboys is a huge blessing. Not only that, it's the Cowboys. They are my hometown team. It's a blessing, and I don't take any of it for granted. I want to get better and show how I can contribute to this team.
- When I first signed, I remember meeting Jerry Jones. It was brief. I signed with the practice squad, and I introduced myself, and he’s a really good guy. I introduced myself for my name to stick with my face. He always has a smile on his face.
- Michael Irvin is always around. I knew head coach Brian Schottenheimer, that's one of his biggest things is to build on the family and get the legends to come back in and show love, and they do. We had a couple of open practices, and they showed up and showed love. Anytime they are here, it's their home, and we always show love to them and make them feel welcomed and show love vice versa. It's super dope.
- It's all up there, man. I'm a Texas kid from Oak Cliff, the heart of Dallas. It's all on the wall up there, the helmet pictures and a captain's picture from last year. I got a couple of trophies and put them up there.
- When I decided on A&M, it was funny because I went to A&M and took a visit. Coach Kevin Sumlin was the head coach at the time, and one of my trainers said, “Let's see what A&M has to offer.” This is my first visit, and I'm having a great time and meeting great people. I'm going, “These people are so nice, and it's mind-blowing.” I was still in high school at the time. We are on the way back home from my official visit. I posted my commitment, tweeted it and told nobody. I was so excited. I may have taken one other official visit, but once I came to A&M, I fell in love, and that was home for me, and that's where I wanted to play ball, and I'm glad I did.
- When Coach Sumlin got fired, it was kind of scary because I was a freshman, and I go dang... Being in high school, you see the headlines of teams getting a new coach, and now, I'm getting one. I got a whole new impression and need to start from zero. Coach Jimbo Fisher comes in, and he's like, “It's the big leagues.” First meeting, we were joking, and there was a guy named Dan, who was an education advisor. We would go big, “Dan! Big Dan!” and Fisher would not have it when we joked. He was serious, and ever since then, I feel super best coach Fisher was brought in.
- Because of A&M, personally, I developed into a better man, and at the end of the day, I feel like a father. Mike Elko was my defensive coordinator at the time, and Coach Fisher was my head coach, and Coach Tyler Santucci was my linebacker coach. They were huge and a big part of being away from home. I'm blessed I'm an Aggie.
- I was the starting quarterback for my high school. I don't remember how many yards I had. We don't have to get into that. I was the starting quarterback, and I don't even remember how many snaps I had on defense, and maybe less than 15 my whole high school career. I pretty much ran the ball and threw. I tell guys to play as many positions as they can. These positions give you a different perspective and more opportunities. I was one of the best at the time on my team, and my coach loved me. I was versatile and plug-and-play. Whatever the coach asked, I did it, and that's how it went.
- If I can remember the Ole Miss game, our cornerback came on the blitz and knocked the ball out, and I saw the ball out and shot out like a rocket and said, “I got to get this ball.” I was running, and I went, "I don't care who was behind me. I got to get into the end zone." I was a little gassed after that play, and on the sideline, I had to go out there and do it again. It's cool, but you have to go right back out there and do it again. It is tough, but that's when the real dog comes out, and it's real hard.
- I don't think the switch flipped for us until we played Alabama. I remember playing them, and I kid you not, during the game, I was crying real tears. I don't know why, but this is not how I want to leave a legacy. I pretty much knew this would be my last year. I will never beat Alabama, but after that game, I told myself I have to figure out how to be a leader, and I have to figure out how this defense can buy into what coach Elko wanted us to do. That was pretty much one of my main focal points to get guys to lock in.
- College is for players to mature. A lot of guys are immature and get guys to buy in. It's a whole different ball game from high school. It's a mini NFL in college, and when Elko came in, his playbook was all these different plays, communications and adjustments. At that point, I realized I had to be a leader. When Tyrel Dodson and Otaro Alaka left, he said, "We need somebody to step up and be the leader of this defense, and you're capable of it, and nobody else can do it for you but you.” He challenged me, and I was so happy he was my defensive coordinator. I always think about Coach Elko. He will challenge his players, and it's for the better, and he gave me a challenge. To this day, I feel I have to be a leader of this team, and I'm capable of it.
- Elko is a great dude and keeps it honest with you. He will challenge you and see you get better. If you just listen to him and follow his game plan and trust him, it will work. The way you do it is to build trust with him. At the end of the day, it is for him to believe in you, and it's to continuously put on him and show up and get better. The keyword is consistency, and regardless of what it is, if it’s school, showing up on the practice field, the recovery room, the weight room, or leader on campus, it’s the consistency of getting better. This is how it's done, and follow me, and we will get better.
- Every chance I get to watch the Aggies, I will. Normally, I travel on Saturdays and get home for our off day before our game. I got the Aggies playing and four big TVs in the living room, like the ones in the bar, with one big screen. It's on for three hours or however long it'll be. I make sure I watch the Aggies and show love because it's always a great time. There's nothing like Aggieland.
- I watched a little bit of Taurean York and Scooby Williams. They fly around. York is a great leader, and watching him, I can tell Elko got to him. When Elko gets to you, you feel like the best leader in the world, and you have to lead these guys. I see it in the way he carries himself. It all comes down to looking good, feeling good, and playing good. In order to be a linebacker for Elko, you have to be a dawg and a leader. There's so much communication, and you have to make it execute the way it is supposed to. They executed me at a high level, and I know Elko will plan way harder and way better this year. I feel those guys in the defense will get over the hump because the coach Elko's defense has so many details, and you have to play efficiently. I think those guys can take the next step and really turn it up.
- It was like a new coach is coming in and he has to win his players over and gain their trust. He has to win his players over, it was nothing Elko did out of the ordinary, he was just a great guy and the way he coached. He coached us tough, but with tough love. We go, “This guy actually does care about us and sees us get better, why not buy into what he's talking about and do whatever he says?” One thing we didn't play about was our rush defense. It doesn't matter what the stat sheet says or if you're a top running back, you will be stopped. We pride ourselves on that, and I know it's what they pride themself on now, stopping the run.
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