Lonnie Johnson
Cornerback
Kentucky

 

Ed Hunt:  Why are you a first round pick?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  I just feel like I’m the best DB in the draft.  I think my play shows that.

 

Ed Hunt:  Tell me what it was like to have the season Kentucky had.

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Great!  We went out there, fought hard and made every chance we got.

 

Ed Hunt:  Describe your overall experience at the Senior Bowl.

 

Lonnie Johnson:  It was just new.  It helped me get my mindset and get ready for the combine.

 

Ed Hunt:  What is the biggest thing you can take away from the Senior Bowl?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  That I can learn the plays quickly.  I went out there and showed that I was a great competitor.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who is the best player you have faced at the Senior Bowl?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  I would probably say Deebo (Samuel).

 

Ed Hunt:  Who is the best player you have faced on an opposing team?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  D.K. Metcalf.

 

Ed Hunt:  Coming out of high school, which schools showed interest in you?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  I was recruited heavily.  I was committed to Ohio State for a while.

 

Ed Hunt:  What made you ultimately choose Kentucky?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  After my time in junior college.  I just wanted to get back close to home.

 

Ed Hunt:  What are your strengths?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Locking people down, physicality and leadership.

 

Ed Hunt:  What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Finding the ball for real.

 

Ed Hunt:  Describe your overall career.

 

Lonnie Johnson:  My overall career was up and down.  It was down my junior year and up my senior year.

 

Ed Hunt:  What is the highlight of your career at this point?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Going through all this.  The whole draft experience.

 

Ed Hunt:  Tell me about your combine experience.

 

Lonnie Johnson:  It was a little bit hectic.  I wasn’t able to sleep a lot.  I got to go out there and show why I am the top DB in the draft.

 

Ed Hunt:  Would you say the treatment is unfair at the combine?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  It definitely drags you for sure.  Zaps your energy.  A lot of people do better at their pro days.

 

Ed Hunt:  What have you learned the most from your coaching staff?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  How to be patient.  Just go out there and do what is best for you.

 

Ed Hunt:  Is there a role you have played on special teams thus far in your career?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Kickoff and kickoff return.

 

Ed Hunt:  What is your favorite NFL team?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  I don’t have one.  I never did.  I can’t choose (in the draft process) so at the end of the day, I don’t have a favorite team.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who is your favorite NFL player?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Patrick Peterson.

 

Ed Hunt:  What’s the most important trait for a cornerback?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Confidence.  There is no one out there, but you and the other person.

 

Ed Hunt:  Before the ball is snapped, what tendencies are you looking for in that offense?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  If it is going to be pass or run.  Stuff I saw on film.

 

Ed Hunt:  What players on the Kentucky team should we keep an eye on for next season?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Lynn Bowden Jr., Terry Wilson and Boogie Watson.

 

Ed Hunt:  What do you enjoy most about football?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Everything.  There isn’t anything I don’t like about football.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who is your biggest role model and why?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  My mom.  She been through a lot growing up.

 

Ed Hunt:  What is your definition of a leader?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Just go out there and not just lead by words, but by example.

 

Ed Hunt:  What do you want to do with your life after football?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  I want to be a sports analyst.  Somewhere around the game for a while.

 

Ed Hunt:  What five words best describe you?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Humble, determined, eager, relentless and hungry.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who will win the Super Bowl next year?

 

Lonnie Johnson:  Whatever team I am on.