Saturday Transcript: Tight End Theo Johnson

Tight End Theo Johnson

May 11, 2024

Q. How was your first experience out here?

THEO JOHNSON: Really cool. You know, you dream of playing for an NFL team, but actually having that ‘NY’ on your helmet, it's a different feeling.

Q. How much room do you think you have to grow as an NFL player after your experience at Penn State?

THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, it's really exciting for me because I think I have a super high ceiling. I think I haven't even scratched the surface of what I'm capable of. I'm really looking forward to proving every day that I'm out here.

Q. I think I read that you have five brothers?

THEO JOHNSON: Five brothers, yes, ma'am.

Q. That's a lot of brothers…

THEO JOHNSON: Yes, it is.

Q. This is Mother's Day's weekend. What has mom meant to you and your brothers?

THEO JOHNSON: My mom has meant everything to me and my family. She's been our rock. I wouldn't be here without her. She took us out of a really bad situation and was able to work her tail off for me to be here. I attribute everything I’ve got and me being here today to her.

Q. You pay much attention to whether (tight end) Darren Waller is going to play this season or not?

THEO JOHNSON: I’ve heard stuff, I'm not sure what's going to happen. At the end of the day, him being in the room is going to be good for everybody, so we'll see how it shakes out.

Q. Has he reached out you at all?

THEO JOHNSON: No, ma'am.

Q. What's it been like getting to work with your new tight ends coach and start to build that relationship?

THEO JOHNSON: Coach (Tim) Kelly, we spoke during the pre-draft process. I got a good feel for him. It’s been a lot more hands-on now. I think he's done a great job of coaching and I think he's going to really help me improve.

Q. What were those pre-draft conversations?

THEO JOHNSON: A lot of it was just getting a feel for each other, just him showing me a little bit of his coaching style and just trying to get to know me as a player, how I learn, stuff like that. So, it wasn't anything super, super in depth. Just kind of getting a feel for each other.

Q. It's hard when you're just meeting someone, but what stood out about his coaching style or what attracted you to know you wanted to work with him?

THEO JOHNSON: I think he's very honest and a little blunt if I’m being honest with you. I think that's good, because you want someone that's not going to sugarcoat anything. You want someone to be straightforward. That's the best way to improve and grow in my opinion.

Q. Do you enjoy blocking?

THEO JOHNSON: I do. Yeah, that's a big part of my job (when I) was at college in Penn State. We took a lot of pride in it. We had those big packages, three tight ends, two running backs. I do enjoy it. It's something I take a lot of pride in and something I'm going to continue to work at every day.

Q. Is that something you have to learn to like or it's just dominating somebody one-on-one in a block?

THEO JOHNSON: I think naturally it's something you have to work on. I think when you have that right mindset, when it's coached – it can be coached, but some people just have that switch that you can't coach or teach.

Q. You have a lot of the attributes that you can’t coach. That height, weight and speed that are just God-given. What is it that you want to focus on to help you take it to the next level?

THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, I think the big thing for me is consistency. Being consistent. I'll flash a lot of really good things on tape, but it's putting all that stuff together every single snap that's going to help me reach my potential.

Q. So much of the pre-draft process is made about your high ceiling for being a pass catcher, to be out there and go out there and develop into that. Do you think people might be a little surprised -- I'll be honest, I was surprised -- that you're bigger than what people made you out to be? Surprised by your strength, physicality a little bit when you get out on the field with veterans?

THEO JOHNSON: I mean it's never been a surprise to me. I've kind of always known that about myself. But based on what people have said about me, maybe people will be surprised about that. It's something I've always known, the people I've worked with closely have known. It's just a matter of kind of showing it to everybody else.

Q. How do you find consistency?

THEO JOHNSON: Consistency comes from repetition, doing it a lot, and then being very detail oriented. Being very honest with yourself when you're watching film and then having a coach that's going to hold you to that standard every single day and not let the little stuff slide. I think that's a big part of having consistent technique.

Q. Tight end is a tough position coming into the NFL because you’ve got so many different responsibilities. Just curious what are your first impressions of the playbook? How much have they thrown at you?

THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, tight end is a lot, even at the college level. You're just asked to do so much, and that's why I think it's a great position. Everything you're asked to do, it's very unique. It's not just a one-tool guy. The best tight ends are able to do everything. I think that's really cool for a guy like me that I feel like I have the potential to do all the things that you can ask a tight end to do and be a guy that you can't take off the field.

It's a lot, but it comes with the territory.

Q. You became a real red zone weapon last year. Seven touchdown catches. Is that just getting more opportunities or something you developed?

THEO JOHNSON: I think that has to go with how we schemed this up down in the red zone. That's definitely an area I think I can excel in, just big guy in short areas. It's a little bit of a matchup.

But, yeah, I think that's something I'm going to improve on.

Q. How much more room to grow in an offense do you think you can show at this level?

THEO JOHNSON: I think I have tremendous room to improve. I think I can grow a lot more than where I'm at right now. I think that's why I'm so excited. I'm coming in here with a learning mindset. I want to develop respect from my teammates and my coaches. I think that's going to help me continue to grow and improve. But I'm super excited to get to work and get going here, because I think I have a potential to be a really special player here.

Q. When you're in high school and college, you have four years to go from freshman to senior, where you're the small guy in the room to then all of a sudden you're the leader. You pretty much have 48 hours coming off rookie minicamp being a draft pick to now on Monday when the veterans walk in. Have you prepared yourself mentally for that? Have you gotten advice from people about how to carry yourself when the veterans walk back in here to their locker room, which has been your locker room the last two days?

THEO JOHNSON: I think it's a little bit different than going from high school to college. In college you go from being a kid for the most part and you leave a man. I'm coming into this league 23 years old, already being a man, so I have that mature approach to things. I don't think it's going to be as much of a difference with my approach because I feel like I already kind of did that at Penn State.

Q. With Waller, if he's not there, the tight end position is open for playing time now. Does that excite you, the opportunity to get on the field and contribute day one?

THEO JOHNSON: I'm super excited for whatever role I have this year. Whatever that looks like, I'm going to take it in full stride and I’m going to put my all into it. So whatever role that is, I'm going to give everything I have to it.