UCLA Leaves Things to Chance on the Inside : Converted Linebacker Johnson Is Leading the Bruins in Tackles, and in Anonymity

When she was pregnant 22 years ago with the second of her three children, Toni Johnson of Compton saw a movie in which one of the actors was named Chance.

She liked the sound of the name so much that she decided right then and there that Chance would be the name of her only son.

For the life of her, though, she can’t remember the actor’s full name, nor even whether Chance was his first or last name.

And so, the man for whom Chance Johnson was named remains anonymous.

Johnson himself has remained somewhat anonymous as an inside linebacker at UCLA, although the fifth-year senior is a 3-year starter and, although he missed spring practice with a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery, is the Bruins’ leading tackler this season.

Johnson’s problem is that he is so unspectacular and so consistent that he tends to get overlooked.

All he does, seemingly, is exactly what is asked of him.

And with little fanfare.

Last season, when UCLA ranked fourth in the nation in rushing defense and 13th in total defense, Johnson was the Bruins’ No. 2 tackler, averaging 9 a game.

However, he was overshadowed by the Bruins’ other starting inside linebacker, the more demonstrative Ken Norton, who was UCLA’s No. 1 tackler, an All-American and, ultimately, a second-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys.

Johnson, though, is no less talented than Norton, said UCLA assistant Larry Coyer, who coaches the Bruins’ inside linebackers.

“Ken Norton had a flamboyant personality, whereas Chance Johnson may not say six words in a week,” Coyer said. “(But) I see Johnson and Norton as similar-type talents. There’s no difference in my mind. Johnson’s every bit as good as Ken Norton.”

Still, Johnson is not promoted by UCLA’s publicity staff as an All-American.

That’s mostly because another Bruin linebacker, Carnell Lake, was second in the voting last season for Pacific 10 Conference defensive player of the year.

Playing kind of a supporting role to the stars doesn’t seem to bother Johnson, who describes himself as shy and reserved.

He hopes the opposition underestimates him, too.

“I like them to say, ‘Well, he’s not that good,’ ” Johnson said. “And then when the play starts--let’s find out.

“You have to be aggressive to be a linebacker, and I guess I am that. I like to hit. But I guess I’m a--I wouldn’t say quiet assassin. I’m just a quiet guy.”

Johnson came to UCLA from Compton High, where he was a free safety and, in 1984, one of the most heavily recruited defensive backs in the country.

He wore No. 28 in high school, but wanted a single-digit number at UCLA. The only one available, though, was No. 7, worn previously by UCLA’s former All-American free safety, Don Rogers.

Reluctant because of what he thought would be the inevitable comparisons, Johnson took the number anyway. Then, 2 days after his arrival at UCLA, he was moved to outside linebacker.

Johnson kept the number--”I thought it was unique,” he said--but again switched positions after 2 years at UCLA, moving to inside linebacker.

“I was a little hesitant because I wasn’t that big,” said Johnson, who is 6 feet 1 inch and weighs 225 pounds.

His coaches, however, told him that he probably wouldn’t start at outside linebacker, but that he was one of the Bruins’ best 11 defensive players and that they wanted him on the field.

A pinched nerve in his neck cut short his sophomore season, but Johnson, who has gained about 20 pounds and improved his bench press by about 100 pounds since leaving high school, came back strong last season, making 108 tackles and surpassing his preseason goal by almost 30 tackles.

“It was just a fantastic year for me,” he said.

This season has been almost as good, although Johnson is off pace to meet his preseason goal of 130 tackles. He has 40, including a season-high 15 in UCLA’s 24-17 victory over Washington 2 weeks ago. Last week, he caused a fumble that led to a touchdown in UCLA’s 38-21 victory over Oregon State.

Coyer said Johnson makes up for average size with great instincts.

“He has a real feel for football,” he said. “He’s a great diagnoser.”

Coyer said Johnson is more productive inside than he would be outside because of his instincts.

“He can play in traffic,” Coyer said. “Some guys are talents, but they can’t play in traffic.

“Outside guys can see things coming and they can see blocks developing, whereas inside ‘backers get a lot of blocks on them that they never see coming.”

Johnson is skilled at avoiding them.

As well as he has played, though, Johnson still goes unnoticed.

All he can do to change that, he said, is to persevere.

“If people come to look at Carnell, or they came to look at Ken last year, maybe they saw No. 7 out there, making tackles, and they said to themselves, ‘Who’s that?’

“And then they’ll see I’m leading the team in tackles and they’ll say to themselves, ‘He must be doing something right.’ If I do my job, people will notice me.”

If not, maybe they’ll notice his unique name. His teammates call him the Chancellor.

Johnson would prefer to be called the Chancellor of Defense.

That might get him noticed.

Bruin Notes

Nose guard Jim Wahler, suspended last week in part for comments he made in an article that appeared last Thursday in The Times, was reinstated Monday by Coach Terry Donahue. . . . UCLA (5-0) will play Cal (3-2) Saturday at Berkeley. . . . UCLA has won 16 straight games against Cal and hasn’t lost at Berkeley since 1968.