HANG TIME

Steve Virgen

There were three teams with one victory that pulled off upsets

Sunday. Just another day in the NFL.

In San Diego, a 41-year-old quarterback further established his

magic, while a rookie punter took his lumps, booted three solid punts

and gained more experience in the league.

Like Doug Flutie, Eddie Johnson has come a long way to reach the

NFL. Johnson, a former standout at Newport Harbor High and Orange

Coast College, is also seeking a trademark such as Flutie’s magic.

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He wants to be known for his accuracy, hang time and for pinning

opponents deep in their own territory. He wants to be known as the

ultimate specialist.

But Johnson has realized it will take time and sacrifice. It will

also include setbacks, which he and his team endured Sunday when

Flutie led the Chargers to a 42-28 upset over the Vikings in his

first start of the season.

The Chargers’ victory put a damper on Johnson’s first pro game in

Southern California, but he remained positive. He said he felt

blessed to see his family and friends at the game. Most of them,

about a dozen, wore purple T-shirts with the No. 4 on the front, and

“Johnson” on the back.

“It’s great, man,” Johnson said of playing back in Southern

California. “Since we landed it’s been sunny. There’s no place like

home.”

Johnson said he’s been enjoying his experience in the NFL and he

has learned to also take his punting position as a job. He has to

bring his best every game, he said, because as the Chargers proved,

you never know what may happen.

The NFL’s mayhem and parity, which give credence to the term, “on

any given Sunday,” make for great entertainment, but it causes pro

coaches to seek out stability and consistency. Those simple

qualities, as opposed to the flair and highlights, can be the

difference in a close game. It’s why the Chargers turned to a

different quarterback against the Vikings.

Drew Brees had been inefficient, ineffective and, just as bad, he

was losing confidence. And, so San Diego turned to Flutie. The

Carolina Panthers, this year’s surprise team of the NFL, use a power

running game, hard-nosed defense and also rely on their special teams

to eke out victories.

Johnson has been a part of the Vikings’ revitalized defense, which

actually fell apart Sunday. Yet, that defense, which has been aided

by Johnson’s punting, helped lead Minnesota to a 6-0 start. Now the

Vikings and their defense are looking to Johnson again, when they

play at Oakland Sunday.

“He’s coming along very well every weekend,” Vikings defensive

tackle Chris Hovan said. “He’s maturing as a pro and he’s going to be

one of the better punters in this league in the future.”

Against San Diego, Johnson’s first punt seemed to have put

Minnesota’s defense on the advantage, as he pinned the Chargers on

their own 15 with 9:50 left in the first quarter when the Vikings

trailed, 7-0.

Johnson’s punt was so high, Tim Dwight had to call for a fair

catch. However, four plays later, third-year running back LaDainian

Tomlinson outran defenders near Johnson’s sideline on his way to a

73-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career.

In the third quarter, Johnson recorded a 41-yard punt, but since

it was from his own 14, the Chargers started at their own 43, and

eventually drove down for another touchdown, a Tomlinson 1-yard run,

that gave San Diego a 35-14 lead.

With 11:16 remaining, Johnson got off his final punt. He shanked

it, but it still got a good bounce and went for 42 yards to San

Diego’s 27-yard line. Flutie turned around and led his team on its

final scoring drive, which was capped by his 13-yard run that came

after he had fumbled the ball, scooped it up and juked a defender

before diving across the goal line.

The Vikings were upset after their loss, to say the least. Randy

Moss, who had 120 yards and one touchdown on 11 catches, did not

speak to the media, and the same went for defensive back Corey

Chavous. Johnson did not have reporters or cameras in his face after

the game, but he was just as frustrated with the loss.

“This one does hurt,” Johnson said. “We spend all of our time

together. It’s my work. It’s like a regular job, but it’s a little

more fun. You have the highs and the lows and you experience that

with your team. It might be different if specialists walked in and

kicked and walked back out. That’s not how we do it. We stay the

whole time. And, that’s why it hurts to lose.”

As the Vikings prepare for a possible run for the playoffs,

Johnson has enjoyed the season. Coming out of Idaho State, NCAA

Division I-AA ball, his rise to the NFL has been sweeter for him, he

said.

“It’s been terrific,” Johnson said. “I feel very fortunate, very

blessed. I don’t know how to describe it when you’re out there in

front of 65,000 people and you hit the ball and you do well in what

you do and you do it in a game on national TV. There are no words to

describe that feeling, the joy you get from that. It’s a high, a

total high.”

Among Johnson’s biggest fans Sunday was his mother, Charmaine

Clarke, who arrived at Qualcomm Stadium about 9 a.m. to tailgate. She

decorated a friend’s motor home with signs in support of her son,

Eddie. She has seen him use the hard way to land in the NFL.

Johnson nearly became academically ineligible at OCC. He could

have probably played for a NCAA Division I program out of high

school, but it took time for him to realize his potential.

“It was so exciting to see him play,” said Clarke, who also

watched Johnson play in his first game against the Green Bay Packers

at Lambeau Field. “My heart was bursting with pride. He’s been

through a lot. He knew that he was playing below his level because of

the decisions he made. I remember him realizing, ‘this is where I’m

at and this is what I did.’ And, he just put his head down and

started rebuilding. He was All-American two years in a row at Idaho

State and did a really fantastic job to get where he is today.

“It was a really hard time coming from Division I-AA, especially

for a punter,” she continued. “He did a fantastic job. It makes it

way more sweeter. You’re not playing on TV like the Division I kids

are; you’re instead in bohunk Idaho trying to have your little light

beam. It did and he’s here and that’s all that counts.”