Johnson finds motivation in Tech defensive tradition

BLACKSBURG — Jake Johnson didn't begin seriously following college football until his sophomore year at Stafford High School in Stafford County. By that time, he was blossoming into a promising fullback and linebacker, and attracting attention from schools.

The more he watched and read, the more he realized that Virginia Tech "is the place to be for defense," he said. "It's crazy how good we are every year, and that's really what got me hooked."

Other schools, including Virginia and Maryland, recruited him as a fullback. But Johnson had his heart set on playing linebacker at Tech, just like Vince Hall and first-team All-American Xavier Adibi, the Hokies' defensive stars during Johnson's high school years, the guys whose accomplishments hooked him.

Now Johnson finds himself carrying part of the responsibility for maintaining Tech's dominant defensive reputation. The Hokies finished last season seventh nationally in total defense and ninth in scoring defense. In each of the previous four seasons, they finished in the top four in both categories.

Johnson, a sophomore who played on special teams last season, notes he is “10 times better” than he was last summer. And as a sixth grader, Johnson didn't understand much other than sitting on the couch and playing video games.

"I was a typical little fat kid, getting picked on," he said.

One night, his dad was flipping the television channels and pro wrestling came on. Sick of being chubby, Johnson decided to improve himself. He got a starter weight bench for Christmas and set it up in his room, in front of his TV. He'd watch wrestling as he lifted, getting up after every set to admire his changing physique in the mirrors on his closet doors. He learned as he lifted, sometimes putting unequal weight on either side of the bar. But by the time he was in eighth grade, he was a trim football player and had moved up to a Bowflex machine.

"Then when I saw kids getting picked on, I stepped in and broke it up, because I didn't like that when people got picked on," he said.

Some teammates call him Jakeamania now — a play on Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania phenomenon.

Johnson, who is 6-1 and 229 pounds, isn't ready to anoint himself as the next great Tech linebacker just yet.

"I'm still kind of raw," he said, noting that he sometimes struggles with taking proper angles when trying to make a tackle — an error that could help a ball carrier scoot past him.

But Johnson's goal is never far from his mind: Live up to standards set by Hall and Adibi, and even their All-American linebacker predecessors — Jamel Smith in 1999, Ben Taylor in 2000 and 2001.

"It just makes me think that I have to be that much better," Johnson said. "Because our defense is that good every year, I don't want to be here the year where it's not good."

Darryl Slater is a staff writer for Media General’s Richmond Times-Dispatch.