For the last few years, Kalvin Robinson’s had one of the largest wingspans among Hilltoppers.
Yet the 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive end wasn’t using his best physical attribute to his advantage. That was, he says, until Reggie Johnson came along. The veteran defensive line coach led Western Kentucky’s D-ends for the 2016 season — and he is now a defensive assistant for Jeff Brohm at Purdue — helping to turn Robinson into a more impactful reserve.
Johnson identified Robinson’s strengths, Robinson said, then tried to cultivate them, the same as he did with the other ends on WKU’s roster. So for the then-senior end, that was the length of his arms, using them to keep offensive tackles away, rather than locking up with them, as he had been — less effectively — in the past.
“(He) actually customized what kind of pass rusher you will be based on your body and your abilities,” Robinson said. “So instead of everyone doing the same thing, he looked at you and would have a one-on-one meeting and he’s say, ‘This is where I see you, and this is where I can get you better, because you’re so good at this or so good at that.’ Or, ‘You’re not as good in one area but are in this area, so we should focus on that.’ That’s what I loved.”
Washington Redskin D-end Anthony Lanier agrees, citing it among the reasons why he calls Johnson “hands-down one of the best coaches I’ve ever had.” That says a lot, considering Lanier had four position coaches and a couple coordinators during his four seasons at Alabama A&M.
Johnson was his defensive coordinator for the Owls in 2014 and ’15, the latter when he added D-line responsibilities.
“Time and time again, he would put you in position to make plays,” said Lanier, a rookie with the Redskins. “He wasn’t one of those guys who was like, ‘Oh, you’re going to be my workhorse.’ He put everyone in position to make plays, whether it be the nose, the defensive ends, the tackles. It was all around.
“You have different type of players. I was more the athletic basketball-type who was out there playing football, so when I came into the game, I really didn’t know too much structurally about how to handle an offensive lineman. My thing was that I knew speed: Get up the field, fight a person off. But he was pounding on me to use my long arms, use my hands. … Every drill would help certain people in certain ways; we weren’t just doing the same drill for defensive ends the whole time. Everyone counts in gaining the knowledge and getting on the same level and on the same page, so that we knew what to expect of each other when we got on the field.”
The 47-year-old Johnson, a Chicago native who played at Louisville from 1987-90, has a solid résumé, coaching at UL (when former Cardinal Elvis Dumervil was an All-American), and at Arkansas and UAB, along with A&M and WKU. And he’s bounced between coaching the linebackers and defensive linemen over the years; at Purdue, Johnson’s responsibilities weren’t specified in the university’s announcement Monday, but D-line, either in its entirely or ends exclusively, seems most likely.
Last season at Western Kentucky, the Hilltoppers produced 34 sacks, the second-most in C-USA, although Johnson was coaching only the D-ends.
Lanier says Boilermakers should be eager to learn.
“I have always had high respect for him,” Lanier said. “He really knows the game, as far as inside and out, on the defense. … The work ethic he instilled in us was that the war was on the field. We were going out there, not only to have fun — because it is fun — but he had us ready to go, ready to take care of business.”
Johnson leads, players say, with a calm, respectful demeanor. Robinson appreciated the approach, feeling that it made the Hilltoppers play for him on the field, as if they didn’t want to let him down.
“He allows us to see each other eye to eye, where we know that he’s in charge but he still gives us the freedom to be 21-, 22-year-olds but be mature,” Robinson said. “That’s what I like about him. He kind of reminds me of my parents in that perspective. He gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. He treats you like you’re mature instead of a kid, and in college football — I hate to say it — but sometimes they treat you like children instead of young men.
“He always has this saying after every practice, ‘Do what you’re supposed to do and be where you’re supposed to be. Handle everything you need to handle,’ because that’s what he’s going to do for us. He’s going to handle everything he can as a coach, therefore he requires the same from you.”
Johnson gives his players tools for success, Lanier says, and expects them to follow through, but he’s not rigid, either. He understands that football is about reactions and instincts and allows his players to use those, rather than be robots.
“He was like, ‘I helped you through the week, going through the plays, putting you in the best position, but there’s going to be times — because I’m human — that I’m going to mess up and I’m going to need you to bail me out,’” Lanier said. “He was giving us a chance to be coaches on the field and I’ve never had anybody do that. It was so different. I was intrigued, every word he said, the life lessons he taught us, everything.”
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