Titans running back Chris Johnson needs to come out of his shell. He’s way too humble, too understated about his skills and abilities.
Take, for instance, Johnson’s opinions regarding the identity of the best running back in the NFL. “No way possible there should be a debate about who’s the best running back in the NFL,” Johnson told Matt Crossman of Sporting News in the latest issue of the magazine.
Johnson also wants to be the new face of the league. “It’s like Obama,” Johnson told Crossman. “Obama was the first black president. I could be the first black face of the NFL.”
Johnson, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards in only his second NFL season, has another goal for 2010. He wants to run for 2,500 yards, which would obliterate the current single-season record, set by Eric Dickerson more than a quarter-century ago.
And Johnson continues to be motivated by the fact that he was the fourth running back selected in the 2008 draft, behind Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, and Rashard Mendenhall. As Crossman points out, Johnson has more rushing yards than the trio, combined.
So is it any wonder that, of Johnson’s many tattoos, his favorite one is an image of his own face?
We don’t fault him for it. Vanity and confidence suit Johnson well. But we wonder how he’ll deal with failure, if/when he doesn’t reach his goals.
Or if Jim Brown pays him a visit to talk a little bit about the history of the league.