Steven Johnson, OLB

04/23/2012 - These days, Steven Johnson can't say for sure whether he'll be drafted. He just has to wait. The NFL draft - football's annual three-day spectacle - is still seven days away. And Johnson, a linebacker from Kansas, probably wouldn't hear his named called until the third day, anyway. "I'm not gonna say I expect to get drafted," Johnson says. "I will say that it is a dream of mine." This is the life of a marginal prospect from a program that went 5-19 during his final two seasons on campus. Then again, this is how it's always been for Johnson, a former walk-on who worked himself into the Big 12's leading tackler and a team captain during his senior year. No, Johnson can't tell you if he'll be drafted - or where. But he can tell you that he'll make it. And he'll tell you why. He'll tell you about the time his high school coach wasn't sure if Johnson would be able to start as a senior. (Still remembers the coach's name, in fact.) Or he'll tell you the time he had to go to prep school because the scholarship offers never really came. You might hear about the torn knee ligaments he suffered during that prep school year, effectively ending his recruitment. Or how he finally ended up at KU as an invited walk-on in 2007, his father mortgaging his own barbershop in Pennsylvania to provide tuition for his son. "My foundation," Johnson says, "and where I come from; my upbringing has really helped me out." And all these stories and setbacks, Johnson says, simply prepared him for his greatest challenge yet. "I think back to what I've done," Johnson says. "When I hit some adversity at the next level, I can be like ???I've worked for this, I've worked for everything I've ever earned in my life.'?" - Rustin Dodd, The Kansas City Star

01/04/2012 - Recently graduated Kansas linebacker Steven Johnson has recently accepted an invitation to play in the 87th Annual East-West Shrine Game benefitting Shriners Hospitals for Children. Johnson is the 48th player in Kansas history to be invited to compete in the game, which will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla, on Saturday, Jan. 21, and will be aired on the NFL Network. Johnson led the Big 12 Conference and finished the season ranked 16th in the NCAA in tackles with 124 stops in 12 games. Johnson, who earned both second team and third team all-league honors following the season, also finished in the top 25 nationally in solo tackles with 66 on the season. Additionally, the Media, Pa., native finished with 6.0 TFLs for minus 10 yards, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, one interception, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry. Johnson is the fourth Kansas player in the last three seasons to accept an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Game. - Kansas football

12/10/2011 - 2011 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL HONORABLE MENTION (COACHES): Steven Johnson (LB), has been selected All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention for the 2011 college football season as voted on by the league's 10 head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own players. Johnson finished the 2011 season as the leading tackler in the Big 12 with 124 stops, including 66 solo tackles. He is the first Kansas player to lead the conference in tackles since Roger Robben led the Big 8 with 146 tackles in 1989. Johnson, a Media, Pa., native, also 6.0 TFLs for minus 10 yards and recorded two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, one interception, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry. - Kansas football

08/24/2011 - MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: LB Steven Johnson led the Jayhawks in tackles last season, and the next five tacklers on the list exhausted their eligibility. Granted, if a quarterback steps up to ignite the Kansas offense, he will be considered the team's key player. For now, however, the Jayhawks must build on strides made last year on defense, and Johnson is the natural leader as a senior. There is actually some promise within the unit, with many potential breakout stars. But consistency is needed too, and Johnson provides it. - The Sports Xchange