East Carolinian

Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Travis Bartlett

ECU didn't have to look far for a replacement after one of its best defensive players, senior Quentin Cotton, was lost for the season after suffering a devastating knee injury against Tulane.

While Pierre Bell took over the middle linebacker position left open by Cotton's injury, junior Nick Johnson was added to the defensive unit as the starting strongside linebacker, and has not looked back since.

"[I just thought], 'oh man,'" Johnson said about watching Cotton go down. "I love him so it hurts me as much as everyone else to see him go down, especially him. It just means we have to come together more as a linebacker unit and make up for the plays he would make."

Since Cotton's injury, Johnson has gone from a so-called utility linebacker to a starter, but according to ECU defensive coordinator Greg Hudson, he was always a high caliber player.

"We had four starters," Hudson said. "Nick was one of the four guys; he played just as many snaps as everybody else in the first three games. Nick was actually a starter and he is the only guy that can play all three positions."

Johnson has noticed quite a difference between being the top backup and becoming a starter.

"It's a good feeling, it's exciting, but it comes with a lot of responsibility so there is a weight on my shoulders," he said of his newfound role. "It's a lot more tiring and a lot more physical. After the game you feel a lot more drained. You just have to get used to getting in that many plays in a game."

If his new role of starting strongside linebacker has affected Johnson in any way, not many people can tell. In his first career start against N.C. State, he had a team-high nine tackles, one of which was for a loss. Two weeks ago against Houston, he had his second straight stellar game with a career-high 11 tackles, as well as forcing and recovering a fumble.

"He's done great," Hudson said. "He has graded a winning performance each time and he has really exceeded my expectations of how he would be this year. We're really proud of him."

Arguably Johnson's biggest play of the season to date came in his hometown of Charlotte against Virginia Tech -the opening game of the season. Late in the second quarter he intercepted a pass at the Hokies' 20-yard line and returned in to their one-yard line. ECU was able to punch it in and cut its deficit to 14-7.

"It was big. It was in my home city so that was even more exciting," Johnson said. "I was electrified. It was fun. It meant a lot to me because I've always wanted to play at the Panthers stadium so that was something I got to do."

Continued...

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