Kickin' it with Cole

WEEKLY BLOG: 2/3/19

Like many high school football players, Cole Johnson was first exposed to the game of football by watching it on television.

However, unlike most of his counterparts in the state, Johnson was watching games on Monday mornings - in Australia. He lived in Australia from when he was three to 10. He got his start in sports by playing soccer down under for a couple years. But, growing up with American parents, he was introduced to football as well.

Super Bowl Sunday is a little different there. For one thing, it airs on Monday morning as it is 18 hours later (10:30 am kickoff). If it was a big enough game, he was allowed to take off from school.

"I got intrigued with football with the Super Bowl (in 2009) between the Steelers and the Cardinals," Johnson said. "When we moved to America, I didn't play soccer again. I just played football."

When Johnson started out in youth football, he played cornerback his first two years. In the league that he played in, extra point kicks were worth two points. In seventh grade, kicking also became part of his repertoire.

It was in that same year (2013) that Mike Vanderjagt arrived in Arizona. Vanderjagt had a 15-year professional career spending eight years with the Indianapolis Colts, a year with the Dallas Cowboys, and also some time in the CFL with Saskatchewan and Toronto. In 2003, Vanderjagt was a Pro Bowler as he became the first kicker to go an entire season without missing a field goal (37-for-37) or an extra point (46-for-46).

In addition to coaching his son, Jay, at Saguaro and Coronado, Vanderjagt began working with middle school and high school kickers. Johnson has been learning from him for the past six years. Vanderjagt also coached special teams at Horizon last season.

In this particular workout last Sunday, Johnson practiced kickoffs (from the 35, where he'll have to kick them in college) and field goals. Sometimes, he punts as well. For the field goals, balls were lined up with three on each yard line, gradually going back five yards with three more set up. Johnson knocked them down at about a 90-percent clip.

Johnson played his freshman year at Brophy and hardly left the field. He was lined up on offense as a receiver, played cornerback on D, and also handled kicking duties.

He transferred to Horizon for the last three years of high school and was the Huskies' kicker and punter for the past two seasons.

His senior year, Johnson was 7-of-10 in field goals with a long of 48 in the playoff game at Casteel. Four of those successful field goals came from beyond 40 yards. Johnson was 37-of-39 in extra points and had 29 touchbacks. Unlike some across the state, Johnson kicks off the ground (instead of using a block). That was one of the first things Vanderjagt taught him as there are no blocks permitted in college football.

That earned him First Team honors for the 5A Northeast Valley Region, but that's not all.

Johnson was also named to the First Team as a defensive back. He was targeted 75 times and had 30 pass breakups with one interception. Johnson, who played every snap on defense, allowed just two touchdowns and ranked third on Horizon with 50 tackles.

It's rare to see a kicker also excel at another position on the field. Chaparral junior Tommy Christakos (also a wide receiver) comes to mind. But, it's a pretty short list.

In his time working with Vanderjagt, Johnson has seen improvements in his game.

"My biggest growth has been kickoffs," Johnson said. "As I worked on technique, my kickoffs improved."

While he has a career practice-long of 60 yards (in Flagstaff) and a game-long 51 yarder against Boulder Creek (in 2017), the biggest kick Johnson has made in a game came against Desert Mountain as a junior.

With Horizon holding a 38-31 lead and less than two minutes remaining, Johnson drilled a 47-yard field goal to ice the game. The Huskies held on to win 41-38.

Johnson signed in December with the Air Force Academy, selecting that offer over one from Army. It was during his junior year that the recruitment began.

"(Defensive Assistant) Coach Alex Means came to school during spring ball," Johnson said. "When I started to see interest from them, I went to their camp and got offered there."

Johnson received his offer from the Falcons in early August and committed three days later. He plans to study either Kinesiology or Exercise Science.

With the Air Force, there is the military commitment after college.

"I would hope to fly," Johnson said. "I'm really open to what they have."

Johnson has an older sister, whose friend currently attends Air Force, that has answered some questions he's had as he prepares for this next step.

Thus far, eight Arizona players have committed to the AFA. Johnson has already been interacting with some of his future teammates.

"I have a group chat with a few of the kids," Johnson said. "I'm really close to them and play Xbox with them."

The new Alliance of American Football (which includes the Arizona Hotshots) reduces the impact of the kicking game as there will be no extra points (teams will go for two) and no kickoffs (possessions will start at the 25-yard line). I'm sure high school kickers are hoping these rules don't make it to the NFL or collegiate levels.

In last week's NFC Championship Game, everyone was talking about the blown pass interference no-call (which was blatant). But you can guarantee every kicker remembers how that game ended - with a 57-yard field goal from the leg of Greg Zuerlein.

"They're so good these days, it's almost more of a story when they miss these kicks," Vanderjagt said. "It's a huge part of the game. Field-goal kicking is in the spotlight year in and year out."

In addition to the physical part of the game, Vanderjagt also teaches the mental side as well. Kickers have to be able to perform their duties the same whether their team is down by two or up by 30.

"There's hundreds of kickers that can make a 45-yard field goal walking the streets of America," Vanderjagt said. "But, can you do it when the lights are on, the chips are down, and you really need it? I'm trying to raise elite kickers and make sure they move on and do things that are unlike anybody else."

For Johnson's pre-kick routine, he does the math from the snap to the hold (seven yards) and adds 10 to know the distance of the attempt. He'll place his foot down and give the holder a spot. After looking at the uprights, Johnson will take three steps back, look up, and then take two steps to the left.

"The camps tell you to have a routine," Johnson said. "I just tell myself to stay tall and swing through it."