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The DiCecco Daily: Catching Up With Eagles UDFA DB Brandon Johnson · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Hey, what's up, everybody? Welcome into another edition of to
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: check O Daily. It's Andrew Dicheco here, Eagles beat reporter
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: for Inside the Birds dot Com, and based on reactions
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: that occurred on the heels of Brandon Johnson's recent practice
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: squad elevations, I sent some curiosity regarding the rookie defensive back.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: While I've casually chatted with Brandon throughout the season, on
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: New Year's Eve, I stopped by his locker for a
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: formal conversation to hear his perspective on his first NFL
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: season and share that with you. This edition of the
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: podcast will be devoted to learning more about the duke
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: and Oregon product. Brandon Johnson finds himself in rare company.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: The twenty two year old is among just seven Eagles
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: who are part of the team's initial practice squad configuration
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: prior to Week one who has remained all season, the
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: others being safe de Andre Sam tight ndij Jenkins, quarterback,
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: Kyle McCord, backer Chance Campbell, outside linebacker Patrick Johnson, and
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: offensive lineman Holland Pierce. And Like Sam, Jenkins and Patrick Johnson,
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Brandon has appeared in regular season games for the Eagles,
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: but before we look ahead, let's properly set the scene
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: with some background. Johnson comes from an athletic family. His father,
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: Wayne played football at the nor Rhyane College, and his mother,
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: Alanda played basketball for the university, scoring over one thousand
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: career points and finishing with the most steels in program history.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: According to Johnson's Oregon bio for reference, the college, located
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: in Hickory, North Carolina, is less than twenty minutes from
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: Brandon Johnson's hometown of Newton, North Carolina. Brandon emerged from
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  Speaker 1: Newton Conover High School as a three star recruit and
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: was heralded as one of the more decorated cornerbacks in
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: the country. He landed on Duke University as his college
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: of choice, where he played from twenty twenty one to
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty three as a nickel defender with safety versatility,
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: though with regard to safety, Johnson referred to himself as
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: the quote unquote justin case guy in the event of injury.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: He lettered all three seasons and twice earned honorable Mention
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: All acc Selection honors. When Johnson arrived at Duke, the
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: program was well regarded for several sports, though football wasn't
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: necessarily one of them. By the end of his time, though,
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: the program had turned around, a source of pride for Johnson.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: He graduated from Duke but would transfer to Oregon. He
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: also garnered interest from Notre Dame, but the cold weather
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: was a drawback. Ironic how things worked out, but we'll
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: get to his entry into the professional ranks in a moment.
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: At Oregon, Johnson appeared in fourteen games, making eight starts,
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: and earned the accolade of All Big Ten honorable mention.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: Despite his college success, Johnson wouldn't hear his name called
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: in the twenty twenty five NFL Draft, but he wasn't
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: without post draft options. He signed with the Eagles, joining
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: a crowded high defensive backs Still, Johnson flashed in training
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: camp and opened some eyes in the preseason. In the summer,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: first talking to Brandon following a preseason game, he'd noted
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: that he sat in the front row in his meeting room,
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: fixating on the inner workings of an intricate secondary during
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: defensive back meetings. Seated alongside Johnson was veteran Parry Nickerson,
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: who served as a veteran resource and also happened to
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: play nickel Johnson did enough to stick around on the
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: Eagles practice squad from day one, where he would continue
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: his development under defensive backs coach Christian Parker and cornerbacks
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: coach Roy Anderson. His day to day schedule was consistent
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: with those on the active roster, including practice and meetings.
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: For home games, Johnson joined his teammates on the sideline,
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: though only as a spectator. The only time he was
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: away from the team was when the Eagles would go
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: on the road.
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: He was watching from home and it was nice. You know,
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  Speaker 2: it's a little bit different, you know, not being on
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  Speaker 2: the sideline because during the home games on the sidelines
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: sometimes I got an earpiece in so I get to know,
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: like what the call is and then I'll see it
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  Speaker 2: play out on the field. And when I'm at home,
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: I'm trying to do the same thing. But it's hard
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: to tell when you watch it on the TV. But
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  Speaker 2: I'm just supporting my teammates.
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: The reality of seeing the game through a different lens
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: did little deface Johnson, whose confidence never wavered. The rookie
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: instead embraced his role on the scout team, doing his
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: part in practice to service the starters. His contributions to
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: the Eagles. Success is likely lost on most from the outside,
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: but the Eagles view the practice squad as an extension
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: of the active roster, and each member is there because
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  Speaker 1: they embody the competitiveness and high standards the team pride
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: themselves on. Still, though, the inactivity is new terrain for Johnson,
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  Speaker 1: a standout performer at every level. The mild mannered and
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: always affable Johnson carries himself like a season pro who
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: understands his role. Though, as he'll tell you, reconciling the
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: competitor within came with time.
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  Speaker 2: I think I'd be lying if I said it wasn't
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  Speaker 2: a little difficult just getting adjusted to me. But because
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: I definitely missed, you know, being out on the field,
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: and I think my teammates definitely helped me just kind
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: of go through it, and you know, just telling me
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  Speaker 2: to stay down, telling me to keep working hard. Also
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: people in the building just saying, you know, keep doing
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  Speaker 2: what you're doing, re noticing your hard work, and just
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: getting those positive affirmations from my teammates and from my
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: coaches and from some of the staff in the building.
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  Speaker 2: That definitely helped me just get through it and stay down.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: Earlier in the season, Johnson cross trained at safety, which
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: only amplified once fellow rookie Drew Maccooba suffered a fractured
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: ankle in late November. While the team has since moved
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: on from Nickerson, the other player who sits beside Johnson
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: in the meetings is veteran safety read Blanket Ship, who, like Nickerson,
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: has been a valuable resource in easing his acclamation.
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: Perry was beside me, but on the other side of
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: me was Read. So now anytime I have questions about
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: safety play, I can just tap Red and you know,
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: he doesn't hesitate to help me out and let me
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  Speaker 2: know if there's anything he can help me read.
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  Speaker 1: So it's good.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: Having a bet like Reid on the other side of me,
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: the same way I had Perry, you know, next to
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: me help me with nick and stuff.
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: Johnson is fortunate and I not only have blanket Ship
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: to lean on, also veteran defensive back Michael Carter, who
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: Johnson says has helped him a great deal, but also
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: the room as a whole is uniquely close knit. Johnson
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: says he's lucky to have that at his disposal, adding
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: that anything he needs be it aiding him from a
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: mental aspect or getting in extra reps with him on
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: the practice field, his teammates are more than willing. The
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: camaraderie amongst the group also carries over off the field,
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: as the group will sometimes go out to dinner or
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: even visit each other's houses during the holidays if they
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: have nowhere else to go. Johnson struck up a particularly
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: close relationship with veteran cornerback of Dory Jackson, his locker
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  Speaker 1: neighbor on any given day in the locker room. Upon entry,
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: it's become commonplace to see Johnson and Jackson, who not
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: only has nine years of NFL experience, but also worldly
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: experience to draw from chatting. It's a relationship that Johnson values.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: Definitely a Dory just because he's a older guy and
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: he's right beside me in the locker room, so it's
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: easy to just pick his brain.
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: He's a great guy, so you can talk to him
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  Speaker 3: about anything from football or just life in general, which
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: I always appreciate. But yeah, where do you think he's
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: helped you the most, whether it be you know, football
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: related or.
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: Even just life.
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: He's telling me with just adjusting to life in the league, honestly,
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  Speaker 2: on the field, off the field. You know, he's been
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: doing it for a while, so it seems like he
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: almost has the answer to everything just because he's lived
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: it before.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: These days, Johnson spends more time with safeties coach Joe Casper,
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  Speaker 1: who is in his second season with the Eagles. Casper,
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  Speaker 1: who boasts a track record of player development during his
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: brief NFL tenure, once served as a grad assistant at Duke.
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  Speaker 1: Though it predated Johnson's arrival, Casper's coaching style, first in detail,
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  Speaker 1: has had a positive effect on Johnson.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: Unless you play, you know, it's not robotic. But I
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: also like the fact that he coaches you hard, and
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: he coaches you with a very detailed mentality. Is so
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: even the slightest detail he will cut you up on.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: And I can appreciate because even though there's no such
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: thing as perfession, you know, we want it to be perfect.
• 8:28
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  Speaker 1: With one regular season game remaining on the slate, it
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: remains to be seen if another Johnson elevation will be
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: in the plans against the Commanders, but perspective and context
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: is important when viewing Johnson's rookie campaign. In totality, Johnson
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: persevered despite facing considerable odds to start, and with the
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: help of who I believe were the NFL's top position
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: coaches in Parker Anderson and Casper Johnson has made notable strides.
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: He's always known he belonged, but Johnson learned valuable lessons
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: along the way this season that can sometimes elude young
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: players that he plans on applying as he forges ahead
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: in his young career.
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: Just consistency and persistency. Like those two things. Just being
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: consistent and being persistent, I think it will take you
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: very far. Just me working my way up to the
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: active roster now is something that very grateful for, But
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: I think it came with a lot of hard work
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: and consistency and being persistent and kind of just learning
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: as much as I could every single day. And I
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: continue to do that, or I plan on continuing to
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: do that. So it's probably the biggest THAY say I've
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: learned that I'll try to carry with me into every season.
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: Inside the Eagles locker room, Thursday proved to be another
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: example of the bond amongst the defensive backs. The team
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: was filling out their ballot for the NFL's top one
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: hundred players and Brandon happened to be filling out his
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: right outside Mac McWilliams locker. Number one on his list
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, two, defensive back Cooper Degen. And that's
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: the latest edition.
• 13:27
  Speaker 5: Of the zech Odaily.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: I hope you enjoy the uniqueness of this podcast with
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: Brandon's own words, and I will catch you all on
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: the next one.