Texas Tech football: The most underrated players of the Tommy Tuberville era

DB D.J. Johnson

D.J. Johnson is another defensive back who might not come immediately to mind but who was a solid player.  From 2009-12, the Austin native registered 239 tackles and eight interceptions yet I had forgotten about his contributions until I began this piece.

Making 33 career starts, he helped Tech reach three bowl games.  He racked up 83 tackles as a junior and 90 as a senior while intercepting two passes in each season.   He was named a second-team All-Big 12 honoree in 2012.

Against Kansas in 2011, he had two interceptions, his only two-INT game.  But his most impactful play came in his final game as a Red Raider.

In the 2012 Texas Bowl, Tech and Minnesota were tied at 31 with just 55 seconds to play thanks to a furious fourth-quarter Red Raider rally.  Johnson came over from his safety spot to intercept a pass tipped into the air by Tre’ Porter and after he returned the ball to the Minnesota 25, the Red Raiders were set up for the game-winning field goal.

Don’t overlook the importance of that game for the morale of Texas Tech football fans.  It was the first game after Tuberville unexpectedly bolted for Cincinnati and to say that the ego of Red Raider fans was bruised after losing a head coach to a team from outside of the Power 5 Conferences would be an understatement.

That’s why the 34-31 win in Houston in front of a huge Tech contingency was so much more important than the average bowl victory.  That season, Tech had not produced a turnover of any kind in the previous five games but Johnson (who also had 14 tackles that night) made his second pick of the year and his final play as a Red Raider one worth savoring.