JUCO WR looks for offers

The prototype wide receiver for college football has gotten bigger in recent years and Chabot College receiver Steve Johnson fits that mold. Johnson played running back, quarterback and defensive end in high school but made a smooth transition to wide receiver as a freshman at Chabot in 2004.

Johnson is 6-foot-3, 203 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in under 4.6 seconds. He receives mail on regular basis from Auburn, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, UNLV and Marshall but no visits or offers have happened yet.

"I think I want to get out of the west coast," said Johnson. "I have a cousin that plays at Kansas State and he always tells me how great it is."

Johnson's cousin Marvin Simmons plays middle linebacker at Kansas State and is a senior transfer player from Compton College.

Johnson finished with 32 catches for 607 yards and six touchdowns in 2004, averaging an impressive 19-yards-per-catch and earning second team all-Golden Gate Conference recognition. He says he likes wide receiver and prefers it to running back or quarterback.

"At quarterback you've got the ball all the time and I like that, but wide receiver is like Showtime," said Johnson. "Once that ball goes up in the air, it's on."

Johnson attended Rodriguez High School in Fairfield, California, and was the athlete of the year at Rodriguez as a senior at quarterback and safety. He was recruited by Wyoming, UNLV and Washington State in high school but was an academic non-qualifier and was forced to go the junior college route. He is on schedule to be out of Chabot in June of 2006.

Johnson and Chabot will open the 2005 season Sept. 3 against the College of San Mateo.