MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - Last year, when it came to Reeths-Puffer’s wide receivers, opponents were mostly concerned about senior standout Tayte Vanderleest.
Then Brooks Johnson, a junior at the time, emerged as a second receiving threat on the other side of the field. R-P fans were excited about the prospect of having Johnson back this season to fill Vanderleest’s shoes.
But plans sometimes change, depending on the needs of the team.
Over the summer R-P head coach Cody Kater became convinced that Johnson would be more valuable as an offensive and defensive lineman.
The coaches talked to him about switching from his high-profile skill position, where players get a lot of attention, to the grueling front line, where very few guys get the credit they deserve.
Brooks Johnson
Johnson, the ultimate team player, agreed to make the switch and has been having a great time time in the trenches.
“It was a little hard,” said Johnson, who is bursting at the seams to take the field for the season opener at Grand Haven on Thursday night. “At first I was thinking, ‘I don’t get to score any touchdowns this season,’ but then I kind of embraced it and it’s actually been a lot of fun.
"You get to fight somebody legally every play. Pancaking an opponent is awesome. I love throwing people around. I don’t need all the attention.”
Kater knows Johnson would have been a very good receiver this season. Like everyone else, he saw the potential emerge last fall.
“He was definitely growing into that,” the coach said. “He has great hands and hand-eye coordination. In our game against Grand Rapid Union he had a lot of key catches. I think he was around 90 or 100 yards receiving. That was kind of one of his breakout games.”
Johnson, left, confers with coaches and asks a lot of questions during practice.
But Kater also knew that the Rockets would have some depth at receiver this year, particularly with the addition of basketball standouts Travis Ambrose and Jaxson Whitaker. The offensive and defensive lines, on the other hand, were starting fresh with a lot of new faces.
He figured Johnson had the strength and athleticism to make a big difference up front.
“We brought him out to eat and talked to him about it.," Kater said. "We told him we weren’t trying to pressure him. We wanted football to remain fun for him. His only question was how much weight we wanted him to put on. He wanted what was best for the team.”
Johnson admits that he was looking forward to being a receiver again this fall.
Playing that position was kind of special, because his father, Corey Johnson, was a wide receiver for the Rockets in the mid-1990s.
Johnson, left, rushes the quarterback during practice on Tuesday.
“I kind of grew up wanting to play receiver,” said Johnson, who has added about 10-15 pounds to get ready for the line. “That’s what my dad played, so it was kind of an honor, and I’ve always had pretty good hands. I was doing more training and drills as a receiver, then everything went 360.”
Johnson said Kater first mentioned the change during a summer film session, and he thought it was a joke.
“Then I got a text from him, asking if I wanted to do lunch,” he said. “We went to Rad Dads, and that’s when it kind of hit me - this is for real. That night I kind of thought about it, and I realized that I want to win football games, and if playing left tackle is what’s best for the team, then that’s what I have to do.”
Those are the type of words all coaches love to hear from players.
“That’s an unselfish, devoted player who has the right convictions,” Kater said about Johnson. “I would love to have 11 Brooks Johnsons.”
Johnson, in a four-point stance, will play a crucial role on the line this season.
Surprisingly, Johnson got a late start in the sport. He did not play youth leagues because he was busy with soccer and didn’t start football until the seventh grade.
He played one year as a lineman, then switched to receiver, and now he’s headed back to the line.
None of that really matters to Johnson, who simply loves every minute he’s out on the field.
"It’s the highlight of my day every day,” he said. “I try to get there pretty early every day. It’s my senior year and I need to do everything I can to perfect it. I want to have as much fun as I can at every practice and every game. I have a good relationship with all of my coaches. We joke around and talk and I ask questions.
“It’s crazy, almost surreal, that it’s my senior season. I still kind of feel like a sophomore on varsity. I am super excited to play on Thursday night. I don’t really have the words to explain it. I am just excited about the chance to finally hit someone who is not my teammate!”
Johnson was happy being a receiver like his dad but will do whatever is best for the team.
As a member of last year’s 6-4 turnaround team, Johnson has experienced success at the varsity level. When asked if this year’s team will be at least as good, he said yes, but also noted that he always takes a positive approach.
“I have the mindset that we are confident and feel like we can beat any team in the state,” he said. “That’s my mindset going into any game. Coach Kater kind of gave that confidence to us.
“I think it will be a real exciting football season, but our first job is to beat Grand Haven and then move on to next week.”
