It has been a long road for Jerrod Johnson, but given a chance to line up under center for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, the former Texas A&M Aggies quarterback again performed well in NFL preseason action.
↵After playing in 35 games and throwing for 67 touchdowns against 27 interceptions for the Aggies over a four-year career from 2007 through 2010, Johnson has struggled to catch on in the professional ranks. He wasn't chosen in the 2011 NFL draft and was the first overall selection of the UFL's Hartford Colonels before the franchise folded. He then ended up with the Philadelphia Eagles, only to be cut before playing in a game, and was assigned to the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League, but he did not play in a game.
↵This past offseason, Johnson signed with the Steelers hoping to earn a spot as the No. 3 quarterback behind starter Ben Roethlisberger and longtime backup Charlie Batch. After a strong debut in Pittsburgh's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles in which he completed 3-of-6 passes for 93 yards and a 57-yard touchdown pass to Chris Rainey, Johnson again looked solid against the Colts on Sunday, leading the Steelers on a pair of fourth-quarter drives for Danny Hrapmann field goals that helped Pittsburgh to a 26-24 win.
↵Johnson went 4-of-5 passes for 65 yards in the fourth quarter, and rushed three times for 11 yards. His final rush was an eight-yard dash that gave the Steelers a first down inside the 5-yard line, allowing Pittsburgh to run the clock down under 30 seconds before attempting the game-winning field goal. On his first fourth-quarter drive, Johnson completed consecutive passes of 24 and 21 yards to help set up a 43-yard field goal.
↵For more on Johnson's play with the Steelers, please be sure to check out Behind The Steel Curtain and SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on Aggies football, visit Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills.