Hoping to Follow Doug Baldwin's Footsteps, Cade Johnson Vying For Roster Spot With Seahawks
RENTON, WA – In the middle of arguably the most turbulent year in college football history, Cade Johnson had an agonizing decision to make.
While most FBS level schools trudged along implementing their own safety protocols trying to conduct seasons amid the COVID-19 pandemic last fall, smaller schools without the same resources and financial means were forced to postpone their season or cancel it entirely. A senior at South Dakota State with legitimate NFL dreams, Johnson's school fell in the first category, as the entire Division I FCS level decided to delay the season with hopes of playing a condensed season in the spring.
Coming off two highly productive campaigns in which he amassed more than 2,500 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns, Johnson faced an unenviable predicament. On one hand, the Jackrabbits had come within one game of reaching the national championship game both of those seasons and looked primed to make another deep run. On the flip side, the star receiver had already been invited to compete in the Senior Bowl and choosing to bypass his final season would allow him to get a head start training for the draft.
Ultimately, after consulting with family, friends, and coaches while weighing his options, Johnson decided to opt out of the spring season, signing with the Athletes First agency and immediately transitioning into draft prep.
"It was super hard for me because at first, it was so much uncertainty with whether there was going to be any football played at all last year. And so, it was a tough decision,” Johnson reflected. “But at the end of the day, I leaned on my family a lot and asked for just the right path and just to be able to let loose. And no, I didn't have any regrets, so I just put my best foot forward when it came to that.”
While Johnson trained alongside other NFL hopefuls such as Washington’s Joe Tryon and Oregon's Javon Holland, who also opted out, South Dakota State finished with an 8-1 record and clinched a spot in the playoffs for a ninth straight season. No longer part of the program, he felt mixed emotions as the team finally broke through and advanced to the national championship game for the first time in school history.
But although it was "bittersweet" watching the Jackrabbits play for a title without him, he couldn’t have been happier for former teammates and coaches who had worked tirelessly to achieve their goal.
“It was tough having a spring season and watching them go to the first national championship in school history. But I'm proud of my guys and I know they're proud of me and my coaches at South Dakota State still support me. And they let me know that whatever decision I made was the right one. Everybody's been supportive of me and my decision, so it's made it a lot easier for me."
As the Jackrabbits went on their historic run and eventually lost to Sam Houston State, Johnson’s path to the draft featured plenty of highs and lows.
Before the FCS even kicked off its season, Johnson flew to Mobile, Alabama to show off his talents at the Senior Bowl. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound wideout impressed throughout the week, holding his own against the nation’s best cornerbacks from elite FBS programs.
Jim Nagy, who previously scouted for the Seahawks and now directs the Senior Bowl, thought for sure Johnson would be drafted after a strong week at the all-star showcase.
"Small school guy who came down here and had a great week. Did about everything he could do at receiver, getting open, catching the ball, going into the game and playing gunner on punt team, making a tackle as a gunner. He did everything he could do. High, high character guy," Nagy assessed.
But Johnson’s rising stock hit a snag at his pro day workout in February. Admitting a pulled hamstring suffered on his first 40-yard dash impacted his testing numbers, he didn’t display the athletic traits scouts were hoping to see. Suddenly, the narrative surrounding the player had taken a near-180 degree turn.
Once the draft arrived in late April, despite being one of the most productive receivers in college football for the previous two seasons, Johnson stunningly wasn't selected. As he waited patiently by his phone, the call he hoped for never came.
"My agent was really shocked because we had talked to a lot of teams beforehand and got really good feedback, Johnson said. “But, you know, at the end of the day, I think it's kind of storybook for me because I was a walk on in college. I've always been undersized and I just feel like, I'm a big believer and I just feel like God had a story for me and a path for me, so regardless of what happened, I kind of just accepted it for what it was. And all it takes is just an opportunity.”
Having seen his skill set first-hand in Mobile, Nagy couldn't believe Johnson wasn't selected either, saying, "It just didn't make sense to me that he didn't go."
Luckily for Johnson, numerous teams reached out to his agent on day three of the draft. Among those who contacted him was Seahawks receiver coach Nate Carroll, who text him after the fourth round, letting him know the team would have great interest in signing him if he somehow wasn’t drafted.
“He said, ‘I don't expect you to be on the board very much longer. But if you happen to slip to free agency, we love to have you here in Seattle.’ It was a sign,” Johnson smiled. “And I mean, at the end of the day, I loved talking to both the Carrolls on draft day and they definitely caught my attention and what they got going on here in Seattle is special. And I wanted to be a part of it."
The presence of Pete and Nate Carroll made Johnson’s choice on where to sign easier, but other factors also drew him to Seattle. He was enamored by the culture and the franchise’s long track record of developing quality undrafted free agents into key players on the 53-man roster.
Most notably, given his size, crafty route running, and high football IQ, Johnson drew comparisons to former Seahawks star receiver Doug Baldwin, who entered the NFL undrafted out of Stanford and enjoyed a fantastic eight-year career. The Bellevue, Nebraska native has watched Baldwin's film extensively and the chance to potentially follow his footsteps played a big role in his decision to come to the Pacific Northwest.
"That was huge for me. Just in the whole process before I even thought I would go to Seattle, I was watching guys like Doug Baldwin, like Wes Welker, just short, stocky guys in the slot that can make a move and get open. I watched a lot of them. And before I went to the Senior Bowl, I was able to work out with T.J. Houshmandzadeh and guys like that that just have had a knack at just getting open and finding the ball.
And, you know, Doug Baldwin, he's the elite of the elite in his craft and his releases and how he's able to get open and how he sets people up. So I really like to work on that stuff and watch guys like that."
Still recovering from the hamstring injury that hindered his pro day, Johnson wasn’t able to participate in Seattle’s minicamp in May. But he returned to action in the early stages of OTAs a few weeks later and after a quiet start to training camp, the rookie seems to be finding his footing.
During Monday’s practice, Johnson caught his first touchdown as a Seahawk, as quarterback Geno Smith connected with him on a five-yard out from the slot. Smith would hit him in the end zone again in Tuesday’s team session and the young receiver added two more first down receptions on the afternoon.
“So far, it's just, it's a big learning curve. But, I mean, I'm enjoying it a lot just to be able to play football again. Obviously, my senior year got taken away, so it's nice to just be able to come out here and strap up with the guys and just run around and, you know, it just feels good to be back on the football field."
As Tyler Lockett told reporters after Friday’s practice, receivers have to be prepared for 40-50 plays to be called at any time in new coordinator Shane Waldron’s offense. Such an intricate scheme requires plenty of homework for veterans and rookies alike.
From Johnson’s perspective, coupled with having to learn so many new plays and concepts, adjusting to the tempo of Seattle’s offense has been the biggest challenge thus far.
"Obviously, just having Russ [Wilson] back there, he's done it for so long and been at a really high level doing it. So the expectations are really high. And us rookies come in, we just got to be sponges and learn from the guys. You know, thankfully for us, we got DK [Metcalf] and Tyler [Lockett] in our room, along with guys like Freddie [Swain] and J U [Ursua]. Those guys are really good about echoing out that information and getting us all under the same wavelength. It's tough. But I've got really good teachers and coaches in front of me, so it makes it easier."
Coming from a small town in Nebraska, Johnson isn’t taking his NFL opportunity for granted. And he’s also making sure to pay it forward for those in the community who helped him reach this point.
Remembering his experiences as an undersized kid going to youth football camps in Bellevue growing up, Johnson went back home between offseason workouts and the start of camp to speak to and coach current campers. He also made sure to see his father as well as his former high school coach, who he has maintained a close relationship with every step of his journey to the league.
"I love my community. My community is always showing me love and just being able to reciprocate that," Johnson stated. "It's just a blessing to be able to go back and be in the position I am, because I used to be that little kid, undersized, going to those camps and not as confident in myself as the bigger kids. But I love just going back and seeing all those faces.”
Revered in his hometown, Johnson now has a chance to endear himself to a new fan base more than 2,000 miles away. Caught in the middle of a tight competition at receiver battling for snaps against Penny Hart, Cody Thompson, and John Ursua among others, it won’t be easy to win a roster spot.
But as a former walk on at South Dakota State, nothing has ever come easy for Johnson. He’s had to scratch and claw for everything he has achieved and much like Baldwin did when he joined the Seahawks, he carries a boulder on his shoulder, ready to take on this next challenge without fear.
Already possessing many of the same intangibles, if Johnson can come close to emulating his beloved icon on the field during the preseason, he should like his chances overcoming the odds again.
