New Orleans Saints Review

Defensive end Joe Johnson was one of the top play-makers for the Saints from the time coach Jim Mora drafted him in the first round of the 1994 draft.  During his time with the black and gold, he saw great success and endured several transitions with the franchise.

The early part of his career came as Jim Mora’s time in New Orleans was winding down.  Then, after three losing seasons under Mike Ditka, Johnson finally got to taste sweet success during Jim Haslett’s first year in 2000.  Joe left for Green Bay after the 2001 season and retired in 2003 with an impressive 52.5 sacks.

He earned many accolades throughout his career, including two Pro Bowl appearances in 1998 and 2000.  Also in 2000, he was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year and was named All-Pro.

Joe was kind enough to answer a few questions about his career with the Saints:

1. If I recall, you played for Jim Mora, Mike Ditka and Jim Haslett. Who was the toughest coach to play for?
MORA WAS THE TOUGHEST BY FAR. OLD SCHOOL MILITARY COACH. NOTHING WAS EVER GOOD ENOUGH FOR HIM (THE CURSE AND THE BLESSING).

2. What was your favorite moment as a Saint?
FAVORITE MOMENT WAS THE FIRST PLAYOFF WIN IN SAINTS HISTORY AGAINST THE ST. LOUIS RAMS.

3. Since it’s that time of the year, do you have any memories of your first NFL training camp? How big of a challenge was it compared to college?
THE FIRST TRAINING CAMP WAS TOUGH. COMING FROM COLLEGE WHERE CAMP IS ONLY ABOUT 10-14 DAYS AND COMING TO THE NFL WHERE ITS MORE LIKE 30 DAYS WITH PRE SEASON GAMES. THAT’S A BIG DIFFERENCE!

4. Is training camp overrated? I seem to remember you missing camp one year and scoring a touchdown on opening day! (I swear I have a distinct memory of this because they kept showing the highlight of it at the time – my apologies if this wasn’t you!)
YOU ARE CORRECT, THAT WAS ME. IT DEPENDS ON THE PLAYER. SOME GUYS NEED MORE WORK THEN OTHERS TO GET READY FOR THE SEASON. EVEN THOUGH I HAD SOME SUCCESS WITH NO TRAINING CAMP THERE WAS STILL SOME RUST THAT NEEDED TO BE WORKED OUT.

5. Who was the toughest offensive lineman you had to play against?
THE TOUGHEST PLAYER THAT I REMEMBER WAS MY VERY FIRST GAME IN THE NFL WAS AGAINST “JOHN ALT” (6’9 335) OF THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS. HE WAS A VET. AND I WAS A ROOKIE, AND IT SHOWED. FROM THAT POINT ON IT WAS ON FOR EVERY OTHER LINEMAN I PLAYED AGAINST!

6. Tell us about your life since you retired from the NFL. What are you up to these days?
JUST KICKED BACK ENJOYING LIFE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS! I AM STILL HANDS ON WITH MY FOUNDATION (BUILT 2 LAST) WORKING IN THE COMMUNITIES WITH THE YOUTH AND HELPING ON THE REDEVELOPMENT SIDE DOWN IN NEW ORLEANS. I HAVE ALSO BEEN INVOLVED WITH SOME OTHER EVENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WORKING WITH THE YOUTH, AND LOOKING TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR REACH. I AM ALSO A REAL ESTATE INVESTOR ON THE SIDE.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 10th, 2009 at 8:26 am and is filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.