The University of South Florida needs a quarterback in the worst way.
Is De’Andre Johnson that way?
Johnson was recently dismissed from the Florida State football team for punching a woman in a bar, so the first reaction is probably to say no. Johnson is trouble, and South Florida certainly doesn’t need someone else’s. Why not pass and let Johnson go somewhere else? To a Division III school far away? To a junior college.
But Johnson was a four-star recruit who has some ability, and the Bulls have had a hard time finding that sort of talent. So it’s easy to wonder if coach Willie Taggart was paying attention when Johnson was interviewed Monday by former NFL star Michael Strahan.
“I totally should have walked away,” Johnson said. “I am ashamed of that. I’m sorry. I apologize to the lady in the incident, to her family, to my family, to my mother. I know I wasn’t raised that way.”
For Taggart, it would be a tough sell, because people locally are tired of abuse against women. But if Taggart is convinced that Johnson is a decent kid who did an indecent thing, it could be worth pondering.
Perhaps Taggart doesn’t think he needs Johnson because, after all, former UCLA signee Asianti Woulard just announcd his transfer to the Bulls. But under Taggart, the Bulls have gone through several quarterbacks. Of course, Taggart would have to be assured that no further violence would follow Johnson to campus, and perhaps volunteer work would help.
If you were Taggart, would you think a repentant Johnson is worth considering? Or is he too much baggage considering his history?
