Illini well-armed to tackle final season

RANTOUL – Garrett Johnson didn't see the number on the helmet that ran into his left arm, but he's got a pretty good idea. It was either 62 (Tom Schau) or 67 (J.P. Machado).

During Tuesday's Illinois football practice, the wayward helmet gave Johnson and the Illini coaches a scare.

"It shocked me a little bit," Johnson said. "Hit a little nerve in there. I lost feeling in it for a while.

"It was really scary. I've never really had that hard of a hit to my forearm before. I thought it was broke for a second."

Johnson is happy to report his arm feels fine. He had a limited practice on Thursday and returned to full contact Friday.

"It was good to get him back out there," Illinois coach Ron Turner said. "He was anxious."

"He's a big part of our defense."

The Illini didn't take any chances with their most valuable run stopper. Johnson wore a brace with a heavy pad to absorb blows.

Johnson's a bit edgy when it comes to injuries. He remembers the one that cost him half a season.

"This is my healthy year," Johnson said. "I'm not going to get hurt this year. No more injuries. This is my scare. This is it. It was a little bit iffy at first because I didn't know what I did to it."

In 1996, Johnson missed three games after suffering an injured ankle in the opener against Michigan. He came back for the final five games but finished with a career-low 28 tackles.

A healthy Johnson started all 11 games in '97 and finished seventh on the team with 43 tackles. He had five tackles for loss and two sacks.

Johnson expects a happy, productive senior season, both personally and for the defensive line.

"The line's looking great," Johnson said. "At the beginning of camp, we came off a little slow. But that usually happens with the defense. We're starting to make more plays."

Once the Illini Rookie of the Year, Johnson is now the old guy on campus. He wants to give younger tackles Mike McGee and Karleton Thomas the kind of guidance he got as a freshman.

"I'm going to go out there and be the best leader I can for these guys. We're going to win some games this year," he said.

McGee and Thomas appear to be about even at the tackle spot opposite Johnson. Senior Joe Lauzen serves as Johnson's backup.

There are experienced players next to Johnson at defensive end. Starter Rameel Connor, a junior, is out with an injury. Seniors Jeff Weisse and Ryan Murphy are taking Connor's place.

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