Bijan Robinson praises former teammate Roschon Johnson for broken-tackle-laden run vs Titans
Week 1 NFL preseason action is live and underway. The preseason is an opportunity for rookies across the league to showcase what they’ve got and carve out a roster spot for the upcoming 2023 season. Chicago Bears rookie running back and former Texas Longhorn Roschon Johnson is making the most of his opportunity. And his former backfield mate with the Atlanta Falcons, Bijan Robinson, has been taking notice.
In the third quarter of Chicago’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans, Johnson took a handoff up the middle on second down, turning a play that looked like it would have been good for three yards into a 24-yard gain. And Robinson, his former Longhorns comrade, quickly took to social media to shout out his Texas brethren for the big run. You can see Robinson’s response and Johnson’s run in the video below.
In their opening preseason matchup, the Bears picked up a 23-17 victory over the Titans. Johnson finished the game as Chicago’s leading rusher with 12 carries for 44 yards. For the young Bears running back, it was an impressive showing in his first live NFL action. And Johnson will get the opportunity to do more damage in the preseason next week on August 19, as the Bears take on the Indianapolis Colts.
Atlanta’s first preseason game happened the day before, on August 11, against the Miami Dolphins. But Robinson, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, did not take part in the action. Still, the Falcons were able to pick up their first preseason win 19-3 without their rookie star running back, with former Northwestern Wildcat Godwin Igwebuike leading the way out the backfield with 13 carries for 70 yards and one touchdown.
Roschon Johnson was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2019, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Johnson was a key piece of the Texas offense. He gave the Longhorns a legitimate threat when Robinson wasn’t on the field and likely would have been a dominant running back on another team where he had the chance to be the primary back, which is why he was widely considered one of the top running back prospects in the 2023 Draft. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper listed him as one of the 10 best running backs in the 2023 Draft.
Together at Texas, Johnson and Robinson were a dynamic one-two punch out of the backfield for the Longhorns. The duo were the top two rushers out of the Longhorns backfield, responsible for 2134 of Texas’ 2446 rushing yards and 23 of their 29 touchdowns on the ground. Johnson and Robinson also helped out in the passing game as well, combining for 33 catches, 442 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns.
On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this story