Jeff Duckworth recalled a meeting during Wisconsin's 2017 season where after a Monday team walkthrough, Al Johnson stood in front of the group and gave a speech. It was a weekly event for the opponent each Saturday, as the former Badger and then-graduate assistant described, but it was normally reserved for full-time assistant coaches.
Johnson, however, worked as a graduate assistant at the time.
“Then there was one week, Paul (Chryst) had Al do it, and it was just unbelievable, just him talking about experience in life," Duckworth told BadgerBlitz.com on Tuesday. "You looked at any of the other GAs, we couldn’t compare anything to that, the experiences he had. Just being able to voice his message in that way, and you can kind of see early on, even in his GA career, that he was far ahead of the GA title.”
Duckworth and another former Badger, Jake Maxwell, share a unique perspective on and relationship with Johnson, Wisconsin's newest assistant coach. Both saw Johnson work and develop as a graduate assistant from 2016-17, and the two also followed him to Division II East Central University at different times when he took over that program's head coaching duties in 2018.
Johnson now returns to mentor and develop Wisconsin's running backs. His journey has taken him from Badger and NFL offensive lineman to coaching stops in high school, Division III (St. Norbert College), UW, Division II and now back up to Madison within the FBS ranks. He takes over the room from Gary Brown, who coached the position during the 2021 season.
Brown "has stepped away from coaching and assumed an off-field role with the program," according to UW in the same press release of Johnson's hiring.
BadgerBlitz.com asked both Duckworth and Maxwell how their former boss makes a good fit to lead Wisconsin's running backs. The two believe the transition will be a positive one, with the former first highlighting the benefits of Johnson's experience as a center.
“A lot of times besides a quarterback, that's the smartest guy on the field," Duckworth said, who worked alongside Johnson as graduate assistants at Wisconsin. "So I think his knowledge of the run game, how things are being blocked up, where's this run supposed to hit? How are the linebackers playing, and things like that.
“Then probably the other big part of it is the pass protection side of things. Just understand those schemes and technique and everything like that goes with the running back position, and often times gets overlooked, but is a huge part of the game. Just the pass pros as well, and I think the transition for him will be pretty smooth, and pretty easy, to be honest.”
Maxwell, who played in 18 games on the Badgers' offensive line from 2015-16 before injuries cut short his career, reiterated how Johnson's experience going can lead to the understanding of running backs' responsibilities and their track. He also believes that can provide a unique look at how to read opposing defenses.
In addition, Maxwell also noted the familiarity with UW's scheme.
“I think also the biggest thing is that he already knows the Wisconsin system – played in it, coached there – so I think he's a great fit for the role," Maxwell said on Tuesday. "Obviously, Wisconsin hasn't changed much over the last decades of football, but he's a guy who's been there for three-four years. Played there, coached there for two or three, and it's still been carrying on the same teaching techniques and styles from his time there down here at East Central.
“So the biggest thing I think is when you're an o-lineman, I feel like you know pretty much everything about the run game. You should know everything about the run game, especially when you're a coach, you have to know everything about the run game. So I think it's just gonna be a very natural fit for him. And I think he'll be able to elevate the backs just by teaching him some things maybe another coach wouldn't be able to just based off of his experience playing o-line in the NFL, coaching o-line his entire career. So I think it's just something that he brings to the table that not a lot of guys can.”
