Inky Johnson begins coaching career

Gentry Estes of the Chatanooga Times Free Press wrote this great article about the emotional and Inspirational leader of the Vols Inky Johnson. Thought it was well worth sharing.



KNOXVILLE -- There was Inquoris Johnson, jogging through hills, sprinting past former teammates on a hot summer afternoon.
Quarterback Erik Ainge, resting his repaired knee on a stationary bicycle, observed with one thought: What am I doing here?
"He kind of makes the whole team feel like that," Ainge said. "I have more respect for Inky Johnson than I do for just about anybody that I've ever met."
The Inky Johnson story, once a tragedy, has become an inspiration for Tennessee's football team.
Nearly a year after suffering a career-ending injury on the field, Johnson will serve as a student coach for what would have been his senior season of eligibility.
He will be on Tennessee's sideline for all games and is expected to do more than simply cheer others onto the field.
"He's a demanding leader for them," UT coach Phillip Fulmer said. "He'll call on them in a hurry as far as what he expects them to look like. Obviously, he doesn't want anybody feeling sorry for him.
"I'm proud to have him as part of our staff."
Fulmer later called Johnson the best cornerback on last season's team, and the Volunteers' defense never fully recovered from what occurred in the second game.
While making a tackle in the final minutes of a narrow victory over Air Force, Johnson severely damaged his "right brachial plexus," a network of nerves from the spinal cord that controls sensation in the shoulder, arm and hand.
Emergency surgery was needed to repair blood vessels, and additional surgery at the Mayo Clinic helped the cornerback begin to retain normal function in the right side of his body.
During his recovery, Johnson has been a consistent presence at the football complex, even when it became clear he wouldn't play again.
"It's a great inspiration for us," said linebacker Jerod Mayo, Johnson's current roommate. "Losing a lockdown corner like that is real tough, but his attitude on the field is what really got us through the day. Even with him out there now, it's really helping the young guys and helping me."
Soon after the incident, Johnson showed at football practices with his arm bandaged. He encouraged teammates before home games, receiving cheers from fans who noticed his presence.
"I didn't just want to be at home, just sitting around," Johnson said. "I wanted to be around my teammates, my classmates, my coaches, the trainers and everybody."
UT players and coaches marveled at Johnson's positive attitude and remarkable resiliency in spite of extraordinary adversity.
They still do.
"Talk about sacrifice and commitment," Fulmer said. "He could have lost his life. He fought through that. He could have had a real bad attitude about the injury. He hasn't done that one bit. He could blow away his academics. He hasn't done that.
"He could have been bitter at the football team or the program. He certainly hasn't done that."