Will Johnson's legacy at Michigan first was as a lockdown cornerback who helped the Wolverines win a national championship.
His second was the Turnover Buffs.
In an era where college football teams have a version of a turnover chain – a necklace for a defender to wear after he secured a turnover – Johnson turned to a long-standing component of Detroit’s Black fashion culture: Cartier sunglasses with buffalo horn frames, or "buffs." The Detroit native thought it made sense in Ann Arbor to galvanize players and fans alike.
"It was kind of a culture, swag kind of thing," Johnson said. "That's our staple, wearing the buffs. At Michigan, we wanted to find a way to connect the fans and the players and make it a camaraderie for us all to celebrate together."
Johnson, the cornerback taken in the second round by the Cardinals in April's draft, has given some thought to his new team also having some turnover buffs (One of the images Johnson posted on Instagram after he was drafted was the Cardinals' logo wearing said sunglasses.)
But he's also given a lot of thought to locking down a starting job as a rookie, an opportunity that was there the night he was picked and fueled in part by his own drop in the draft.
Garrett Williams has earned his playing time at the top of the depth chart. The loss of Starling Thomas V impacts the equation, but the Cardinals didn't draft Max Melton and then Johnson in back-to-back years in the second round without the thought they could evolve into starters.
Johnson believes with the same confidence he had when he showed up with the turnover buffs idea.
"Playing our position, you have to be comfortable being on your own little island, own kind of swag and do it yourself," Johnson said. "It's just a confidence you've got to have playing corner. It ties into everything in life, really."
Johnson was born to be a cornerback. He's played it his whole life, the only position he ever thought to play after watching video of his father Deon, himself a Wolverine cornerback in the early 90s with time spent in the NFL and CFL.
Even before Thomas went down, Johnson was getting some work with the first unit as the Cardinals try to sort out their room.
"I've got a year in the system so I'm more comfortable in it, but this defense, it's not easy," Melton said. "The scheme with the corners, it's not easy. I'm trying to be there for Will. He's smart. He's got it. He got it quicker than me, to be honest. He's going to be fine. It's a lot but he's adapting well to it."
Coach Jonathan Gannon isn't making promises – "It's 'how much better can you get?" – but Johnson's natural ability has shown (and he's already had multiple battles with college nemesis and Ohio State product Marvin Harrison Jr. No trash talk though. Neither of them partake.)
The importance to Johnson of winning playing time quickly is apparent. A successful first season includes making the postseason and then a deep run as the first order of business but also includes Johnson winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.
That would have been the hope anyway, but after he went from an expected first-round pick to mid-second round, motivation burns.
Johnson was clearly upset when it first happened, tied to concerns about the health of his knee. Gannon said soon after he wanted Johnson to make sure it didn't cloud his journey. Johnson says now it won't – but it isn't gone either.
In his youtube vlog, Johnson has a shot of a big photo he has in his garage that he looks at every time he gets in his car – a shot of his disappointed self in the player green room at the draft in Green Bay.
"I'm the type of person, it's not going to stick with me in a negative way, but it's going to stick with me in a positive way," Johnson said. "I think (Gannon) knows that. He knows I'm looking to be my best self."
That self includes years in a successful college program, which Johnson believes can only help in the pros.
"I kind of know what that great culture looks like, of being one and being aligned, what you need to win," Johnson said. "Having that experience definitely will help me connect with the guys."
Whether that culture eventually adds turnover buffs is TBD.
