It seems as though luck is on the side of controversial running back, Larry Johnson, who on Thursday, re-signed with the struggling Miami Dolphins to play in South Florida for the 2011 NFL season. Once the Fins found out that that running back Daniel Thomas had been injured, they found themselves in a desperate situation and decided they would give the 2-time Pro Bowl back another shot.
Johnson was cut by Miami on September 4th, 2011, after the Dolphins decided they wanted to narrow down their running back corps to just three. Johnson was out most of last season for the problematic behavior and poor-decision making that has followed him off the field. Within the lines, LJ, showed that he still had plenty left in the old tank, as he impressed the Dolphins in the preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys.
The 31-year-old, former Penn State Nittany Lion scored on an impressive 22-yard run. The touchdown marked his first 6 points in a very long time. In fact, the last time Johnson was able to get into the end zone was during his glory years in Kansas City, back in 2008.
Now into his ninth season as a pro, LJ has played in Kansas City, Cincinnati, Washington and now Miami. Johnson has a career rushing average of 4.4 yards per carry with a total of 6,221 total yards. During his (2005-2006) Pro Bowl seasons Johnson rushed for over 1,700 yards per season along with 20 and 17 touchdowns respectively.
Perhaps these numbers are what led Miami to their decision. Now, Johnson finds himself with a possible start for Monday night’s game against the New England Patriots, after rookie Thomas injured his hamstring. According to the NFL Odds, the Miami Dolphins [+7] are expected to lose their season opener at home, as the New England Patriots [-7] are favorites by at least at TD.
“I could have easily said I’m going to retire as a Chief,” Johnson explained. “You knew coming back it was going to be a roller-coaster ride, and you expect that. You roll with the punches. I love playing and it’s always going to be in me. I haven’t lost that fire yet to be under the lights and to compete to be the best.”
