Baltimore Ravens Legend: Jarret Johnson
Jarret Johnson was always one of my favorite players. Johnson was one of the most consistent players the Ravens ever had. Every Sunday he sacrificed his body to blow up the opponents running game. Every snap, he gave it his all. Johnson played with some of the living legends of the game. We all talk about Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs and how much they meant to this organization. We cannot forget that Johnson was part of the magical group of defensive stalwarts.
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Johnson racked up 506 tackles, 25.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles and three interceptions in his 12 years in the NFL. He spent his first nine seasons in Baltimore. The Ravens drafted the Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker with the 109th overall pick. If you had told the people at the time, that he would eventually hold the record for consecutive starts many wouldn’t believe you.
Johnson was underrated from the day he was drafted in 2003 until the day he retired in 2014. There was a reason he started so many games. He was tough, durable and you could always count on him to do his job. He was never the dynamic pass rusher that Suggs and Boulware were; but he wasn’t a bad pass rusher either. The peak of his career was when he had five sacks in 2008 and six sacks in 2009.
Johnson’s strength was doing the dirty work that didn’t get him the glamor or the fame. He set the edge better than anybody. The Ravens had a strong run defense throughout Johnson’s tenure. A large part of that success was due to the consistently over powering linebacker wearing number 95.
Sadly the Ravens won the Super Bowl the year Johnson departed to the San Diego Chargers. As sleek as those powder blue uniforms were; it never looked right seeing him in anything other than purple and black. It would have been nice to get Johnson a ring. He was a part of a Ravens team that knocked on the door so many times. When they finally opened the door and claimed the Lombardi Trophy, Johnson was in San Diego.
Johnson was a good player. We’re not talking about a player that will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, though he would be a great candidate for the Ravens Ring of Honor. Johnson gave us everything he had. He was a grinder, a guy who just wouldn’t quit. He will always be one of my favorite players.
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During football season you can hear Johnson on 98 Rock (97.9 FM) when they do “Ravens Playlist.” If he’s not talking about the Ravens, he’s probably talking about his love of fishing. He comes across as a really down to earth guy. Now in retirement after 12 years in the NFL he has plenty of time to enjoy life on the water.