Conference Call – 2nd-Round Pick S Tyrell Johnson
Q: Did you have an idea that the Vikings were interested in you?
A: I was surprised. I had no idea. Actually everybody that I thought was going to take me didn’t. I’m real proud that the Vikings took me. I’m excited to be a Viking though.
Q: Where did you think you were going to end up and when?
A: It was numerous teams, 10-15 teams. I thought the Giants were going to take me with their 31st pick. Even before that I thought a few teams were going to take a chance on me in the first round. It didn’t happen but I’m happy with what God has blessed me with. I’m going to take that and run with it.
Q: Did you worry about your draft prospects since you played at a smaller school?
A: It didn’t matter to me at all because I knew I was good enough to play on the national level, but I was worried that it mattered to other people. I was worried that people didn’t think I would measure up to some of the bigger name guys, so that’s the only thing that bothered me. But as far as I’m concerned it doesn’t matter where you come from.
Q: Do you feel like you can come in and contribute right away or do you think you will be able to acclimate to the league?
A: Most definitely, I think I can come in and contribute right away. Kind of like coming out of high school and going to college, I thought I could have played my first year but they redshirted me, but I was ready and willing to play. It’s the same thing coming into the NFL. I am ready and willing. It all depends on what the coaching staff has for me and I’m just going to respect whatever they have for me and whatever they want me to do. I’m going to be there and I’m going to get it done.
Q: How did you end up at Arkansas State? Were you looking at other schools as well or did you lock in on them pretty early?
A: I wasn’t recruited real highly out of high school I guess because I was 170 pounds playing running back, so I guess I was too small for running back and just didn’t fit the mold there. Arkansas, they offered me and said I was Arkansas material and they kind of withdrew. Tulsa, they offered me and their coaching staff got fired that year that I was coming out, so Arkansas State was the only opportunity I had to get into D-1, so I had to take that. I knew I had to get into D-1 so I had to take that.
Q: This is an election year, so do you like Barack Obama or Hilary Clinton?
A: I like Obama. I’ve been watching this election and they’re trying to give him a hard time about his past and all of this and that, but I think he’s a great guy. I think he’s going to bring a lot to the table and do a lot for our country. I really like Obama.
Q: How important was your performance at the combine?
A: I knew the combine was important. I knew it was now or never and I set that in my mind to hey, Tyrell, you’re here with who is considered to be the top guys in the nation. You’ve got to step up and perform and that’s what I did I believe. I believe I stepped up and showed everybody that I’m just as much as an athlete or probably even better an athlete than most of these guys are. I just wanted to prove that and that was very important to me.
Q: After the combine did you hear from the Vikings at all?
A: To tell you the truth I talked to so many teams that I don’t remember. I think I talked to the Vikings once or twice, but I didn’t think that they were that high on me though, so it was a complete surprise and a complete shock.
Q: So your father is former NBA player Alvin Robertson?
A: Yes sir. He’s my biological father.
Q: Are you working on your master’s degree?
A: Yes sir. I graduated in August with my computer information technology degree, and I started working toward my MBA, a master’s in business administration. I’ve got like three classes down on that. Right now I am focusing on helping the Vikings to a championship, a Super Bowl, so that’s my current goal. My long-term goal is to come back and get my MBA.
Q: Why did you choose football over basketball?
A: I knew I had to be real realistic with myself. I loved basketball just as much as I did football. When I stopped growing around 10th or 11th grade, I knew I had to give it up. I hit 6-foot and I stopped growing, so I was just like, hey, Tyrell, you’ve got to commit to one sport and run with it. So I committed to football and gave it my all and it worked out for me.
Q: What do you see as the areas that you are going to have to make the biggest adjustment in at the next level?
A: Probably just the playbook. Depending on what a team does or what the Vikings do, how quickly I can come in and pick up the system. I think that will probably be the biggest adjustment.