Ex-Gators strive for NFL



Trying to make it as an undrafted free agent in the NFL is sort of like being a walk-on in college, only with one major difference.

"Even as a walk-on, you know you're going to be on the team as long as you work hard," former Florida quarterback Doug Johnson said. "When you're an undrafted free agent, now it's do or die as a football player. Your days are probably numbered. How many do you have left? It's crunch time every day, every second. You know you're always one step away from getting cut."

It's a tough existence and a tough way to make a living, but it can be done. Johnson, undrafted coming out of UF after his senior season in 1999, has made a nice career in the NFL as an undrafted free agent.

The former Buchholz quarterback is going into his seventh season in the league and second with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Over the years, Johnson has been down, discouraged, even cut. But he's managed to tough it out, survive and continue playing the game he loves for a nice paycheck.

It hasn't been easy — something nine former Gators are about to find out for themselves as they try to make it with NFL teams this summer as undrafted free agents.

Johnson can offer some perspective for the nine free-agent Gators — quarterback Chris Leak (Chicago), fullback Billy Latsko (Carolina), wide receiver Jemalle Cornelius (Buffalo), center Steve Rissler (Dallas), defensive tackle Steven Harris (Denver), linebacker Earl Everett (Cincinnati), linebacker Brian Crum (Kansas City), cornerback Reggie Lewis (Buffalo) and punter Eric Wilbur (Houston).

As the nine have already discovered, signing a free-agent contract is not exactly a financial windfall. The players received a small signing bonus (probably around $2,000, enough to cover some expenses) and will now work day-to-day when the NFL camps open this summer. Those fortunate enough to make a team for the start of the season will make the league's minimum salary for a rookie ($275,000 last season).

Signing a free-agent contract signals just the start of a long and difficult journey, Johnson said.

"The most important thing is you have to be tough," Johnson said. "That's something you can't coach."

Having thick skin also is a prerequisite, Johnson said.

The nine former Gators will find out early that undrafted free agents receive no preferential treatment. That is reserved for the rookies who were selected in the draft because teams have much more invested in those guys.

"The guys who get drafted are going to get every opportunity to make it because so much money is involved in those guys (especially with signing bonuses)," Johnson said. "Those guys aren't going to get cut because that would make a coach look bad or a general manager look bad, and that's not going to happen.

"You're not going to get any breaks when you're an undrafted free agent. You have to go in there and make your mark, whether it's on special teams or at your position. You have to do something a little extra to get noticed. You have to make the most of every rep you get and be more prepared than the next guy. You have to go out and prove you want to be there.

"You have to go the distance as far as the extra work and the extra tape sessions."

Being a quarterback, Johnson knows exactly what Chris Leak will be facing in the coming months as the tries to earn a roster spot with the Chicago Bears.

Johnson has some advice for Chris Leak.

"He's got to go in there and get in the playbook and try not to look like a rookie, which is hard not to do" Johnson said. "He's got to go in knowing the protections, knowing the routes and he's got to pick up the offense as quick as he can. That's the key for a quarterback. There are a lot of guys with huge arms and great athletic ability and they don't get it, they don't understand what the position is about.

"When I come into a place (trying to make it as a free agent), I try to bust my ass learning the protections and the system. If you can do that, it's definitely a big advantage."

Johnson said being an undrafted free agent does have one advantage. It gives players like Chris Leak and the eight other free-agent Gators a chance to find a team where they are good fit (in terms of the system and the team's needs) and have the best chance to catch on.

"When I came out, I just knew Atlanta (where he spent his first four seasons in the NFL) was the best fit for me as far as the coach, the system and the personnel and that really helped me," Johnson said. "Once the draft gets into the late rounds, it's better if you don't get drafted and have a chance to be a free agent."

Johnson said Chris Leak has a chance to make it with the Bears.

"I was expecting him to go to a team like Chicago or Tampa Bay, where they throw a lot of short stuff, a lot of the West Coast (offense) stuff," Johnson said. "Playing at the University of Florida, playing in the best conference in football (the SEC), you definitely have an edge.

"He has to be a tough guy, mentally and physically. Playing quarterback in the NFL is the toughest position to play in professional sports."

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