Nov. 19, 2011; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Austin Hill (29) and cornerback Cortez Johnson (7) celebrate after winning the Territorial Cup against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Hilderbrand-USA TODAY Sports
The Oklahoma Sooners have a star player considered one of the best in college football playing cornerback for them in 2013 in Aaron Colvin. However, the man across the field from him might give the Sooners one of the best one-two cornerback punches in college football and could finally help the Sooners stop the aerial attack that has plagued them the last two years. That second man is Cortez Johnson and he is a huge fan of Mike Stoops.
When Mike Stoops was the head coach for the Arizona Wildcats, he had to do a lot of convincing to get Cortez and his parents to agree to send him to Arizona to play football. The Wildcats have always been a basketball and baseball school and their football program was bottom of the barrel. However, Mike Stoops was helping make it slightly respectable and convinced the talented Johnson to play for him.
Mike Stoops made one promise to Johnson’s family. He said that no matter where Stoops ended up, he would take Cortez Johnson with him.
Arizona felt that Mike Stoops turning them into a respectable football team wasn’t good enough and fired him in 2011 after injuries hampered his team’s chances of competing. Stoops came back to OU as the defensive coordinator and he kept him promise. Cortez Johnson left Arizona and transferred to OU, sitting out 2012 based on NCAA rules.
In his freshman year at Arizona, Johnson had minimal impact, only notching 17 tackles in six games. Now, after sitting out a year, it looks like Johnson will win the starting cornerback job opposite Aaron Colvin, which means he will mostly line up against No. 2 receivers as he sets out to prove that Mike Stoops’ loyalty was well worth the time.
“I finally get my chance to touch the field again,” Johnson said. “I’ve got a great feel for it. I can’t wait until Aug. 31 and just to bust it wide open.”
If he is as good as advertised, Mike Stoops might finally be rebuilding that defense that was so good last time he was in Norman, and give OU a chance to compete once again.
- Follow Shawn S. Lealos on Twitter @sslealos.