One of the unsung heroes of the Los Angeles Rams’ 2018 season was safety John Johnson III. The second-year defensive back out of Boston College played just about every snap on defense this past season, putting together a Pro Bowl-worthy campaign.
While he wasn’t selected to the NFL’s all-star game, he was certainly deserving of that honor. Johnson finished with 119 tackles, four interceptions, 11 passes defensed, a forced fumble and three tackles for loss. He was Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 safety in the league, earning high marks from the analytics site.
As impressive as his 2018 season was, this stat makes it even better. In 962 defensive snaps and 35 on special teams, Johnson didn’t commit a single penalty. And that doesn’t even include all the snaps he played in three postseason games, either.
The feat was uncovered by former Rams defensive tackle and current sideline reporter D’Marco Farr.
For comparison, here’s how the Rams’ other defensive backs fared in the penalty column. It’s worth noting some of these came on special teams.
- Marcus Peters: 6
- Troy Hill: 6
- Marqui Christian: 6
- Nickell Robey-Coleman: 3
- Sam Shields: 3
- Lamarcus Joyner: 3
- Blake Countess: 2
- Dominique Hatfield: 1
- Aqib Talib:
Johnson is a physical player who’s often matched up in man coverage against tight ends, so it’s incredible that he wasn’t called for a single defensive hold, pass interference or illegal contact.
The Rams are fortunate to have Johnson in L.A., especially with Joyner set to hit free agency.
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