Sept. 1, 2005
Georgia Tech sophomore wide receiver Calvin Johnson enters the 2005 season with considerable preseason recognition, including numerous preseason all-America teams.
Johnson and the Yellow Jackets open the season Saturday at 16th-ranked Auburn in a nationally-televised (ESPN) contest at 8:45 p.m. ET.
Most recently, Johnson has been tabbed to ESPN.com’s preseason all-America team. He was one of just two sophomores on the 11-member offense, along with Ted Ginn of Ohio State.
Of Johnson, ESPN.com’s Ivan Maisel says, “Few people outside of Atlanta knew who Johnson was before last season. The rest of us caught on very quickly. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Johnson knows how to use his body, ha good hands and appeared impervious to the arrival of double teams. He’ll see more of them this season. Like last year, it won’t matter much.”
Earlier this week, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit placed Johnson No. 1 on his list of the nation’s top five wide receivers in hi s fifth annual “Herbie” awards.
In that same listing, Herbstreit tabbed Tech’s Jon Tenuta as the top defensive coordinator in the nation.
Johnson, who had 48 catches for 837 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman, was selected as the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference offensive player of the year by The Sporting News and Blue Ribbon College Football. He is on the preseason watch list for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver.
Tech senior tailback P.J. Daniels has been named to the preseason list of candidates for the Doak Walker Award, presented to the nation’s top running back.
Sophomore placekicker Travis Bell, who joined Johnson as a first-team freshman all-America in 2004, is on the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-kicker Award.
