Indoor Football League: Johnson gets chance to play for Roughnecks again

Jason Johnson thought his playing career was over.

Two torn labrums in his left shoulder — his non-throwing shoulder — had knocked Johnson out of a promising indoor football career.

Not that the quarterback hadn’t landed on his feet. For the past year, Johnson has been an assistant coach at Sul Ross State, a graduate assistant pursuing his master’s degree.

But the Odessa Roughnecks, the first indoor football team to give Johnson a chance after his college career at Western Kentucky, needed the quarterback one more time.

Johnson will start Odessa’s season finale at 7:11 tonight against the Abilene Ruff Riders at Ector County Coliseum.

“We feel like Jason’s capable,” Odessa head coach Chris Williams said. “He’s not as polished as you want him to be right now, but he understands the system. He’ll do well.”

Four years ago, Johnson led the Roughnecks to a 14-0 regular season and a berth in the National Indoor Football League title game.

This time the circumstances are different.

Three weeks ago, the Roughnecks (3-10) signed Johnson to provide a backup for starting quarterback Dennis Gile, who has struggled to find a consistent spark this season.

Ranked last in the Indoor Football League in passer rating at 73.1, Gile threw 31 touchdown passes this season, but he also tossed a league-leading 22 interceptions.

Gile started last week’s 43-27 loss to Abilene (7-6) — a loss that eliminated Odessa from playoff contention — and will not be with the team for the final game.

“At times, Dennis missed a lot of opportunities in close situations,” Roughnecks wide receiver Eric Taylor said. “Jason makes the proper reads, go through all his progressions, and he seems very composed.”

Johnson may have spent the last two years coaching the wide receivers at Sul Ross State.

But he has a lengthy resume detailing his skills as an indoor-football quarterback.

Following his year with the Roughnecks, Johnson played the 2006 season with the NIFL’s Lakeland, then moved on to the Laredo Lobos of the af2 in 2007.

That’s when he tore the same labrum he hurt in 2004, his first year with the Roughnecks.

“That was my second surgery in three years, so I wanted to take a back seat,” Johnson said. “I thought I was pretty much done with football.”

Johnson, 29, has a wife, Jessica, and a 3-year-old daughter, Saniya. Taking a job as a graduate assistant at Sul Ross State represented the end of his playing career.

Until Williams started looking for a capable backup to Gile.

Johnson has plenty of respect for Williams, the coach who stuck with Johnson the first time the quarterback tore his labrum.

“I wanted to try to come back and help him out,” Johnson said. “I’ve tried to come in and be a good spirit. This has been a rough year for Odessa, and I’ve tried to come in with a smile.”

Odessa no longer has a shot at the playoffs.

So there is very little pressure on Johnson to perform tonight, at least from the rest of the Roughnecks, who want to end a terrible season on a good note.

But there might be a few Lobos in the stands, and the coach would love to impress his players with a standout performance.

Because after Saturday night’s game, Johnson will return to his new life, a life where he’s been promoted to quarterback’s coach at Sul Ross State.

After he graduates in December with a master’s degree in education, Johnson — who spent two years as a coach at Bacone College before coming to the Roughnecks the first time — wants to keep coaching at the collegiate level.

“I want to keep coaching,” Johnson said. “Coaching kids, helping kids be the best person they can be, that’s a step in the right direction for me.”

First he has to take care of some unfinished business for a friend.