Vikings draft capsule: Tyrell Johnson

Tyrell Johnson • safety

School: Arkansas State • Age: 22 • Height: 5-11 1/2 • Weight: 200

Johnson redshirted his first season at Arkansas State (2003) before becoming a four-year starter. As a senior, he had 94 tackles,five for losses. He forced two fumbles, broke up four passes and had six interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

Johnson won Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors and is the conference's leader in tackles.

"I think after all the natural ability is taken out of the equation, his biggest thing that he has going for him is his character and his work ethic," Arkansas State Coach Steve Roberts said. "He is a tremendous person. Never missed a thing while he was here with the program. I don't ever remember him being late for a meeting or missing breakfast check or anything of that nature."

Johnson also has quite a sports pedigree. His mother, Patricia Johnson, was a champion sprinter at the University of Arkansas. His father, Alvin Robertson, was an All-America guard with the basketball Razorbacks who spent 10 seasons in the NBA and was a four-time All-Star.

But in crediting his parents for his success, Johnson has preferred to focus mostly on his stepfather, Travis Bell, who raised Tyrell from the age of 6 months while Robertson focused on his career and then fell afoul of the law with a series of charges ranging from assault to burglary to resisting arrest.

"I listened to my positive people like my coaches and my parents," Johnson said. "The No. 1 thing is keep God first no matter when things were going good or going bad." Johnson said he had something to prove at Arkansas State after Tulsa was the only other NCAA Division I-A school to offer him a scholarship.

One of the concerns regarding Johnson was a partial anterior cruciate ligament tear discovered during a combine physical -- a tear Johnson apparently has played with most of his career.

"He's been playing on it at least since high school, if that's the case," said Roberts. "It hasn't affected his ability to cut."

FROM NEWS SERVICES