April 26, 2009

By Zak Gilbert
Athletic Media Relations

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Gartrell Johnson's plane rides home just got a lot farther.

Johnson, CSU's electric, dreadlocked running back, grew up in South Florida, spent all five of his college years at Colorado State, and now, after the San Diego Chargers made him a fourth-round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft Sunday, will literally have the nation covered.

Ironically, San Diego drafted Johnson with a compensatory selection (134th overall) awarded to the Chargers in part due to the loss of RB Michael Turner, who signed as an unrestricted free agent with Atlanta prior to the 2008 season. Turner, who also starred at a non-BCS school and compares to Johnson in size and power-running style, backed up NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson prior to leaving for Atlanta.

Now, Johnson provides a unique complement to Tomlinson and sparkplug Darren Sproles, one of the league's most exciting players, in the Chargers' backfield. Johnson's competition also includes Jacob Hester, who helped LSU to the 2007 national championship, and ninth-year NFL veteran Michael Bennett.

Johnson becomes the first Colorado State player drafted by San Diego since 1986, when the Chargers selected Terry Unrein in the third round (66th overall).

He's played in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, also home to CSU conference foe San Diego State, on three occasions, including Oct. 25, when he had 130 yards on 26 carries, and five catches for 28 yards, in a dramatic 38-34 CSU win.

In 2008, Johnson led the Rams to a New Mexico Bowl victory over Fresno State, the Rams' first winning season since 2003. The inspirational CSU back closed his career with an NCAA bowl record 375 combined rushing and receiving yards, including a school postseason record 275 on the ground. A first-team all-MWC selection, the team's Fum McGraw Most Valuable Player, he led the Mountain West in rushing (113.5 yards per game) and ranked 13th in the nation.

One of the hardest-working players in the conference, Johnson started 20 straight contests at running back, including all 13 in 2008, after joining the starting lineup midway through 2007. He also authored an impressive string of 554 touches without a fumble, from September of 2005 to November of 2008.

Johnson also is the first player drafted in the Steve Fairchild era at Colorado State.

Prior to Sunday, the Rams had not had a player drafted since the Patriots chose Clint Oldenburg in 2007, and had not had a player taken as high as Johnson (134th overall) since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose DB John Howell 117th overall, in the fourth round, in 2001. Howell earned a Super Bowl ring one year later with the Bucs.

And before Howell, the last CSU players to go as high were two of the best players in CSU annals, All-American lineman Anthony Cesario and future NFL sack artist and Super Bowl champion Joey Porter, who each went in the third round in 1999.

Free agents: After the draft, three Rams agreed to free-agent contracts; Billy Farris with Cincinnati, Kyle Bell with Jacksonville and Kory Sperry joining Johnson in San Diego. Other eligible prospects, including Tommie Hill, Mike Pagnotta, Mike Myers and Jason Smith, were still hopeful of landing with NFL clubs late Sunday night.