INDIANAPOLIS — Philip Rivers noticed him right away.
The Colts hadn’t even started practicing yet. All Rivers could do was throw a little bit to his receivers as part of this season’s ramp-up period to the start of training camp.
Marcus Johnson made an impression.
“I knew his name, but as you guys know, I like to use numbers, and so I said ‘I’ll tell you, what’s this 83 now? He has some juice,’” Rivers remembers telling the Indianapolis coaches. “We’re in the indoors and we’re throwing and I’m going ‘Golly, I’ll tell you what.’”
At the time, Johnson seemed like the favorite to earn the extra roster spot at a wide receiver position already locked up at four spots with T.