Pepper Johnson was once a young linebacker with a lot of lip, who loved to hit and prove how good he was. A rookie on the Giants 1986 Super Bowl team playing alongside future Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson, he learned to compete amid high standards.
Now in his 15th season as an NFL assistant coach, Johnson is trying to get the Jets talented defensive line to settle for nothing less than greatness. Would you expect anything different from a disciple of Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick?
“I’m going to be hard on them because I think this is the ultimate team sport: football,” Johnson said on Monday during a rare session with reporters.