Former Bengals OT Willie Anderson has close connection with Paris Johnson Jr.
Willie Anderson is so much more than one of the greatest right tackles in NFL history. After his playing days for the Cincinnati Bengals concluded, Anderson has become one of the best teachers of offensive line play. He started the Willie Anderson Football Academy and has helped out countless young linemen hone their craft. One […]
Willie Anderson is so much more than one of the greatest right tackles in NFL history.
After his playing days for the Cincinnati Bengals concluded, Anderson has become one of the best teachers of offensive line play. He started the Willie Anderson Football Academy and has helped out countless young linemen hone their craft.
One of them being potential top-15 pick Paris Johnson Jr.
A Cincinnati native, Johnson attended both St. Xavier High School and Princeton High School, the latter being where he graduated. He was a highly-recruited prospect who chose to stay close to home and play for Ohio State.
Before making that decision, Johnson told Good Morning Football that he linked up with Anderson and made the decision to dedicate an entire summer working with him.
"Paris Johnson, Jr. just told a good story on GMFB (Good Morning Football) Before his sophomore HS season, he was introduced to Bengals' legend Willie Anderson. Anderson, then, had a 15-year-old young buck come down to Atlanta, took him under his wing, and trained him to play O line all summer long." – Fox Sports' Peter Schrager.
Clearly, the work paid off. Johnson committed to OSU two years later and has only risen in standing since. He started 26 games for the Buckeyes during the last two seasons and is ranked as a top tackle in this Draft class. The consensus has him ranked as the 11th overall player, and projected to go off the board early in the first round.
If the Bengals were selecting that high, he'd be a likely target. Not only being a Cincinnati kid, but to have worked under Anderson is something the front office would highly value. The team's long-term need at right tackle would've given Johnson a decent chance of staying home.
Johnson will be long gone before the Bengals are on the clock, but the teachings of Anderson years ago surely has shaped his game.
