Player Profile

COLLEGE: In their quest to find talented, young offensive linemen, the Cowboys drafted Al Johnson in the second round (38th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft. A three-year starter at Wisconsin, Johnson is a natural center who helped lead the way for a potent Badgers rushing attack. He is a fast-twitch snapper who explodes off the line and establishes leverage immediately coming out of his stance. He also has the speed to get to the linebacker or to pull around the end. Cowboys coaches were also impressed by his ability to make quick reads of the defense and adjust the line while still making solid snaps and blocking his assignment. Dallas feels that Johnson has the intelligence and physical ability to contribute early in his career and will give him every opportunity to earn playing time during his rookie campaign.

2002: As a senior captain, Johnson was a consensus All-Big Ten second-team choice while garnering third-team All-America honors from The Sporting News and honorable mention from CNN/SI. He anchored an offensive line that allowed the Badgers to accumulate 4,610 yards and 43 touchdowns on the season while averaging 190.0 rushing yards-per-game. The blocking of Johnson and the line allowed Anthony Davis to rush for 1,456 yards on 275 carries (5.3 avg.). The Badgers opened the season by rushing for 198 yards against Fresno State. Johnson opened a hole in the middle against the Bulldogs for Matt Bernstein to score on a one-yard jaunt. Wisconsin totaled 447 total offensive yards against West Virginia. Against Arizona, Johnson helped lead the way for 260 rushing yards and 425 total yards by Wisconsin while springing Davis for a six-yard scoring scamper with block on the linebacker. Johnson got to the linebacker in time to clear a path for Davis to go 41-yards for a touchdown against Ohio State. The Badgers then totaled 221 rushing yards at Indiana before accumulating 313 rushing yards and 448 total yards at Michigan State. Against Colorado in the Alamo Bowl, Johnson brought down defensive tackle Tyler Brayton on a four-yard scoring run by Davis as Wisconsin picked up 356 total yards.

2001: As a junior, Johnson started every game at center and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors after helping lead the team to 176.9 rushing yards-per-game and 389.9 total yards-per-game. Behind Johnson's blocking, Davis rushed for 1,466 yards on 291 carries (5.0 avg.). Johnson helped the Badgers open the season with 228 rushing yards against Virginia then at Oregon, he opened a hole in the middle of the line that Davis burst through for a 69-yard touchdown jaunt as Wisconsin accumulated 388 total yards. In Wisconsin's 18-6 victory over Penn State, Johnson's block of Jimmy Kennedy paved the way for Brooks Bolinger's three-yard touchdown run that sealed the Badgers victory. In that victory over the Nittany Lions, Wisconsin rushed for a season-high 320 yards while accumulating 434 total yards. He executed a solid reach block on a blitzing linebacker at Ohio State to allow Bollinger time to complete a 42-yard touchdown pass to Nick Davis. Johnson's blocking against Michigan State allowed Wisconsin to throw for a season-high 368 yards while recording a season-high 519 total yards of offense. He paved the way for 172 rushing yards and 434 total yards against Iowa. In the season finale at Minnesota, he anchored a line that allowed the Badgers to rush for 256 yards while totaling 494 total yards on the day.

2000: Johnson took over the starting center duties in the second game of the season and proceeded to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. He took over the center duties when All-America Casey Rabach moved to right guard. Johnson's play in the middle of the Badgers offensive line helped the team average 196.1 rushing yards-per-game and 358.8 total yards-per-game while leading the way for Michael Bennett to rush for 1,598 yards on 294 carries (5.4 avg.). Bennett's 159.8 rushing yards-per-game was the third best average in the country. The Badgers were able to run for 302 yards against Oregon before totaling 352 rushing yards and 505 total yards against Northwestern. He was named Wisconsin's offensive player of the game when the Badgers rushed for 180 yards at Michigan. The following week at Ohio State, Johnson's block led to the team's only score, a 35-yard touchdown run by Bennett. Behind Johnson's blocking, Wisconsin accumulated 216 rushing yards against Minnesota, 228 rushing yards at Indiana and 263 rushing yards at Hawaii to close out the season. In the Sun Bowl against UCLA, Johnson sparked the team with his work inside as the Badgers rushed for 168 yards against the Bruins.

1999: As a redshirt freshman, Johnson appeared in seven games, seeing most of his action with the field goal and conversion units.

1998: Johnson was redshirted as a true freshman.

PERSONAL: Johnson, a sociology major at Wisconsin, was a standout two-way player at Southern Door High School in Brussels, Wis., earning second-team All-America honors from Prep Football Report and all-state honors from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel while being named a national top 20 lineman by SuperPrep, the state of Wisconsin's top player by Street & Smith's and the Packerland Conference player of the year. He was also named to Prep Star's all-America �Dream Team� and played in the Wisconsin Shrine Game. The sociology major was also a member of the Southern Door track and basketball teams, winning the state track title in the shot put and being named conference player of the year in basketball.