They occupy two spots on the football field, but Eastern Washington’s Matt and Zach Johnson move to one loud, crashing beat.
If you happen to watch them play – or God help you if you have had your bones rattled by one of their hits – and think you are seeing double, well, you are, because they are twins.
They look like each other, even though Zach is a linebacker – moving to the middle spot this season – and Matt is a strong safety.
They have the same cat-like movements, and pain-seeking intentions to stop ballcarriers in their tracks. Such will be the case Saturday when the defending FBS-champion Eagles open their 2011 season at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Where one goes, the other almost always follows.
“Twins, like everyone says, are each other’s best friends,” Matt said. “And we get along better than a lot of twins. Sometimes we don’t even need to talk … to know what we are thinking.”
The Johnsons have progressed in a similar fashion: Neither received much recruiting attention coming out of Tumwater High School, but Eastern was willing to take both as a package deal in 2007.
They redshirted that first season and have started every game they have played since – Matt 38 games, and Zach 25.
Both were all-Big Sky Conference selections last season, when Eastern won its final 11 games, including a 20-19 victory over Delaware, to capture the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision championship in Frisco, Texas. Both are listed as preseason All-America candidates this year. Both were voted this week by teammates as defensive co-captains.
“They play the game fast,” Sacramento State coach Marshall Sperbeck said. “You can tell they bring an excitement to the game every day. … That is what you want in a football player – a guy who loves playing.”
Beau Baldwin, the Curtis High product who is Eastern’s coach, sees great seasons ahead for his two standouts.
“Zach, this might be the year that shows up as more of a jump (in production). He had to play last year at the outside linebacker position where I think he was, in my opinion, one of the more underrated football players on our team,” Baldwin said. “A lot of times, he was outside the box … he would take away bubble screens and things teams wanted to do to the weak side, or open field side. What he did was probably bigger than what showed up statistically.
“For Matt, I expect another great year. He has had great seasons every year he has been here. He’s been fortunate to stay healthy, and I expect him to finish off (his career) with his very best season.”
The Johnsons certainly have the attention – now – of bigger programs and their coaching staffs.
This week, UW coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned them by name as two key players the Huskies have to fully account for and respect.
Paul Wulff, the former Eastern coach now at Washington State, said, “no question they are Pac-12 football players” who should have opportunities to play professionally somewhere.
That is all fine and dandy, both Johnsons say. But where was the NCAA Division I attention before now?
“It is very cool to hear something like that,” Matt said. “And the thing is, it makes us want to prove it much more to those who doubted it in high school and who doubt us now.
“I am not trying to downgrade the UW, but we feel like we could play there. A lot of guys on this team feel that. I love that nobody picked us up.”
Added Zach: “We feel we are the underdogs, even after last year, and don’t get the credit we deserved. Every guy (at Eastern) feels they should have been recruited by a bigger school. We are always going to have a chip on our shoulder.”
Could a tense brouhaha be in store Saturday in the season opener? Nah, the Johnsons say. They are football players and not fighters, especially between themselves.
“The last serious fight we were in was in the dorms at Eastern (in 2008),” Zach said. “It was because we were in a small area together.”
And now?
“We live in a house,” Zach said. “We just needed more space, that’s all.”
EXTRA POINTS
UW running back Chris Polk practiced fully Thursday but Sarkisian listed him as questionable for Saturday’s game. … Cornerback Quinton Richardson (ankle) did not practice and is doubtful for Saturday. … Sarkisian said true freshman running back Bishop Sankey will play Saturday and will not redshirt.
Todd Milles: 253-597-84442 todd.milles@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports
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