TAMPA - GoUSFBulls.com recently sat down with senior wide receiver Taurus Johnson to discuss a number of topics. Get ready for a good laugh when you see what Taurus had to say about the big 'ole grizzly bear, talking trash and Coach Canales among other things. A veteran of 36 career games, the Cape Coral, Fla., native is looking for a big 2008. He has 74 career receptions and 6 career touchdowns to go along with 936 career receiving yards.
It's been well documented that you are considered, at least by the receivers, the team trash talk king. Talk a little bit about that.
To be honest, I can't believe they sold me out like that. But I guess the team thinks I'm a trash talker. But to me, in my opinion, I think I can back it up. You know, it's all fun and games that's all it is.
Do you trash talk to the receivers and the DB's?
Oh yeah, that's everyday. Me and the DB's we go at it everyday. They trash talk and we trash talk, but at the same time, we're practicing and working at the same time.
What's one of your better ones?
Oh, man, I don't want to say. I don't want Coach Leavitt to get mad. I'll keep that confidential right now.
I think you have a challenger, at least on the offensive side, one of the linemen. Who's the better trash talker, you or Ryan Schmidt?
To be honest I think Schmidt's got it because he's a whole lot funnier with it. I mean, he's a character, a big ?ol grizzly bear character. But he's a good kid, I love him.
Obviously it's a lot different to trash talk your teammates, how does that translate into a game?
To be honest I just go out there and try to do the best that I can. If I make a big play, my emotions show. But at the same time I've got to be careful to not hurt the team.
Talk about getting ready for this season, the expectations the team has.
This year we've got a whole lot of expectations. The goal is to definitely win the BIG EAST, but we've got to do that one game at a time like Coach Leavitt told us. Right now we're in two-a-days, we're working real hard on both sides of the ball as well as special teams. By first game we definitely should be ready to go.
When we did our Q&A with the receivers, you and Marcus Edwards were tied for being Coach Canales' favorite, respond to that.
Me and Marcus got our own little thing. Me and him are in Coach Canales' office all day just asking questions about what we need to do better and Coach Canales is always helping us out. He's been in the NFL, he's been a receivers coach so he knows what's best for the receivers so we ask questions him all the time.
Some of the receivers see it as sucking up, how do you see that?
They're trying to get on his side right now, but I don't think Coach Canales is falling for it. Me and Marcus are the seniors though.
Coach Canales kind of covered himself, when asked who his favorite was. He said "all of them."
Yeah, like I said, we all work hard. Coach Canales loves all of us, but I think he really loves me and Marcus the most.
Talk about the depth at the receiver position this year and what's expected out of the receivers.
We're trying to be the best receiver group in the BIG EAST and in the nation. Our wide receiver group, we have great depth, from Dontavia Bogan to Marcus Edwards, Patrick Richardson, Carlton Mitchell, A.J. Love, Jessie Hester. So like I said we do have a lot of depth all over the place.
Talk about heading into this first game and what that means.
It's the first game, it's the first test, Tennessee Martin. We're getting really anxious. We're tired of waiting, but right now we're just trying to do things that we need to do first as far as offensive wides. Evaluating our plays, practicing, like I said, we're getting ready to go.
