Heatherthepackgirl
Cheesehead
By BOB WOLFLEY
[email protected]
Posted: May 23, 2007
The Green Bay Packers were among the National Football League teams interested in acquiring wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson.
Keyshawn Johnson has retired and joined ESPN as an NFL studio analyst.
But Johnson, 34, decided to end his football career on Tuesday. On Wednesday it was announced he had joined ESPN to serve as an NFL studio analyst.
Besides the Packers, Johnson said teams expressing interest in him were the Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots. He said a few other teams were interested as well, but he did not name them.
"They were very interested," Johnson said Wednesday, referring to the Packers. "We continued to talk to them. My agent continued to talk to them.
"Reggie McKenzie did a terrific job in trying to persuade us at some point in time to take a look at the Green Bay Packers," Johnson said, referring to the pro personnel director for the Packers.
Johnson made his remarks Wednesday afternoon during an ESPN conference call with reporters to announce his hiring.
Johnson said he considered each of the teams that showed interest in him.
"I had a level of interest in every team that had a level of interest in me," Johnson said. "I think that the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre is always an interesting and exciting opportunity, when you can play alongside one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the history of the game. So, there was always an interest there. We never really got to a point where it was full steam ahead. I was on vacation here and there. I wasn't in a rush to make any decisions."
The team that appeared closest to landing Johnson was the Titans, coached by Jeff Fisher, who played defensive back at University of Southern California, where Johnson starred as a wide receiver.
Johnson's agent, Jerome Stanley, said in a report that the Titans offered a deal worth nearly $8 million for two years, with most of it guaranteed. Johnson visited with Titans coaches last week.
Johnson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft by the New York Jets. He played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won Super Bowl XXXVII with him, the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers. He was chosen to play in the Pro Bowl three times.
Recently in an interview, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he thought Johnson could play at a high level and was a receiver who could be a good fit for the Packers' offense.
In 2006 for the Panthers, Johnson caught 70 passes for 815 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the 16th player in the history of the NFL with 800 receptions in his career. He finished with 814 receptions for 10,571 yards and 64 touchdowns.
[email protected]
Posted: May 23, 2007
The Green Bay Packers were among the National Football League teams interested in acquiring wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson.
Keyshawn Johnson has retired and joined ESPN as an NFL studio analyst.
But Johnson, 34, decided to end his football career on Tuesday. On Wednesday it was announced he had joined ESPN to serve as an NFL studio analyst.
Besides the Packers, Johnson said teams expressing interest in him were the Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots. He said a few other teams were interested as well, but he did not name them.
"They were very interested," Johnson said Wednesday, referring to the Packers. "We continued to talk to them. My agent continued to talk to them.
"Reggie McKenzie did a terrific job in trying to persuade us at some point in time to take a look at the Green Bay Packers," Johnson said, referring to the pro personnel director for the Packers.
Johnson made his remarks Wednesday afternoon during an ESPN conference call with reporters to announce his hiring.
Johnson said he considered each of the teams that showed interest in him.
"I had a level of interest in every team that had a level of interest in me," Johnson said. "I think that the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre is always an interesting and exciting opportunity, when you can play alongside one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the history of the game. So, there was always an interest there. We never really got to a point where it was full steam ahead. I was on vacation here and there. I wasn't in a rush to make any decisions."
The team that appeared closest to landing Johnson was the Titans, coached by Jeff Fisher, who played defensive back at University of Southern California, where Johnson starred as a wide receiver.
Johnson's agent, Jerome Stanley, said in a report that the Titans offered a deal worth nearly $8 million for two years, with most of it guaranteed. Johnson visited with Titans coaches last week.
Johnson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft by the New York Jets. He played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won Super Bowl XXXVII with him, the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers. He was chosen to play in the Pro Bowl three times.
Recently in an interview, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he thought Johnson could play at a high level and was a receiver who could be a good fit for the Packers' offense.
In 2006 for the Panthers, Johnson caught 70 passes for 815 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the 16th player in the history of the NFL with 800 receptions in his career. He finished with 814 receptions for 10,571 yards and 64 touchdowns.
