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SCOUT'S TAKE

Skinny: Johnson led the team in rushing with 705 yards and nine rushing touchdowns. He is a workhouse-type of running back, one that will give you a consistent effort week after week. He has good size and decent speed, but he doesn’t wow you with either. He possesses all of the necessary skills to be a productive back at the next level. Teams covet that steady, workhorse running back and that alone could have Johnson playing on Sundays.

NEWS

02.21.10 - Among the best-known tests is the 225-pound bench in which players see how many times they can lift the weight without stopping. Johnson can do it roughly 23 to 27 times these days, impressive for a running back. Part of that business figures to be an intriguing moment when Johnson does the bench press in front of NFL coaches, scouts and executives next week at the combine. While the bench press is just another in a series of events, you get the feeling that when Johnson steps up to do it, lots of people will be interested to see how he handles it. – Yahoo!

01.03.10 - Less than four months after suffering potentially fatal injuries in a weightlifting accident, USC running back Stafon Johnson has accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 30 in Mobile, Ala. Johnson's senior season with the Trojans abruptly ended after a weight bar crushed his throat on Sept. 28. He needed seven hours of reconstructive surgery immediately after the accident. "This is a great opportunity for Stafon with all that he's been through and he's excited to play with some of the greatest players in the country," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "He's grateful to the Senior Bowl for giving him this chance. He's been a great player for us and everybody is ecstatic about him showing his playing ability there at the Senior Bowl." Johnson has undergone several operations since leaving the hospital Oct. 14. His right vocal cord was torn away from its mooring and his larynx was crushed, leaving him unable to speak and swallow or eat solid foods. Johnson has since regained both abilities.

12.12.09 - USC senior RB Stafon Johnson, who has missed most of this season following a freak weightlifting accident, will not apply for a medical hardship and will turn pro, according to his uncle. Kregg Anderson said Johnson has notified USC coach Pete Carroll of the decision. – NFL.com

09.30.09 - A trauma expert who was part of the team that performed more than seven hours of throat surgery on the USC tailback said Tuesday that Johnson, injured in a weightlifting accident, would make a full recovery and play again when healed. "We definitely are working very hard to get him better, for him and for the rest of his fans," said Dr. Gudata Hinika, trauma director at California Hospital Medical Center. "So we expect him to be on the football field at some time." Whether that occurs first at USC or in the NFL remains to be seen. Johnson, a former star at Los Angeles Dorsey High, is a fourth-year senior. A USC official said the school's compliance office had determined that Johnson could potentially be granted an extra year of eligibility because of a medical hardship. But Johnson also would be eligible to make himself available for the NFL draft.

09.28.09 - USC running back Stafon Johnson is still in surgery at California Hospital Medical Center near downtown. His condition was "critical but stable" as of about 7:20 tonight, according to a hospital spokesperson. Friends and family of Johnson have gathered at the hospital, waiting for him to return from surgery which began about five hours ago. Johnson was injured this morning while lifting weights at the school. The senior from Dorsey High was just starting a set of bench press lifts when he apparently lost control of the bar and it landed on his neck. He was reportedly spitting up blood and was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where surgery began sometime around 2 p.m., according to family friend John Eatman, a former high school teammate.

04.03.09 - Tailback Stafon Johnson missed his second consecutive practice because of an injured right knee. Johnson told Pete Carroll that he would return Friday, but Carroll said the staff was awaiting results of an MRI on Johnson’s knee to determine the exact nature of his discomfort.

04.01.09 - USC running back Stafon Johnson has been held out of the last two practices due to discomfort in his knee. Johnson could return to practice on Friday, but they are awaiting MRI results to determine what is causing the problem.

01.02.09 - Johnson saw very little playing time his freshman season at USC and underwent surgery on a dislocated shoulder in the offseason but came back from the procedure and rushed for 673 yards with five touchdowns in 2007. This season, he has 642 yards rushing with nine touchdowns and has returned 32 punts for 303 yards. He recently suffered a kneecap injury during practice in preparation for the Rose Bowl but it is said to be minor. Johnson has filed his paperwork with the NFL Advisory Board but has said he will not make a decision until January. Because USC has employed the three-headed monster at running back scheme, Johnson has had to share time with Joe McKnight and C.J. Gable, which has obviously affected his numbers. He would likely project as a mid-round pick but with good workouts could move up.

12.23.08 - USC tailback Stafon Johnson did not practice Monday because of a kneecap injury, but the junior said he would play in the Rose Bowl against Penn State on Jan 1. Johnson was hurt Sunday when he was hit after catching a pass. Johnson said it felt like something in his right knee "went out and then came back in," but he was able to walk to the sideline and later to the locker room without assistance. Coach Pete Carroll said X-rays revealed no major damage. "At first I was very scared because I didn't know what was going on," said Johnson, who has a team-high 123 carries for 642 yards and nine touchdowns. "But no matter what it was, it wasn't going to keep me out of the game."

09.17.07 - A native of Compton, Calif., Johnson was one of the most heavily recruited running backs in high school two years ago, a Parade all-American who ran a 10.7-second 100 meters. He arrived at fall camp in 2006 with hopes of becoming the next great Trojans tailback, but Johnson and Carroll said he did not possess the right mentality to consistently compete.

VITALS

Medical Examiner: Render underwent arthroscopic knee surgery following the 2006 season. He also went under the knife again this past off-season, but this time it was for shoulder surgery.

Honor Roll: 2008 AP All-ACC Second Team; Member of 2006 and 2007 All-American teams.

High School: Played both sides of the line in high school and recorded over 100 pancake blocks in his last two seasons.

Factoid: Render had originally committed to Florida State, but after visiting Blacksburg, decided to change his mind and attend Virginia Tech.