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Q+A With Duke Football: Leonard Johnson
9/1/2021 4:45:00 PM | Football
DURHAM – The Voice of the Blue Devils, David Shumate, sat down with redshirt senior cornerback Leonard Johnson for a brief question and answer session.
DS:Â Let's start with football, what are you most looking forward to with the opener on Friday?
LJ:Â We haven't been on the field so to play somebody other than our guys is going to be a great feeling. I can tell since it is game week, the team is more focused and more disciplined. We are just ready to play. We are ready to get out there and showcase what we can do, what we have been preparing for.
Â
DS:Â You grew up in the south, an Alabama kid. I imagine you know your way around some southern food. What makes a good home-cooked meal for you?
LJ:Â I'm going to say anything fried, from chicken to porkchops. My nickname is cornbread so you've got to have some cornbread, some sweet cornbread. Macaroni and Cheese. There has to be sweet tea, a lot of sugar. There are a lot of things my momma throws out there for some good soul food. I like ox tails. Mostly just some fried things, some fried chicken. Mashed potatoes and gravy."
Â
DS: I'm not letting the nickname thing go, where did cornbread come from?
LJ: Cornbread came from me. I love sweet cornbread. Coach G [Matt Guerrieri] found that out and its just stuck with me the past five years now.
Â
DS: I know you played basketball growing up, who are some of your favorite players in the NBA right now?
LJ: Well, my favorite player growing up was Carmello Anthony, ever since he was playing at Syracuse. I like Steph Curry. I honestly think he is going to be one of the greatest point guards ever. Kawhi Leonard, I like the way he plays. My favorite player, honestly, is Patrick Beverly. He's just a dog, its just in him. He comes out with a mentality that he can guard anybody the whole game.
Â
DS: You've played a lot of football here at Duke, are there a couple memories that are at the top of the list?
LJ: For sure, Blacksburg when we went there on a Friday night and beat Virginia Tech. That is a great memory with the locker room afterwards. That was my first time beating Virginia Tech. My first pick-six at Baylor my redshirt freshman year. That was crazy, a great memory. Alabama, going to play and seeing the family. With a lot of them being Alabama fans and getting to play them with the team they are and the team they are capable of.
Â
DS: I've never met a player that doesn't like playing at night, you guys play the first two games under the lights. What makes you get fired up when the lights come on?
LJ: I love playing night games. It's something about the atmosphere and more fans. I feel like more fans are there and they might be more rowdy. I'm pretty sure Charlotte is going to bring a good bit of fans out. But night games, it's a good atmosphere but, as soon as we line up between the lines it's the same thing every time.
Â
#GoDuke
Â
DS:Â Let's start with football, what are you most looking forward to with the opener on Friday?
LJ:Â We haven't been on the field so to play somebody other than our guys is going to be a great feeling. I can tell since it is game week, the team is more focused and more disciplined. We are just ready to play. We are ready to get out there and showcase what we can do, what we have been preparing for.
Â
DS:Â You grew up in the south, an Alabama kid. I imagine you know your way around some southern food. What makes a good home-cooked meal for you?
LJ:Â I'm going to say anything fried, from chicken to porkchops. My nickname is cornbread so you've got to have some cornbread, some sweet cornbread. Macaroni and Cheese. There has to be sweet tea, a lot of sugar. There are a lot of things my momma throws out there for some good soul food. I like ox tails. Mostly just some fried things, some fried chicken. Mashed potatoes and gravy."
Â
DS: I'm not letting the nickname thing go, where did cornbread come from?
LJ: Cornbread came from me. I love sweet cornbread. Coach G [Matt Guerrieri] found that out and its just stuck with me the past five years now.
Â
DS: I know you played basketball growing up, who are some of your favorite players in the NBA right now?
LJ: Well, my favorite player growing up was Carmello Anthony, ever since he was playing at Syracuse. I like Steph Curry. I honestly think he is going to be one of the greatest point guards ever. Kawhi Leonard, I like the way he plays. My favorite player, honestly, is Patrick Beverly. He's just a dog, its just in him. He comes out with a mentality that he can guard anybody the whole game.
Â
DS: You've played a lot of football here at Duke, are there a couple memories that are at the top of the list?
LJ: For sure, Blacksburg when we went there on a Friday night and beat Virginia Tech. That is a great memory with the locker room afterwards. That was my first time beating Virginia Tech. My first pick-six at Baylor my redshirt freshman year. That was crazy, a great memory. Alabama, going to play and seeing the family. With a lot of them being Alabama fans and getting to play them with the team they are and the team they are capable of.
Â
DS: I've never met a player that doesn't like playing at night, you guys play the first two games under the lights. What makes you get fired up when the lights come on?
LJ: I love playing night games. It's something about the atmosphere and more fans. I feel like more fans are there and they might be more rowdy. I'm pretty sure Charlotte is going to bring a good bit of fans out. But night games, it's a good atmosphere but, as soon as we line up between the lines it's the same thing every time.
Â
#GoDuke
Â
Players Mentioned
CB
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