Lions defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson met with the media after Saturday’s morning practice. It was the first time we got a chance to ask Gardner-Johnson about his injury scare, as well as how the young defense is coming together.
Gardner-Johnson quickly dismissed any notion of him missing key time in practices. He initially refused comment about the injury, and then fired right back at reporters’ questions about not being on the field.
“I didn’t miss practice,” Gardner-Johnson said. “I was part of practice every day.”
I was standing directly behind Kory Woods of MLive as he rolled film on the press conference. It was something to behold.
A fiery C.J. Gardner-Johnson talks to the media after practice about getting back on the field. pic.twitter.com/tOPsyfMlCz
— Kory E. Woods (@KoryEWoods) July 29, 2023
He’s a player known for bringing an edge to a team, going back to his college days at Florida. This was the first real taste for Detroit of the truculence that Gardner-Johnson embraces. It has driven him to be the very good player that he is across stints with the Saints and Eagles. And it made for a very interesting press conference, including a great quote and sound bite.
“It’s very important, because I’m contagious. I’m like the flu. It’s gonna go through your body, and you either get it or you don’t get it,” Gardner-Johnson stated. “That’s not because I’m cocky. No. I’m confident in my job. I’m confident in my coaches, my teammates, my coaches, the training room, my strength guys. That’s why.”
The infectious energy and edge Gardner-Johnsson brings is a welcome addition to what has been a relatively vanilla defensive locker room. While it’s an unusual tone for a press conference, Gardner-Johnson’s intensity shouldn’t be viewed as a negative.
