Undersized DB Johnson likes throwing his weight around

ALBANY - Last year he was an undrafted rookie trying to make the team. Now Bruce Johnson is a big part of what the Giants' secondary is trying to accomplish. But that hasn't stopped him from being one of the feistiest players in camp.

He'll routinely throw an extra little shoulder into a non-contact drill or add some shove to a two-hand touch exercise. It's caused more than a few offensive players to start chirping and complaining, but that won't stop Johnson.

"I've got to let them know," he said of his growing reputation. "Being a little guy, they try to give you a little extra, so you've got to let them know that it's not a little fight. It isn't dirty, you've just got to let them know that I'm not going to let you push me around just because I'm a little smaller than you."

Johnson is listed at 5-11 and 182 pounds. Compared with some of the bigger defensive backs the Giants have, that's downright puny. But the role Johnson played on last year's team was anything but small. He was the starting nickelback and saw plenty of playing time, particularly early in the season.

"At the beginning of the season, he was amazing last year, to be honest with you," Tom Coughlin said.

He slowed a little as the season progressed, partly because of the effects of a wrist injury that he'd been dealing with since college. This offseason he had surgery to repair the wrist and said he feels great in this camp.

He also is feeling great mentally without the stresses of being an undrafted player trying to make the squad.

"It's a lot different from last year," he said. "I have a lot of confidence. I'm a very confident guy. But [playing last year] gave me a lot more confidence to know that the coach trusted me enough to put me out there. I had to be doing something right to have him put me out there."

Sometimes that confidence isn't always a good thing. Coughlin said he had to talk to Johnson about allowing receivers to get position on him.

"He's so fast and quick that he believes that he can let you run right on top of him and he'll still be able to cover," Coughlin said. "He's getting better each time out, and he's a very confident guy. We need all we can get back there."

After last year when the entire secondary took an ego hit, the Giants are healthy with the apparent return of Aaron Ross and Kenny Phillips plus the addition of free agents at safety such as Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant. Johnson fits into that mix as well. And he thinks the entire group is ready to bounce back.

"We can be great," he said. "We can do something really special. All we have to do is stay healthy. If everybody pays attention to detail and does what is asked of them and trusts each other, we can do something very special back there this year."