Michael Johnson: Man of Charity and Versatility

Just after the Bengals signed Adam Jones to a two-year deal, causing malfunction errors to the sensitivity of some beat writers that covers the team, Geoff Hobson intercedes on Bengals.com to promote a great effort by Bengals sophomore Michael Johnson.

Johnson is heading to Selma, Alabama to "help save a school from financial problems" during the first ever event for Johnson's MJ93 foundation. Players like Antwan Odom, Clinton McDonald, Robert Geathers and Anthony Collins are using their own dime to get there and join Johnson.

“There is a buzz in the town about it. There are going to be spectators out there just to watch,” says Thomasene Johnson, his mother who has gone morning, noon and night rounding up the 180 or so registration forms and the 10 sponsors. “Selma is very proud. Michael is from here and he has always said he wanted to give back. We just haven’t had a lot of people do that and people want to see it."

It goes to show you that while other writers demean the Bengals for character issues, they completely lack the ambition or motivation to help promote the great causes that Bengals players put together all of the time. So don't be like those guys. Read about Johnson's charity and community work and know that this team is filled with great character guys -- even though other writers lump these great character guys with the same risk assessment of guys like Adam Jones.

The piece goes onto to talk about Johnson's move as a hybrid defensive player, working in as a strong-side linebacker and as a defensive end, based on the packages.

“I’m not comparing him to those players. I’m just looking at the positions he could play,” says FitzGerald of the guys he had in Baltimore. “Depending where he stands up, that could be where Adalius (Thomas) was. Or, if you play him as a down lineman and stood him up a few times, he could be like what Terrell Suggs does. But we’re not far into the process. He not only has a lot to learn, but we as coaches have a lot to learn about what he can do.”