Adding a wide receiver to replace Breshad Perriman who left via free agency last month, was a priority for Tampa Bay and the Buccaneers hope they found their guy by selecting Minnesota receiver Tyler Johnson in the fifth round.  Johnson will join his Golden Gopher teammate Antoine Winfield Jr. in coming to the Bucs.

Johnson celebrated being drafted briefly, but all he wants to do now and get to work.

“Right now it’s back to business,” Johnson said. “We celebrate, we take these moments in, and the next day on we move forward. This may sound crazy, but I feel like I already have something to prove. Once you make it to the next level, the highest level, you have to restart your entire journey. Nothing is guaranteed, nothing is given to you, so I’m just gonna continue to go out here and work my tail off and help contribute winning to a great organization. I’ma have fun doing what I do, that’s pretty much what got me here, why change now?”

That didn’t even change for Johnson when he was playing in his last college football game, which happened to be at his new home of Raymond James Stadium in the Outback Bowl. Johnson won the Outback Bowl MVP with 12 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns in Minnesota’s 31-24 victory over Auburn.

“It was just another game,” Johnsons said. “I don’t tend to look at games like this one’s personal or that one is personal because every game is personal, every game is different. So, going out there with the mindset that you want to win every battle is very important to me. I’m going to continue that mindset as it goes on.”

Johnson did say he enjoyed being in Tampa Bay.

“I loved playing out there honestly,” Johnson said. “I’m from Minnesota, so it gets cold in the winter, but being out there in the wintertime, it was definitely amazing, especially to get out there in the heat and to have nice weather.

Minnesota WR Tyler Johnson – Photo courtesy of Minnesota

One of Johnson’s best attributes of his game is going up and getting after the ball. He often won the one-one-one battles in college, but that was something that he wasn’t just good at right away, and he credits his coaches for getting him to excel at it over time.

“I would have to give credit to Coach [Matt] Simon, our old receivers coach at the University of Minnesota,” Johnson said. “Honestly, he realized that my jumping ability was really high whenever the ball was in the air and he loved my body control, so whenever I was young, when I was a sophomore, at times I used to wait for the ball to come down. He used to yell at me [and] pound me. Then in practice it just became natural for me to – instead of waiting for the ball – go get the ball. Don’t wait at all. That’s a mindset that I’ve had since.

“The ball is going to come, but the first person that reacts to the ball and goes to the ball has the better chance of coming down with the ball. Over time, I’ve worked on it. We even did a lot of drills in practice where he’ll have a bag [or] he’ll have something to disrupt it, so you’ll actually have to get over something to get up, have the right body control and come down with the ball.”

Johnson now joins a group of elite pass catchers that are also some of the best in going up and getting the ball with Evans and Godwin, who Johnson plans to learn a lot from.

“It’s going to be amazing,” Johnson said. “I can’t wait. Watching those guys go up and make plays at any moment of the game, it definitely brings a lot to your game, especially with me being in the same room with them now. I’m going to be able to learn from them – learn how they do different things in releases, and break points, and attacking the ball. I’m going to be able to put bits and pieces together. I’m very excited.”