Weaving talent follows Broncos' Johnson off field
An unusual hobby

By George Schroeder

Published: December 20, 2006

BOISE, Idaho — What opponents haven't been able to do, the NCAA did.

No more will Ian Johnson artfully weave his way — oops, wrong story. The Boise State tailback still gets to weave his way through would-be tacklers, although dragging them along is more the sophomore's style.

But Johnson can no longer weave those artful hats and scarves. No more crocheting for fun and profit — or at least, not for profit.

That's right, the star tailback is into crocheting. Had a nice little business venture going, too. Until …

"The NCAA shut me down,” Johnson sighed.

Which is more than any of Boise State's victims could say this season. The sophomore rushed for a school-record 1,613 yards (second-best nationally) and 24 touchdowns (which led the nation), emerging from anonymity to become the Broncos' brightest star.

It's all heady stuff for a kid who made his own highlight film in high school, hoping to find a way to attract the college coaches who all seemed to be looking elsewhere.

Now, he's got his own highlight film, produced by Boise State's marketing department to entice Heisman voters.

It shows the 5-foot-11, 195-pounder blasting through holes, racing away from defenses — or sometimes, dragging would-be tacklers along.

"He's definitely earned my respect,” said Hawaii coach June Jones after Johnson romped for 178 yards and two TDs. "I knew he was good, but he's better than what I thought he was.”

Johnson burst onto the scene last September, with 240 yards and five touchdowns in the Broncos' 42-14 win over Oregon State. All that slowed him was a collapsed lung, suffered against San Jose State (he rushed for 149 yards anyway).

He missed one game — after spending almost a week in the hospital — then returned to run for 147 yards and three touchdowns in the Broncos' season finale at Nevada.

"It's unbelievable to see a guy with his size (do that)," Boise State center Jadon Dailey said. "We've got confidence in him, that if we put our hats on hats, then he'll make one guy miss and we'll see what happens from there.”

Speaking of hats, Dailey says Johnson owes him a beanie for all that hard work blocking for him. And just maybe, now that the NCAA has nixed the business end of the hobby, Dailey will get it.Johnson wasn't getting rich, by the way. A hat, usually in bright orange and blue, typically took about two hours to complete. He charged $14, plus $1 for materials, figuring that worked out to $7 an hour, or "average wages in Idaho.”

The NCAA had initially cleared the venture. But when Johnson's on-field career took off, the quirky habit was eagerly pounced on by reporters who knew a good story. Orders poured in — Johnson said he had a backlog of 200 — until the NCAA determined the publicity amounted to something like free advertising.

So Johnson has begun giving people the bad news.

"Now, they're rare,” he said of the products. "I can't make 'em anymore.”

At least, not to sell. But he isn't about to stop crocheting. It's been Johnson's preferred pastime since high school, when his mother refused to give him money for a scarf, choosing instead to teach him the craft.

"She thought I wouldn't learn, or it would be a passing fad,” Johnson said.

Instead, it became an outlet for relaxation. He brought the hobby to Boise State — where "it wasn't so cool,” he said. "Guys were giving me a hard time.”

Well, sure. It's not exactly the typical teenage pursuit. Just ask Oklahoma linebacker Zach Latimer, who was surprised to hear of Johnson's hobby.

Ever thought of crocheting, Zach?

"That would be a negative,” Latimer said, laughing.

Johnson's heard the catcalls — especially from opponents and their fans.

"They say, ‘Hey, why don't you crochet yourself a touchdown?'” Johnson said. "Or, ‘If football's not panning out, you could always crochet.'”

So far, he's doing fine at both.