Michigan's Cornelius Johnson: 'We've Got To Finish The Job'

The Michigan Wolverines are on the doorstep of capturing their first national title since 1997, and they know they've got to get it done this year.

The Michigan Wolverines are on the doorstep of capturing their first national title since 1997, and they know they've got to get the job done. That is especially true for veteran wideout Cornelius Johnson who came back for one more season at Michigan to be in this exact position - preparing for a national championship matchup with Washington on Monday night. 

Meeting with the media on Saturday, Johnson discussed the season, his career, and what a national championship would mean for this program.

Q. Cornelius, what do you have to say about your route runners?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: You know... appreciate you guys. Been in these same seats.

Q. What's it like being a New England guy playing this game?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Shout out all the New England guys, you know, in that area, not a lot of clout over there but coming out to national championship. Going to need those guys.

Q. When you guys score, JJ puts the crown on your heads, and see that caught on, can you remember how that started?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: I can't remember exactly when it started, the first game or one of of the games after that. Just a rolling thing, and it's working for us, and keep that up.

Q. What's the meaning behind it?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Just that everyone was able to contribute that touchdown on the drive, but whoever punch that in, and got that crown. Like how the defense does the turnover. Takes the photo after the turnover, just a fun thing to do. Just having fun with each other trying to celebrate.

Q. Washington did a pretty good job, containing. Curious what you seen on tape, and going into the game, and what you need to do to get those explosive plays?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Good question, Washington is a very talented team, very well deserving of being here, and winning all those games out west, and winning the Pac-12, beating Texas in the Sugar Bowl. So it'll be a great matchup coming in Monday night. We just gotta go route for route, hit for hit with all those guys and just battle and keep fighting and trust each other. So that's a good question, how they shut down Texas and all their other opponents. So we find what can work for us and we'll have a good game plan, I'm sure.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: So in terms of Jim Harbaugh's future, he would probably say the same thing, thinking about that wouldn't really help us much Monday night. You know what I mean, so like it's all so close and also real right now, so to be able to try and start speculating about everybody's future isn't going to be the best in our favor come Monday night against the Huskies. So like he'd probably say the same thing, like right now we're just focusing on the Huskies.

I know it's a generic answer, but after the game, you take a second to pause and reflect on the season and move on from there. That will be a quick turnaround once the game is over, but right now just on that. Trying to enjoy this moment with our team, because after this it's not gonna be the same, so we're just really trying to take this all in and go out there Monday night and play hard.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: He could do anything, probably. He could come back forever, he could probably just retire if he wanted to. Could be his last coaching game for all I know, or he can coach somewhere overseas or in another state. I mean, the world is his.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Yeah, the 2021 Washington team you're talking about had a lot of guys. I mean, it was me, Roman, Blake was on that team, Trevor, Zak, Mikey, you know, all those guys faced those guys in 2021, on that day. And since then, lots has changed for both squads, obviously, but thinking back on that. Doesn't feel like it was really that long ago, and playing them again, in a neutral site is going to be interesting because we got them last time, and now we've got to spin the block and do it again.

Q. Are you surprised that much better in that short amount of time?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: I mean, that's a good point. They weren't even that bad when we did beat them at our building. But they had a decent season. And they're a solid team. They're going to come back and win the Pac-12, and you know eventually climb to the top of the Pac-12, which is very, very good for them. So, I'm not surprised, you know, they've got a lot of good talent, a lot of good guys over there.

Q. So you had 3 to 4 weeks to prepare for Alabama, and all that waiting time. And seven days for Washington. Are you more excited that you have kind of more of a rhythm and back to normalcy to be able to prepare and not having all this time, all that pressure on you guys for 3-4 weeks?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Yeah, that's a good point. Having that whole month off can kind of throw off your timing a little bit. You got guys going home, and holidays, and finals, and school, and all these things different things going on within that month, and come back here in a regular game week throughout the season just Monday to Monday, definitely puts you in that rhythm, so like today we'll be like a Thursday, for example. Playing on Monday, Saturday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Usually play on Saturadays. So treating today like a Thursday how it it would be. And tell yourself those things mentally to get yourself locked in. That's a good question.

Q. Trying to take the stress off you for a second. What is your fastest time to win a chess match?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: That's a good question. Fastest time winning a chess game. There's a move, you can checkmate somebody in 3 moves. I got someone with that before. I got Ike with that. He's a little slower on the chessboard. There have been a lot of good games. Sometimes I play the bullet games, fast 2 minute games, 5 minute games, those go quick with the timer. I need practice on that. I usually like taking my time. There are a couple of moves you can do to checkmate someone really fast. Good question, appreciate you.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Yeah, both teams got some solid experience on both sides of the ball. That can help, you know, because you know the situation, you know the game at the college level, and that can take you far in terms of executing in late-game scenarios, or just that confidence that you got going into it. Like I said earlier, both teams got to come in with that mindset. That helps, the experience. But at certain times, what matters is when the ball is snapped. You can be a true freshman, you can be a senior. Either way, we're just focused on having an assignment, and you do your best either way. The experience helps, but that's what we're focused on.

Q. (Question Off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: That's crazy to think about. Usually, you got a couple of rookies in there, you know, making a difference, but there are still going to be some guys either way, you know, making a difference. Freshmen, sophomores, seniors, all those young guys. We got some guys who can definitely make a difference for us on both sides of the ball. On their team too. They've got some guys on their roster who are younger and some who are very much more experienced and on the older side. Just crazy to see the two teams finally meet. Both teams undefeated the whole season and kind of watching them here and there throughout the season. I wouldn't have thought we would be playing them in the national championship, and you never know how it's going to play out. This is how it's going to play out now.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: So, compared to the Los Angeles Rose Bowl and this in Houston -- I guess you can call this a bowl game technically. Kind of the same type of vibe. If you were to compare the two cities or the two hospitality suites, more specifically, they've got a lot of like the Madden games. I'm more of an Xbox rather than PlayStation kind of guy. I like the Xbox more. They've got massage chairs, ping-pong tables, and pool tables, and anytime you want to kick it for a second, and just relax with your teammates, I feel the one here is definitely better.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: We got those cool watches, I know both teams get those watches. That's a good collector's item. And my favorite part of the watch, is the box that it's in. A really cool box and design. I like the box more than the watch actually, which is funny.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: It's crazy to think about. Like you said, I've been watching them all year, both teams going undefeated and going into this one, and now they are moving from Pac-12 to the Big 10. Me personally, all that stuff changing, and the whole next season going to be totally different with the conferences, playoffs, and different uniform rules I heard. And so me personally, I think that whole thing is kind of unnecessary, but they got their reasons, I'm sure, whatever the reasons are. But I always say stay in the Pac-12, and keep the Pac-12. Keep the ACC. It was perfectly fine the way it was, I was a big fan of 4 team playoffs, and I don't know if anyone else feels the same way but I thought it was perfectly fine the way it is and didn't need to switch it up. But the fact that they did, you just gotta roll with it and then just take what they give you. There is going to be good in that too. I'm excited to see both ways. That's going to be a good experience. Excited to see how it plays out next year. The first year with everything new going on. Going to be weird to get adjusted to. Because never been that many changes in one year to the next like. Maybe the playoffs will change, but not like all that in one year. Not the conferences and all that. That's crazy. Yeah, it was definitely, at some point it's about the money. But I always liked the Pac-12. Actually thought it was one of the more underrated conferences like it's a fun little -- yeah, great conference. So this one's Pac-12 versus Big 10, the National Championship Monday night.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Good. I had a pretty good sleep last night. I'm excited to come in here and just get to work.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: When he first transferred to Washington, we played him at our place and he came back and it was like "the return". And we call that in our little group chat. Because it was like a double meaning, since he's a kickoff returner and punt returner, so like, "the return" was also like the return for him back to Ann Arbor, so I thought that was funny.

Q. (Question off Microphone).

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Yeah, for sure. We were pretty close. It was funny, like me, him, and Mikey were all in the same wide receiver class. And then, you know, we'd go out, get food, go to different social events together, just hanging out together at the house. And going against him, I might have to mess with him pregame and just say what's up to him.

Q. After that Alabama game, and going through adversity, you had some mistakes and had to kind of rewrite it. How have you seen guys, you know, make plays specifically later in the game right now?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Yeah. For sure, like even throughout the whole season, there's been a lot of highs and lows, like through the big games, and even like all the other rest of the games on the schedule. Just taking those key moments and trying to use that for confidence, like you said. Maybe you're down by a couple of points. They were up by a couple of points and they get some points, and you make a couple of mistakes, but being able to come back from that and get that victory is what matters the most, and that's what we have been able to do. And what they have been able to do too. So they can say the same thing on their side, but something's got to give on Monday night?

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Yeah, I remember watching all those 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 games, with those now NFL stars coming up, just watching that in my living room and just trying to be like, "Dang, it'd be crazy to play all these games on such a big stage like the College Football Playoff and eventually the national championship." Like always, I watched it just to see all the talent on both sides, and being here almost feels like the Super Bowl or something. Which is what it is, the college football Super Bowl, so it's the top stage in college football. You know, no one else is playing right now except us. And it's gonna be fun to go out there. For me personally, my senior year, my last game, and be at the national championship like there's no better way to go out than that.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: That's another good point too. Because we have been talking about that with the bowl games like the Rose Bowl and stuff, it might not have the same meaning, you know, for a while. All these bowl games. So, and all these little games like that, the Michigan-Ohio State game might not have the same meaning as it has for the past several years, because of the format, and the way it's playing out. Used to be like you play that game, and that would be basically the championship right then and there. And now things are getting adjusted. Almost feels more like an NFL type schedule with the playoffs. And being here with the last year of this format, and it's been like 10 years I've seen that. Year 10. Cool how that worked out, just a little 10-year experiment with the college football playoffs. Looking back at the 10 years with it, I feel it's been pretty solid, I feel at some point, they might even come back to it. Say for example, they do a 12-team playoff. And that goes on for 10 years. They might just say, you know, let's go back to that 4-team, so they can do whatever they want, you know.

Q. Would you imagine you would have been here back in 2020?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: I mean, back in 2020, a lot of things were different, people were opting out left and right. Some people didn't even want to be there. It was a totally different experience. Coming back now, that season, we did a lot that season in terms of training and preparation and trying to get adjusted through the pandemic, and to only come out with 2 wins was crazy. Because we did a lot for those 2 wins that 2020 year.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Actually, we had a tournament this last summer. Some of the guys on the team. A little chess round robin and I swept everybody. But he was the only one and Tristan was the only one that got one game off me. But I still won the series though, that's what matters most. You know, got that dub. Best chess player on the team.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: Yeah, so talking about coming every day with that same mindset, before we go into the facility, we just try and recommit ourselves every day, and think about the day you committed and said I commit to the University of Michigan football team, and what that meant, and think about that every day you wake up, that still is a real thing, and we're trying to all buy in together to win the national championship, and starts with winning the first game, obviously, can't overthink that, and beat the rivals and win the Big Ten, and win the bowl game. This is the farthest we've gone since I've been here at this national championship stage, you know, there's one more to go, so we got to go to finish the job.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: For sure, there have been a lot of situations where, you know, we might have played one of our former teammates, something like that throughout the whole year, and you'll be able to see that. Like it's always funny to see before the game, after the game, and going into that week, just like talking smack back and forth. It is serious because they are the opponents now, so until then, not friends with them until after the game. That's the mindset.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: It's here and there, but all that talk dies down once the ball is snapped.

Q. (Question off Microphone)

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: That's a good question. Because, against Penix, he was there in 2020. You know, during that season, and he got us that year. So now, you know, we got to spin the block and even that up. So we don't forget that at all. Even to go back as far as that, you know, watch tape through his whole career, try and pick out anything we can find to be an advantage for us on Monday night, it's a good point.

Q. From your viewpoint, how much fun do you see Coach Jim Harbaugh on a daily basis? Is he always having a blast, or do you see him differently behind the scenes?

CORNELIUS JOHNSON: I think he's got a great relationship with the players right now. He's just in there with us. And like yesterday, me and some of my teammates were sitting down eating dinner, and he came up to us with his family and just asked if we could come sit with us. And things like that. And all the togetherness, and I think he's having a great time being able to do this with his family and team. This is all his team, and all his recruiting classes, and all his guys he recruited, and got here, and worked so hard to get to this point. For him as head coach, the world is his right now.