The last two years of the NFL draft have shown fullbacks can make a difference at the next level — which could spell high hopes for former LSU fullback Quinn Johnson.Tailback/fullback Jacob Hester likely rings a bell with Tiger fans. He was drafted in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers.Fullbacks Owen Schmitt and Peyton Hillis were also drafted in 2008, and Le’Ron McClain and Brian Leonard were drafted in 2007. Each has started an NFL game and has seen significant playing time, despite not being drafted in the first two rounds. In 2008, McClain, a fourth-round pick, rushed for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns.But the 6-foot-1, 246-pound Johnson is more of the prototypical bruiser fullback who clears the path for the running back.Johnson had 14 carries for 28 yards and three touchdowns to go along with two receptions for 33 yards his senior season at LSU. But the most impressive statistic of the season may be his 72 knockdown blocks in 2008, ahead of All-American left guard Herman Johnson’s 64 knockdowns, according to CBSsports.com.”You got LaDainian Tomlinson or Adrian Peterson, what do you want in front of him? You don’t want a guy who can catch,” said NFL draft analyst Mike Detillier. “You want a guy who can block for him.”Johnson won a state a championship at class 2A West St. John with former LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson, who has enjoyed going through the draft process with Johnson.”Hopefully, we get picked up by the same NFL team and win a championship there, too,” Jackson said.Laury Dupont, Johnson’s high school football coach, said Johnson would rather run people over than score touchdowns. “He was very unselfish,” Dupont said. “Didn’t care to run the football as much. He loved blocking.”Johnson still managed to rush for 800 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior in high school.”Sometimes we’d go mano-a-mano, man against man, and Quinn was just a man,” Dupont said. “He gained three or four yards every time we actually gave it to him.”Johnson was originally tackling running backs before making the switch to the offensive side of the ball. “He played fullback and linebacker for us. [Nick] Saban recruited him as a linebacker,” Dupont said. “When Les Miles recruited him from Oklahoma State at the time, they recruited him as a fullback. That was his cup of tea.” Johnson’s smash-mouth style and stellar play at fullback has Detillier predicting Johnson to go in the fourth or early fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.”He’s a very impressive young guy,” Detillier said. “With the right team, right spot, he’s going to have a nice career in the NFL.” Former LSU center Brett Helms loved seeing Johnson take on linebackers.”As offensive linemen, you love to see that,” said Helms. “[It] motivates us whenever he hits anybody.”Johnson only recorded 16 reps on the 225-pound bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine — a number surpassed by running backs and cornerbacks alike — but that didn’t discourage Detillier, who thought Johnson’s play at the 2009 Senior Bowl helped his cause tremendously. “Maybe he didn’t bench press as much as some would have thought,” Detillier said. “But when you look at what he did at the Senior Bowl, he was one of the more impressive football players there.” Johnson finished the game with three receptions for 27 yards to go along with a rushing touchdown. “As a former linebacker, I kind of really thought that maybe he just wasn’t proficient as a receiver,” Detillier said. “But he impressed me the way he caught the football [at the Senior Bowl].” Detillier has Johnson as his No. 2 fullback for the 2009 NFL Draft behind Syracuse fullback Tony Fiammetta.- – – -Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]