Detroit Lions could soon have Iron Bowl set of running backs

Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson hasn’t played since Oct. 20, when he suffered a knee injury that required surgery to repair his meniscus. Johnson returned to practice on Dec. 4, and while he can’t play in the Lions’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday because he’s on injured reserve, he hopes to be activated for the Dec. 22 game against the Denver Broncos, even though the Lions have a 3-9-1 record with three games to play.

“As stupid as some people may see it, for me, I like to play, man,” Johnson told reporters in the Lions’ locker room on Friday. “I did all this work in the offseason and did all this work in the summer, and I didn’t do it to play five games."

"Obviously, my goal every year is to play a full season. Two seasons down; I’m 0-for-2. But getting to seven (games) or whatever it might be is better than where I’m at right now. I just like to play. I like to be out there with these guys. I like for these guys to see me play and be able to count on me, and it’s just what I love to do.”

Johnson said he would benefit by returning to the field this season because it would allow him to determine if his offseason program should start with rehab or training. But his eagerness to play in the final two games goes beyond that.

“I can go out there, I can benefit the team," Johnson said. “I can go out there and encourage the team. I can go out there and I can play alongside them. It’s been a long season for everybody. I’ll say it again: It’s been a long season for everybody. And I just want to be out there with those guys, just be able to go through those battles with them, alongside them, playing on Sundays and be able to give it my all just like they have this year.”

As a rookie in 2018, Johnson ran for 641 yards on 118 carries, including two 100-yard outings, before a knee injury sidelined him with six games to play.

This season, Johnson had 308 rushing yards and 126 receiving yards before going down. With Johnson out, the Lions turned to Bo Scarbrough from their practice squad. In his four starts since making his NFL debut on Nov. 17, Scarbrough has rushed for 301 yards.

“Bo’s been doing excellent,” Johnson said. “I’ve known Bo forever, so I’ve always enjoyed watching him run. ... He’s had two games where he should have had 100 yards, and due to different things, just didn’t. I think he was at 98 one time, which was heartbreaking for me. He’s been doing excellent, man, so, hopefully, we can keep that going. Hopefully, next year we can continue to grow together and both be out there at the same time.”

Johnson and Scarbrough are former Alabama prep standouts -- Johnson at Madison Academy and Scarbrough at Northridge in Tuscaloosa before playing his senior season at IMG Academy in Florida. Then they were Iron Bowl rivals with Johnson at Auburn and Scarbrough at Alabama.

“That Alabama-hate-Auburn part, that kind of plays in when you’re in college,” Scarbrough told reporters on Friday. “You get some people that have a household split between them. Look like I got to split it, split that household with him since he’s an Auburn guy.”

If Johnson returns from injured reserve, the split could start next week.

“I think we’ll be dominant,” Scarbrough said. "Kerryon has his style of running, and I have my style of running, and when you get two guys with different styles, but somewhat similar, I think it’s harder for the defense because you don’t actually switch out linebackers and safeties. You can switch out running backs. And I just think if you just keep pounding the ball and pounding and pounding, then, at least by the beginning of fourth quarter, the defense starts to wear out.

"But I think it would be a great thing for Kerryon to return."

Johnson agreed that he and Scarbrough “could benefit each other,” and he said it’s nice to have somebody from back home on the Lions, too.

“Anytime you can have somebody else from your home state, it’s pretty cool,” Johnson said. “Of course, somebody you’ve known all your college years and you’ve grown up hearing about -- I mean everybody in Alabama knew who Bo was before he even got to Alabama. It’s just cool being able to relate and being able to talk about things outside of football. It’s awesome.”

While the Lions could have Johnson and Scarbrough available on Dec. 22, Detroit isn’t sure if it will have Scarbrough available on Sunday. The running back came out of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings with a rib injury, didn’t practice Thursday or Friday and has his status designated as questionable for the game against Tampa Bay.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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