After completing a successful four-year basketball career, Stevie Johnson decided it was time for a new challenge. That challenge has come in the form of football. Johnson finished out his basketball eligibility last season and found that he had one year left to play another sport. Always having a passion to want to do it, Johnson went out for the football team and has been learning the ropes during the off-season. “I’ve always wanted to try to do it [play football]. I had one year of school left and I had the option to come out for football and I wanted to take advantage of it,” Johnson said. “I’m just trying to absorb as much information as I can and try to get better every day in practice and become a better player. I’ve been working out with the team all summer, just trying to get ready to go .” Johnson joined the squad in the spring and proved impressive right away, leading the team in tackles in the spring game. Johnson was rewarded by earning a spot on the two-deep lineup at outside linebacker. He plans to see action when the Cyclones kick off the season Sept. 2 hosting Ohio University. “We’re really excited to have Stevie with us,” head football coach Dan McCarney said. “He’s got a lot of work to do between now and Sept. 2. He hasn’t played football since high school, and that’s a long layoff for any sport, but he’s a tremendous athlete. “He’s put on some weight and gotten stronger, and he’s putting himself in position for a lot of playing time at SAM backer.” Playing linebacker is a big responsibility, as the position calls for defending the run and the pass. Johnson is working on the basics in practice and going from there. “I pick up stuff kind of quick, but this is a whole new ball game,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of little things that I don’t pick up as fast as my teammates do, so I got to work on it a little more. I’m learning more of what my role is going to be and what I’m going to have to do and I’m just going to go out there and do it the best that I can.” Last season, Johnson was a key figure on the Big 12 champion Cyclone basketball team, which went 32-5 and advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament before falling to eventual national champ Michigan State. McCarney hopes Johnson can bring that kind of success to the football field. The Cyclones are talking about the possibility of going to a bowl game for the first time in over 20 years. “Stevie’s a winner,” McCarney said.. “He was part of one of the greatest seasons in the history of Iowa State basketball, so he knows how to win and he has that presence on the field. He’s also got a great attitude.” Compared to basketball where contact is almost completely disallowed, football can be a rough sport. Durability shouldn’t be a problem for Johnson, who played in a school-record 126 games as a Cyclone basketball player. While it was a big change for Johnson to go from the hardwood to the gridiron, he credits his teammates and coaches for making the transition a smooth one. “The team was really wonderful,” Johnson said. “They accepted me with open arms, and that was really big to me. The coaching staff has been more than helpful – they always answer any questions I got. I know I must have some crazy questions for them. but they’ve been very patient with me.”