Titans' Johnson following in Peterson's footsteps

Adrian Peterson is only in his second NFL season, but he already has a disciple in the running back ranks in Tennessee Titans rookie Chris Johnson.

Johnson says his goals for 2008 are simple. He wants to duplicate the standout rookie season that Peterson turned in for the Minnesota Vikings a year ago, when Peterson was Offensive Rookie of the Year and MVP of the Pro Bowl, rushing for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first NFL season.

“I pretty much want to accomplish most of the things that Adrian Peterson accomplished last year, things such as Rookie of the Year, going to the Pro Bowl and things like that,” Johnson said. “I know that’s going to take a lot of work, so I’ll just keep working hard.”

In order to find out about how Peterson did it, Johnson went to the man himself, thanks to a mutual friend in Vikings wide receiver Aundrae Allison, who played with Johnson at East Carolina.

“I met actually him down in Miami, and we talked. He gave me advice,” Johnson said. “He said no matter how I’m feeling, he told me to stay in the weight room and make sure I stay on my squats and stuff like that.”

Peterson, whose resume already includes the NFL’s single-game rushing record with a 296-yard effort against San Diego last year, seems flattered that Johnson wants to pattern himself after what he accomplished in 2007.

“That’s one thing from one running back to another, you want to give good tips,” Peterson said. “There are things you’ve been through, that I’ve been through my first year that can help him out going into his first year.

“It feels good. It makes me realize that I’m making a statement and getting myself out there to have younger guys looking up to me. He’s definitely got all it takes. He’s a strong guy, and [he has] the key ingredient; he does have the speed. I’m sure y’all have seen that displayed before. I think he’s got the opportunity to be good.”

Johnson is doing quite nicely in trying to follow in Peterson’s footsteps, as he leads the AFC in rushing with 276 yards on just 50 carries, while splitting rushes evenly with LenDale White. Last year, Peterson split the carries 60-40 with Chester Taylor in Minnesota and led the NFC in rushing and was second in the NFL in that category.

As for Johnson, he is slightly ahead of Peterson’s pace from a year ago with five more yards on 14 less carries than Peterson had last year through the first three games.

Friend or not, Johnson said he accepts the challenge that he will be going head-to-head in a sense with Peterson on the same field Sunday at LP Field.

“I look at it as far as going head-to-head with him,” Johnson said. “Any time I play, no matter who the back is over there, Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson or whoever it is, I want to be the best back on the field. I look at it as a head-to-head matchup.”

Peterson said he wants to see guys succeed, and even though he will be an opponent of Johnson’s on Sunday, he looks forward to the challenge and hopes that the tips he gave Johnson in their off-season meeting helps him in his learning curve as an NFL back.

“Honestly, I’m the type of player that I want to compete against the best and a younger guy, I’m always willing to step in there and give younger guys advice and see those guys succeed, too,” Peterson said. “That’s what it’s all about when it comes down to it. As long I have myself together and I’m prepared, that shouldn’t affect anything at all.”

So what exactly worked for Peterson as a rookie to catapult him among the NFL’s elite running backs so quickly?

“I came in with the mindset of making a statement, being aware of who I was and working hard,” Peterson said. “When you work hard and you set your goals, you go out and do the little things within the offense, learn the offense with the pass protection and all the things that will keep you on the field, you should be all right.”

Johnson’s approach is not dissimilar, say his Titans teammates..

“Chris has a lot of ability, and it’s not just running the ball. He’s doing some good things in the passing game and picking up blitzes and that sort of things,” quarterback Kerry Collins said. “It’s making him do some good things all around, not just running the ball. He’s come along real well. He’s definitely as advanced a rookie as I’ve ever seen.”

Can he be as good as Peterson in time?

“No question, he’s got the ability to do it,” Collins said. “He’s got the head, too. He’s got the brains. He understands the game. We’re throwing quite a bit at him. We use him a lot of different ways, and he’s handled everything great so far. He has that ability to change games and make big plays, and that’s something we’re all glad we have. But a lot of the credit goes to him.”

Of course, Johnson’s talents already have the offensive line singing his praises.

“The thing is, he’s got explosiveness,” Mawae said. “Once he gets into the hole, he’s got the explosiveness to get out of it. Whereas a guy like LenDale will run the same play and get five or six yards, Chris is getting the 10-yarder and the 15-yarder. That’s what he brings to our offense. He brings that second punch that we didn’t have last year.”

TULLOCH SET TO START: Middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch took reps with the Tennessee Titans first-team defense on Wednesday in preparation for a start in Sunday’s game with the Minnesota Vikings.

Tulloch, a fourth-round pick from North Carolina State in 2006, got the work in place of Ryan Fowler who has started since beating out Tulloch in a training camp competition in 2007. Fowler had signed with Tennessee as a restricted free agent before the 2007 season.

Tulloch enjoyed a strong preseason for the Titans, but could not unseat Fowler for the starting job and had even learned the outside linebacker positions where he started two games in preseason when Keith Bulluck and David Thornton were nagged by minor injuries.

Tulloch has five total tackles in three games of limited work with one solo tackle and four assists.

Through three games, Fowler has 18 total tackles with 11 solo stops and seven assists.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher was asked Wednesday if Fowler, who limped off the field late in Sunday’s win over Houston, was injured and replied, “He’s fine.”

YOUNG TIMETABLE: Titans coach Jeff Fisher said quarterback Vince Young, who watched practice with a brace on his injured left knee Wednesday, has no real timetable for returning to the practice field.

“I can’t say how close. He’s getting closer,” Fisher said. “He ran yesterday and had good success on the field. He’s going to go through some sets and drops today and run a little bit after.

“When he comes back and he’s ready to go, then we’ll move him from the third to the second quarterback.”

INJURY UPDATE: In with one Justin, out with another. Justin Gage returned to the practice field Wednesday and went through a full participation after missing Sunday’s win over Houston with a groin injury.

But receiver Justin McCareins missed Wednesday’s work with a groin strain that he described as not being serious.

“It’s just a minor groin issue. I missed one play,” McCareins nsaid. It’s something I got that took me out of one play in the game, and I went right back in. I ran around today and was just testing it out.”

Also, cornerback Nick Harper, who left the game with an injured quadriceps muscle missed practice because of an ankle problem, a similar issue to what caused him to miss a day last week.

The Titans held defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch to limited work, but said he is not injured. Chris Henry missed practice because of illness.