Before arriving at Arizona State, things came easy to Tyler Johnson. As a senior wide receiver at Highland High in Gilbert, Arizona, Tyler Johnson was the second-tallest person on his team, and weighed more than most of the linemen on both sides of the ball. Then listed at 6-4, 245 (he's now listed at 6-5, 263), Johnson did whatever he wanted on the football field. Sometimes he'd run the ball. Sometimes he'd split out wide and catch passes over the top of the defense. You might also be able to find him returning kicks and punts, or even rushing the passer. When he was healthy, the 4-star talent was able to do it all, scoring a mind-boggling 23 times on 85 total offensive touches, and averaging 36 yards per kick return and 28 yards per punt return.

Schools all over the country tried to talk Tyler Johnson into doing the one thing he had never done in high school- play tight end. Johnson bristled at the idea that he couldn't make things work as a jumbo wide receiver despite recruiters consistently gushing over his pro potential. Johnson knew all about the pros, with his father Bill Johnson, a Michigan State alum, having spent eight years in the NFL.

Ultimately Tyler Johnson decided to reach a compromise and try the defensive side of the ball, committing to Arizona State to play linebacker.

Johnson didn't come to Arizona State expecting to redshirt, but that's ultimately what happened in his first year in Tempe. He said that it was the guidance of players like D.J. Calhoun that helped him realize the benefits of taking a year to learn his role.

"Of course no one wants to redshirt," said Johnson. "When I got here, I didn't either, but I kept being told by players that I respect, like D.J. Calhoun, how beneficial a redshirt year is for your mental and physical development. That's when you can really work on yourself and learn to get things right."

Tyler Johnson nearly ended up with a second full year off when Arizona State fired Todd Graham, as he seriously considered transferring out of the program.

"We're football players. We don't really like change, so I didn't respond to everything that happened this summer all that well," said Johnson, adding that his father was initially encouraging him to explore his options. "My dad was telling me that I needed to go to a different school. He didn't really want me to go to ASU in the first place."

Then it was announced that ASU would be hiring Herm Edwards, a man with deep NFL roots, to replace Todd Graham, and that made Bill Johnson go from telling his son to make a change, to imploring him to stick around.

"When he heard Herm Edwards was going to be the coach, he said 'you need to stay here and you need to listen to that man. He knows what he's doing, and he knows what he's going to do with you and the kind of talent you've got.'"

When Herm Edwards arrived at ASU, he sat with Tyler Johnson and reinforced that he should be playing on the defensive side of the ball. For a short time during the transition, since-departed Billy Napier had been working Johnson out at Tight End.

Johnson says that Herm Edwards has kept an open dialogue with him during his development as a linebacker. "Coach Herm's office is always open. I go in there sometimes and ask him questions about his plans for me, or what I need to do to improve, and he's been up front every time. He tells me what I need to do to better myself, and help him out while he's here."

One of the things that has aided in Johnson's development is the arrival of strength and conditioning coach Joe Connolly. "Coach Joe (Connolly) is no joke," said Johnson. "Our workouts during the summer? Man, there were days when I wanted to quit. But that's part of the training process- push us and see who can fight through the urge to quit, because that's the instinct we'll need to be successful during the season."

The work Johnson has put in under Joe Connolly is the first time he's really had to expect effort to compete and have success in his surroundings. High school football came very easy to Johnson, and so having to break a sweat in college to keep pace has been an adjustment.

"In high school, I really wasn't pushed much like I am here. It's really made a difference. Sometimes when someone's pushing me, I just want them to get off my back or chill out, but then I think about how it will benefit me, as well as the team."

For a football player who nearly transferred out of a disdain for change, as ironic as that sounds, Johnson has come to embrace change in its many forms.

"Reflecting back on last season, my work ethic has changed tremendously," said Johnson. "I make sure I'm doing what I need to do, and trying to keep myself accountable in all things."

Johnson is currently getting reps on first team with the kickoff and kick return teams, and hopes to be able to make an impact as a linebacker this season as well. Whether he's on the field or not at the beginning of the year, he sees the defense trending in the right direction.

"As far as the team, just go back to spring ball and watch the way we've developed since coach Gonzales came in and changed some things. Just look at the way we sprint to the ball on every play, even if it's an incomplete pass or something like that."

On a personal level, Johnson has made a lot of changes since high school, but the one thing he doesn't want to change is the level of production he had on the field.

"I'm trying to leave a legacy as a person who can do it all. I did it in high school, and if I can do it here, I will. Now it's just about getting my body right to try and handle that workload."