Tez Johnson looks up at fans after tonight’s first half.
**UPDATED:** What a bounceback night for Bucs rookie returner/receiver Tez Johnson.
The young man caught all eight targets thrown his way in the first half of the preseason finale against the Bills at The Licht House. Yes, 8-for-8 — for 58 yards and a touchdown. A week ago in Pittsburgh, the seventh-round pick muffed a punt that led to a Steelers score and dropped a pass over the middle that would have been a big play.
After that game, Joe saw Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard offering words of comfort to Johnson, almost like a dad might after his kid had a rough youth game.
Johnson showed his resilience in the first half tonight. And given that veteran returner/receiver Trey Palmer had just one first-half catch and did not line up for the lone first-half punt return — it went to Kameron Johnson — Joe is confident Johnson has made the Bucs’ 53-man roster.
It’s really no surprise. Bucs coaches and players have been high on Johnson for several weeks.
Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht said on the WFLA-TV broadcast of tonight’s game that his entire front office staff loved Johnson before the draft and said Johnson often was the best player on the field for his University of Oregon team.
Congrats, Tez!