Steelers David Johnson enjoying move to fullback

[Count Steeler]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — When the Pittsburgh Steelers asked David Johnson to convert from tight end to fullback full-time in time for the 2012 season, the burly 270-pound Johnson's first thought was "I need to go on a diet."

A couple months and 20 pounds later, Johnson is embracing a move that could extend the former seventh-round pick's NFL career indefinitely.

To be honest, the decision came as a bit of relief for Johnson. He spent last season meeting and practicing with the tight ends all week only to be thrown into the backfield as a lead blocker in goal line situations with little preparation.

"Last year, he was just trying to hit it on the fly," tight end Heath Miller said.

Now Johnson — who will keep the No. 85 — sits in meetings trying to absorb as much of new offensive coordinator Todd Haley's playbook as he can while getting a feel for what his role will look like when the season starts in September.

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[ShutDown24]

Johnson is a very good lead blocker. I'm excited to see what he'll be able to do now that he's actually focusing on the fullback position.

I am puzzled though, as to why guys who change positions apparently don't have to change numbers. Hester still wears 23 even though he hasn't been a defensive back in years.

[steelreserve]

Johnson is a very good lead blocker. I'm excited to see what he'll be able to do now that he's actually focusing on the fullback position.

I am puzzled though, as to why guys who change positions apparently don't have to change numbers. Hester still wears 23 even though he hasn't been a defensive back in years.

I bet Johnson is happy - now he gets to keep his job. It's been obvious we've been looking to upgrade our 2nd TE for a few years now, and have come up with mostly misses. If we got a good one out of this bunch, Johnson was next in line to be cut. Happy to see him in this role.

As for the uniform numbers, I don't think they make a big deal about changing it if you already had it, unless it would confuse people about your eligibility as a receiver or your special protection as a QB/kicker. I mean, as long as you've played the position in your career, it would be easy for the coach to say, "yeah, he's our sixth DB," and then what can the league really do. On offense, there are so many times when a RB lines up situationally as a WR, or a TE/WR drops into the backfield, that it's pretty futile to enforce the rule as written without being a total dick and making a mess of things.

I mean, if Refrigerator Perry was playing every down at FB, then they'd probably tell him to change his number to something in the 40s. BTW, I think the 40s are technically the only numbers you could wear as a multipurpose DB/WR/TE/RB if they really wanted to be jerks.